How to Shrink Leather Boots

Co-authored by Marc Sigal

Last Updated: February 24, 2023

If you've got a brand new pair of leather boots, you probably can't wait to wear them out somewhere. In some cases, though, those new boots don't quite hug your feet the way you wish they would, which can make showing them off in public pretty difficult. Luckily, you can fix this problem easily with a little H20 and a bit of physical activity — or, if time is a factor, you can safely shrink those shoes now with just a spray bottle, hair dryer, and some leather conditioner.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using Water to Shrink Boots

1
Soak your boots in a tub of water for about an hour. It doesn't need to be a lot of liquid, but your shoes should be totally underwater. If they don't get good and soaked, they might not shrink evenly.^{[1]
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- Alternately, you can use a wash basin or large bucket.
- If your boots are made of suede, submerging them might ruin their appearance. Instead, just wet the inside of the shoes and let them air dry in a sunny space.^{[2]
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Put on a pair of socks and dunk your feet in the water. The damp socks will help your boots shrink to the proper size. They'll also spare your feet from the pain caused by the shrinking leather.^{[3]
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Put the wet boots on over your socks. You'll want to do this as soon as you pull them out of the tub, because they'll start shrinking right away. Heads up: getting them on might take a little elbow grease.^{[4]
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Wear the wet boots and socks until the socks dry. At this point, you can go ahead with whatever you've got planned for the day. As you walk around, the leather will naturally shrink to fit your feet. It may sound uncomfortable, but it's definitely effective.^{[5]
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- By the time the socks have dried, your boots should feel much better.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Shrinking Boots with a Hair Dryer

1
Fill up a spray bottle with hot water. Using a spray bottle lets you target specific parts of your shoe. This is super helpful if your boots aren't all leather and you've only got a few spots to hit.
- If you don't have a spray bottle, you can use a sponge or an old rag to dampen your boots.
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Spray the leather outer surfaces of your boots. Don't be afraid to get them nice and soggy, because any dry parts simply won't shrink. Spray from about 5 inches (13 cm) away to avoid making a big mess.
3
Blow dry the outside of the boots with a hair dryer on low speed. Holding your dryer about 6 inches (15 cm) in from the boots, slowly and evenly pass over each one until they're both bone dry. The key here is to be gentle — holding the dryer too close (or running it too hot) can absolutely wreck your boots.
- The parts you dry first will shrink the most, so start with the parts of the shoe that are loosest on your feet.
EXPERT TIP

Marc Sigal
Shoe Care Specialist
Marc Sigal is the Founder of ButlerBox, a dry cleaning and shoe care service based in Los Angeles, California. ButlerBox places custom-designed, wrinkle-resistant lockers in luxury apartment buildings, class A office buildings, shopping centers, and other convenient locations so you can pick up and drop off items 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Marc has a BA in Global and International Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Marc Sigal
Shoe Care Specialist

Fill a spray bottle with lukewarm water and spray the shoes. Depending on how much you want to shrink your boots, you can spray specific areas lightly or heavily. Then, use a blow dryer on medium heat and hold it six to nine inches away to shrink the leather.
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Try on the boots to see how they fit. If either boot is still too lose, spray and dry the boots again in the same way. Repeat until the boots fit properly.
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Rub leather conditioner into the boots. The conditioner will keep your leather from cracking or peeling following the heat from the blow dryer. Feel free to use lots of the conditioner to make your boots really shine.

Community Q&A

Question

How can I make my leather boots tighter?

Drew Hawkins1

Community Answer

Try soaking your boots in a tub of water for about an hour. Make sure they're fully submerged so they shrink evenly. Then, put on a pair of socks and dip your feet into the water so your socks are saturated. Put your boots on over your wet socks wear them around until they dry off. As they dry, the boots will naturally shrink and fit around your feet.
Question

What can I do if my leather boots are too big?

Drew Hawkins1

Community Answer

You can try shrinking them so they'll fit your feet better. Fill up a spray bottle with hot water and spray the outside of your leather boots. Make sure they get nice and saturated with the water. Then, take a hairdryer and set it on low speed. Hold the dryer about 6 inches (15 cm) from the boots and move it back and forth to blast the hot air over the surface. As the boots dry, the leather will shrink and the boots will get smaller. Be careful not to hold the heat of the hairdryer over 1 spot for too long or you can ruin the leather. Once they're fully dry, rub some leather conditioner into them so they won't crack or peel.
Question

Do leather boots shrink over time?

Drew Hawkins1

Community Answer

If you don't wear your leather boots for a period of time, as the moisture in them evaporates, they can shrink down a little. Fortunately, it's an easy fix. Rub some leather conditioner into the material to moisturize it and help prevent cracking and peeling. Then, wear the boots around for a few hours and the leather will start to loosen up and become more comfortable.

Warnings

Having wet feet for prolonged periods can cause damage to your skin, including cracks and blisters.^{[7]
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Research source} Be sure to remove the boots as soon as your socks are dry.

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