There’s nothing like a “fresh out the box”, new pair of boots, but we all know that it takes a little bit of time to break them in. We work hard at Cat Footwear to build work boots  with the best comfort technology out there, yet even our boots take a little while to start feeling “just right.”

That said we’ve found there are a few tricks out there that can help reduce the “break in time” from a few weeks to a few days. We’d still recommend taking it slow (so maybe not the full 10 hour shift on day one) and throwing on some thick socks for the first few weeks (did someone say socks?). These tricks, though, will give you a jump on turning those beautiful new boots into your beautiful new boots:

1.Before you throw your boots on – give the heel of you boots a nice little stomp. Mashing them up a little will soften up one of the areas most likely to cause rubbing and won’t hurt your boots in the slightest.

2. Feel that flex! Cat Work Boots are built to be some of the most flexible work shoes on the market (check out our new GF4 line for max flexibility). To help break in your new boots put that flexibility to the test everyday before you put them on. Pressing the toe towards the tongue everyday for the first week or two will really help to speed up the break-in process.

3.Did you know your feet get bigger as the day goes on? Gravity and your body weight actually causes your feet to expand almost half of a shoe size by the end of a long day in your boots. With this in mind, it can help to only wear your boots in the mornings for the first few days you have them. Give a switch at lunch and you’ll avoid those late day blisters.

4. If you do have any pinch spots in the toes or heel – use a broom stick to stretch out the inside of your new boots. With your boots off, aim the stick at the problem area and slowly bend out the pinch.

The internet is full of other ideas some good (mink oil can really work w/ leather boots), some bad (dunking them in water isn’t going to make your new boots very happy) – but these are the best ones we’ve found. There’s not substitute for a little “getting to know ya” time with your new work boots, but it never hurts to have a trick or two up your sleeve to speed it along.