The first month after getting a new boot is exciting. You want to wear the boots as much as possible. Your ultimate target is to break in your Timberlands ASAP.
But sometimes, the boots never seem to fit right even after passing the break-in period. That’s when you need to stretch your boots. Otherwise, you might run into troubles like Timberlands hurting ankle.
So, do Timberlands Stretch? The short answer is yes.
There’s a lot more going on behind the scenes. You need to know how much the boots will stretch and how you can stretch them.
Today’s article is all about that. So, sit back tight, grab a cup of coffee and start reading-
Do Timberlands Stretch? If They Do, Then Why?
Timberlands do stretch naturally over time. Within 4-5 weeks of wear, the leather stretches due to the weight and pressure of your body movements. After a while, the boots will conform to the shape of your feet. However, choosing the right size is a crucial factor to make that happen.
So, why do Timberlands stretch?
It’s because leather is quite similar to our skin. With enough pressure, leather will stretch to some extent.
And the best part is, this happens naturally. Just walk around in your new boots for a few weeks and you’ll feel the difference.
Leather being a pliable material stretches just from the pressure of walking in your TImberland boots. As time passes by, the leather gets even smoother and softer taking the shape of your feet.
Before you try out the different methods of stretching your Timberlands, you should wear them for at least 100 hours over a period of time. In terms of weeks, it takes around 4 weeks to reach that.
How Much Will Timberlands Stretch?
It’s quite clear that like every other leather boot, Timberlands will also stretch.
But there’s a catch here.
Even though Timberlands stretch over time, you can’t expect them to stretch too much. You can’t expect to fix a sizing error by stretching. It’s kind of like removing ink from your Timberland boots. The ink will be gone but the boots will always have some scars(not literally) left behind.
The size you get isn’t likely to change that much. With extra stretching, you might be able to go a size extra.
But that’s it. No more than that.
No matter how much it stretches, you can’t expect to wear a size 10 Timberland boot with a size 12 feet.
However, you also have to consider how much it stretches from side to side. Leather boots are great as they stretch their width too.
But if you have extra-wide feet, it’s better if you stick to the Wide size of Timberland boots. While it’s true that the leather will stretch over time, there’s no need to take that risk.
Get the right size & width and your Timberlands will fit perfectly.
Should Timberlands Be Tight?
No right-sized Timberland boot should be too tight. However, the tightness depends on the variant of the boots. Timberland women’s high heel boots offer a tighter fit than their men’s ankle boots. Nevertheless, the boots shouldn’t be too tight or too loose.
Still not clear about how the tightness works? Well, I knew this would happen. So, here’s a detailed explanation of how different Timberland boots fit-
If you’re ever in search of a true-to-size women’s Timberland boot, the Courmayeur Valley 6” Boot should stay at the top of your list. Unlike the well-known yellow boot, it offers a perfect fit for most women.
It’s a high heel boot for women. What do you expect? It’s supposed to be a bit tighter than your regular boot. While the size is true to size, the fit is quite tight in the toe and arch area.
Another true to size, properly fitting waterproof Timberland boot. From the iconic wheat color to black and brown, you won’t be disappointed with the colors. But if you have wide feet or love wearing thick wool socks, it’s better to go with the Wide size.
Men’s Groveton LTT Chukka Sneaker:
These Chukka leather sneakers offer a snug fit. It’s not as tight as the high heel boots. But if you have wide feet, you might have some problem fitting into these. It’s better to try out different sizes if you’re unsure whether they’ll be too tight or not.
Timberland Shoe Size Compared to Nike- Size Up or Down?
Even though Timberlands often run bigger, brands like Nike or Adidas run even bigger. If you compare Timberland shoe size to Nike, you should get something in the middle.
For example, if you wear a size 12 Nike, you should stick to a size 11 for Timberland boots. If you wear a size 11.5 Adidas, go a half size smaller for Timberlands.
Then again, all this depends on the style of the boots. For high heel boots, you shouldn’t compare them to brands like Nike or Adidas. If you really want to compare, you should do it with other brands.
How to Tell If the Timberlands Aren’t the Right Fit?
Two-thirds of people are wearing shoes that are too narrow for them. Needless to say, wearing tight enclosed boots for an extended period of time can lead to unwanted problems.
Then again, it’s quite confusing to know whether it’s a tight fit or not. As Timberlands stretch over time, sometimes it can be hard to figure that out.
But to do so, notice if you’re facing these problems-
- The LENGTH of the boots seem TOO SHORT for your feet
- The SHAPE of your feet isn’t conforming well to the boots
- The TOE AREA is excessively TIGHT, too LOW, or both.
- The HEIGHT OF THE HEELS is putting too much STRESS on other parts of your feet
How to Stretch Timberlands?
Now that you’ve caught up with how timberlands stretch, you can finally head over to the stretching process. By the way, do you know whether Timberlands are good for snow or not?
While it’s true that you can always take your boots to the cobbler for professional help, it never hurts to try out these methods. Similar to cleaning your Timberlands, stretching isn’t that hard.
This goes without saying that these methods are affordable and easy to do. And please, don’t forget to do what you need to do for protecting your Timberland boots. Anyway, here are the methods-
Method 1: Use Leather Stretching Spray
Timberlands are notoriously known for getting water stains. So, forget about any stretching process that involves water.
What you can do is get a high-grade leather stretching spray. As it’s mostly an alcohol-based solution, it dries up almost instantly.
But the spray alone isn’t enough. Add in a thick wool sock or wear double socks to make it more effective.
Continue the process for about a week and you’ll feel the difference yourself.
Method 2: Wear Thick Socks
It doesn’t get any cheaper than this. All you have to do is wear thick wool socks or two regular socks.
The truth is this process will take a lot of time. You won’t notice any instant difference. On top of that, wearing two socks or thick socks can become uncomfortable especially when the boots are already tighter than you’d like.
Then again, it’s free. If you want a faster solution or need more stretching, it’s better if you look for another method.
Method 3: Bring in the Hairdryer
I know what you’re going to say. Heat damages leather. Yes, I know that too. But if you maintain a safe distance along with breaks in the process, you can stretch your Timberlands within half an hour.
Here’s how to do it-
- Wear two thick socks. Not regular socks. If you don’t have thick ones, wear as many as possible as long as they don’t hurt.
- Start the hairdryer keeping a distance of 6-inches from the boots.
- When blow-drying, focus on a single area for 30 seconds and then move on to another area.
- During blow-drying, make sure to wiggle, curl, and bend your toes ensuring maximum stretch.
- Keep wearing the boots until they cool off.
- Finally, check with regular socks and see if it has worked or not.
Method 4: Get a Boot Stretcher
A high-quality boot stretcher isn’t as cheap as a leather stretching spray. But you can be absolutely sure that it’s going to stretch your boots in the safest manner with maximum efficiency.
The stretcher along with plugs helps the leather stretch faster than you can imagine. Give your Timberlands a night of stretching and the difference will be quite noticeable.
- If you have any particular that needs extra stretching, install the plugs.
- Put in the boot stretcher, ensuring the foot-shaped end reaches the end of the toe box.
- Start rotating the handle clockwise until it’s tight enough inside the boot.
- Leave your boots like that for 8 hours. No more than that unless you want any damage.
- Check if the fit is alright now. If not, repeat the process.
Method 5: Fill up with Damp Newspaper
We all know about this age-old method. Did you know that this method also prevents creases(here’s how to uncrease Timberlands)? Back in the day, this was quite an effective method. Here’s how to do it-
- Find some old newspaper or magazines
- Dampen them with some water. Don’t put too much water as that can damage the insole
- Stuff the boots with newspaper after you screw these up
- Leave them like that overnight
- After 8 hours or so, check if they’ve stretched enough
Method 6: Putting Ice Bag Inside
Water turns into ice when frozen, we all know that. But did you know that you can use this to stretch your Timberlands?
- Fill up a resealable halfway with water
- Ensuring the bag reaches the end of the toe area, place it inside the boots
- Leave them like that in the freezer overnight
- The next morning, try out the boots to see if they’ve stretched enough or not
- Make sure the boots are properly thawed after bring them out
Should You Use Vaseline to Stretch Timberlands?
I’ve seen some people using vaseline to keep their leather boots moisturized. While it can somewhat moisturize the leather, there’s no way it can stretch Timberlands.
Most Timberland boots are out of suede and nubuck leather. Unless you didn’t know, these two are known for getting watermarks easily.
People hardly even use conditioners on suede and nubuck. So, using vaseline is out of the question. Unless you want to ruin the boots by darkening them, avoid it at any cost.
How to Avoid Stretching Timberlands?
Stretching leather isn’t that hard. But there’s no denying it requires time. On top of that, sometimes you just don’t have the energy to solve another petty problem in your life.
For those times, you should know about these things-
First, Break in the Boots
Get the right size and break in those boots. Unless you haven’t worn them for 100 hours, you won’t know if stretching is necessary.
A lot of people get blisters with perfectly fitted boots. It’s just how new leather products work.
Use Inserts
Some inserts make it a bit easier for you to adjust. The inserts help the boot conform to the shape of your feet.
Even though the effectiveness depends on the style of the boot, it never hurts to try something before you stretch your boots.
Buy Moc Toe Boots
It’s quite rare that I’ve heard people saying they need to stretch their moc toe boots. The Timberland Pro Moc Toe Boots are the perfect fit if you always have some problem fitting into your boots.
Yes, there is a break-in period. But unlike plain toe boots, the toe area is already pretty high up. So, the comfort is much better from the start.
See If Custom Boots Are Available or Not
This is the last thing you can do. Although it’s not that uncommon, a lot of people with unusual foot sizes need it.
Timberland used to make custom-sized boots. But now they don’t do that anymore.
Wrapping Up
So, do Timberlands stretch? Yes, they do. But that doesn’t mean you should try to stretch them the minute you buy them.
Even the fit feels a bit snug, give it some time. Complete the break-in period and then do what you want.
Anyway, that’s about it from me. If you’ve any other helpful tips to share, don’t forget to comment down below.
