Having comfortable snowboard boots is perhaps the most crucial piece of equipment a rider needs. New snowboard boots should be extremely snug without restricting blood flow to the feet.
Even though it is always recommended to make sure you select a tight-fitting size for your snowboard boots. But oftentimes we make the mistake of buying too-tight shoes which leads to a lot of discomfort. As a result, people want to speed up the process of stretching out the boots so they can feel comfortable using them.
In this article, we’ll go in-depth on how and when to stretch your boots so you can have your adventures with comfort.
Signs Your Boots Are Too Tight
Without expert guidance, it could be challenging to determine whether a boot fits properly or is excessively tight. Especially for beginners, it’s a tough decision when it comes to buying their first pair of boots and ends up buying too-tight ones for themselves.
Here’s some tips on how to identify if a pair of boots is too tight for you:
- When standing up, it’s fine if your toes scrape the edge as long as they are not curled back in pain, if they are curled up it’s not a good sign.
- Struggling to tie the laces or get them to stay tight is an indicator of tight boots.
- If your boots ache straight immediately to the point where you don’t want to wear them for an hour then undeniably they are too small.
- When standing up, it’s fine if your toes scrape the edge as long as they are not curled back in pain, if they are curled up it’s not a good sign.
- When your toes, arch, heel, and other parts of your foot are all cramped and in pain or discomfort.
- Remove the inner lining from your boots if they are too tight to wear, then put your foot inside the shell. Your boots are unquestionably too small if the top of your foot hits the shell ceiling.
- While a small amount of discomfort is common at first, it should eventually pass. If the discomfort persists, then there’s something wrong.
- A boot is definitely too small for you if your feet go numb after wearing it for 30 minutes.
How to stretch your snowboard boots?
When we are shopping for snowboard boots we often have one thing in mind, it has to be tight and secured. Then often we make the mistake of going one step too far and end up with a too-small one. A tight pair of boots will definitely hinder your ride and make it difficult for you at every step while also your feet will be in pain and you’ll most definitely be not comfortable. This is why people often stretch their boots so they can enjoy their time in the winter.
Snowboarding performance and comfort may both be improved by stretching the boots for a variety of reasons. Stretched-out boots can help immensely in enhancing comfort, taking foot shape into account, addressing pressure points or hot spots, fixing sizing errors, allowing for improving performance, shortening the break-in period, extending life allowing for swelling and even more.
We have shortlisted a few ways you can stretch out your boots so you can have your adventures as soon as possible:
Walk it out
If you wish to stretch out your boots naturally then this is one of the best ways to do so.
Every day, every ten to fifteen minutes, walk it out. Why should you stroll you try this method out? Does it even work? The mould fits your feet better and follows its dimensions when you walk it out. Instead of attempting to break the boots while skiing, you may snowboard considerably more comfortably once the foot’s dimensions have been established.
Make sure you give your new boots enough time to break in naturally, which usually takes around 1-2 weeks, so plan your trips accordingly.
Also Read:
- Comparison of Snowmobile and Snowboard Boots
- Is It Normal For Snowboard Boots To Hurt?
- How to Put on Your Snowboard Boots: Step By Step Guide
Be friends with your snowboard boots the whole day
Strap in those snowboard boots!
Spend the entire day indoors wearing your snowboard boots. Playing games?watching shows? cooking? Cleaning? Whatever you have to do, do it in your boots. This method is quite efficient and popular if you’re in a hurry to stretch out your boots. This method is faster than the previous one as you’re in your boots the whole day. Since the heat from your feet will mould your snowboard boots, strapping them in will help them stretch more quickly.
Bending And Flexing
Make sure your boots are at least room temperature, then spend some time bending and flexing as if you were snowboarding.
Repeat the movements as you will do while snowboarding. If you carry out this procedure in a warm or room-temperature environment, the moulding process will go more quickly.
Heat Molding
Boot fitters with the necessary training should do heat moulding. The procedure is evenly heating your boot liners in a special oven, removing them, and then putting your foot within the liners for around 10 minutes to let them mould to the contour of your foot. Your liners may be easily broken in and shaped to your foot using heat moulding.
Although we strongly advise having a boot fitter mould your boots, if you truly can’t get to an expert, here is the do-it-yourself heat moulding technique:
Put your snowboard boots on, pinpoint pressure points, blow-dry for 15 minutes, then return and let your foot mold naturally for another 10 minutes.
Snowboard boot stretching tools
There are several stretching tools available in the market, the most popular of all is the boot stretcher which can be used to adjust the boot width, but it does not damage the boot.
You can also use a heat gun to manipulate the foam liner, first, soften it using a heat gun before going around the trouble spot with a smooth-ended stick. You should have more room as a result. Along this, there are several other tools to use like you may use a heat gun or a regular hairdryer to target any sore spots in your boot if they are giving you a lot of discomfort.
Pro tip: Wear thick socks that you want to use for snowboarding while the boots are being stretched. This makes sure that the boots are stretched to make room for the extra layer.
Read: Klim Klutch vs Adrenaline GTX Snowmobile Boots
FAQS
Should snowboard boots be tight?
Snowboard boots should be laced securely, without pressure spots, and secured with heels and ankles. Toes should barely touch the front lining while standing.
How big should my snowboard boots be?
Boots should be tight enough to prevent blood circulation blockage, preventing bruises, blisters, and injury on the mountain, while ensuring the toe grazes the front panel.
Should snowboard boots first cause pain?
Many individuals overdo it while buying boots since they know they should fit snugly. Again, wearing snowboard boots shouldn’t ever result in discomfort or reduced blood flow. To ensure a secure fit, keep in mind that new boots in the box will only slightly stretch with use.
Can you stretch your boots if they are too tight?
Yes, there are several ways one can stretch out their boots. Stretching out boots can be achieved through natural stretching, flexing and binding, heat molding, or professional shoe fitter services.
Can boots be stretched out by half a size?
Experts think that boots should be acceptable up to one full size. Overstretching, especially all at once, might weaken the boot’s structure and increase the likelihood that it will deteriorate over time, especially in the winter.
Conclusion
To summarize, for the newbies if you’re scared that you might have bought too tight a pair of boots for you or If your boots are giving you a hard time then don’t worry there’s a solution for it. You don’t have to endure discomfort or pain anymore in your tight boots there are several methods which you can use to stretch out your boots as you desire whether you do it at home or go to a professional from walking it out to heat molding, you’ll figure out what to do.
Your boots will fit perfectly on your feet the next time you’ll be out having adventures in your life in the mountains with no worries about sores or discomfort.
