How to stretch motorcycle boots when they are too tight

Recently, I’ve bought a pair of new motorcycle boots. They seemed a little bit small in the shop, but one size larger was too big for me. So I went for the first pair and took them home.

Guess what? They were too small and I started to have sore feet on rides that lasted longer than 30 minutes. So I’ve been looking for solutions and found some techniques to stretch your motorcycle boots.

Small disclaimer: Every boot is different and they are all made of different materials. Some of these techniques will work, but some might not work. Use these techniques with common sense.

You can stretch leather motorcycle boots by spraying them with rubbing alcohol, wearing thick socks or by applying heat with a hairdryer. This will only work effectively when your boots are made of genuine leather.

Tip: Read my article about the best motorcycle boots for wide feet.

This only works with leather boots

First of all, you should know that these options only work with leather boots! Make sure you are applying these techniques to genuine leather boots only. You can make sure they are leather by looking for the 100% genuine leather logo.

Loads of brands use Lorica to produce their boots, which is basically an artificial leather. You might be able to stretch this material a bit, but it won’t be as effective as genuine leather boots.

Can you still return your boots?

Stretching motorcycle boots does work, but it’s not ideal. That’s why you should always try to buy boots that fit you perfectly.

Are you reading this article because your boots seem to be too tight? Are you still able to return the shoes or exchange them for another size? I highly advise you to do so when you have the option.

Good motorcycle boots should fit like a second skin. They should touch your feet all around, but they are not supposed to squeeze your feet. Remember that you’ll have to wear these boots on long rides whiles sitting still. You don’t want to get sore feet!

Also be aware of the differences between brands. Sidi, for example, makes boots that are quite narrow. Do your boots fit in length but are they too narrow for your feet? Try a pair of Alpinestars boots. They are usually a little bit wider.

I personally have quite wide feet and I wear Alpinestars. They fit me well. I also have a small disadvantage that my right foot is slightly bigger than my left foot. The boot fits my right foot perfectly, and is a little bit on the big side for my left foot. But I rather have a boot that is too wide on one foot, than too narrow on the other!

Option 1: Wearing thick socks

The first option in stretching your boots is quite an old school trick. You’ll have to wear your boots with a thick or double pair of socks.

And with wearing, I really mean walking with them. Use them around the house whiles mowing the lawn, walking the dog or cleaning your car. Make sure your feet move around in the boots. This will put pressure on the boot, forcing it to stretch out.

Your boots will stretch over time. All you need is a little bit of patience. My experience is that you’ll see results after a couple of hours. You will have to repeat this process to make sure that the boots don’t go back into their original shape. Just make sure you wear them whiles you are active. Wearing them whiles seated isn’t as effective, since your feet don’t warm up and they apply less pressure to the leather.

Option 2: Bring your boots to a professional cobbler

This might actually be the best option in this list. It costs you some extra money, but a professional cobbler knows what he is doing. Stretching your boots won’t cost that much, usually they charge you anywhere from five to fiftheen dollars.

You can bring your motorcycle boots to the cobbler and ask him to stretch them. They usually ask you how much they need to be stretched. They stretched my boots by 1/2 size once, which took a couple of days.

Once again, this only works for genuine leather boots. Are you not sure if your boots can be stretched? Ask the cobbler. He can advise you what the best solution is for your specific boot.

Option 3: Stretch your boots with rubbing alcohol spray

Another known method to stretch boots is by applying rubbing alcohol. Fill a spray bottle with 1/3 rubbing alcohol and 2/3 water.

Spray the inside of each boot till it’s completely moist (but not soaking wet), and wear your boots for 20 minutes. Use your boots whiles you are moving around, and reapply the rubbing alcohol after 20 minutes when needed.

There is an alternative for this method. You simply take a pair of thick socks and soak them in rubbing alcohol. Squeeze them to get rid of anny excess liquid and put your socks on. Now wear your boots and walk around for 20 minutes. This can also be repeated when necessary.

Option 4: Shoe stretcher spray to stretch your boots

You don’t have rubbing alcohol at home? In that case you can choose to buy stretching spray.

It works the same way as the rubbing alcohol, but it’s specially developed to stretch footwear. Make sure to read the manual that comes with the stretching spray, since each stretching spray can be different. Pay close attention to the amount of spray you have to apply, since this may vary per brand. You can buy shoe stretching spray anywhere like Walmart or Amazon.

Option 5: Using a shoe stretcher

A shoe stretcher is shaped like a foot and is usually made from wood or plastic. Your shoe stretcher will have it’s own manual. Read this manual to see how you should apply the shoe stretcher.

I personally think that this option won’t work for most boots. It’s perfect to stretch a pair of leather shoes, but the shape usually doesn’t fit in a pair of high boots.

Option 6: Using a hairdryer

You can also stretch your boots by using a hairdryer. Just soak your socks in water (or even better: in rubbing alcohol) and squeeze them to get rid of any excess water.

Then wear your boots with the wet socks and close the zipper. Grab your hairdryer and start heating up the parts that seem to be too tight. This should make the leather softer, which stretches the boots.

Make sure to wiggle your feet around and walk around the house after heating up the boot. This will put extra pressure on the leather, which improves the process of stretching.

Option 7: Freezer stretching your motorcycle boots

I’ll start by saying that I have no personal experience with this method. However, there are loads of people stating that this actually works. It won’t be my first pick, but try this if you tried other methods which failed.

The idea is that you put a plastic zip bag inside your boot. It has to be as big as the inside of the boot, so you need quite a big bag. Then you fill the zip bag with water and close it.

After that, you put the boot (filled with the bag with water) in the freezer. The idea is that the water wil expand and that will stretch your boot.

I’m personally a little bit sceptic, since my boots are full with high-tech shock absorbing material. I’m too scared that the freezer will damage the protective parts of my boots, so I neder tried it before. Did you try it? Let us know how it worked out for you by leaving a comment on the bottom of this page.

Conclusion; What works best?

There are many options to stretch your boots properly. I personally think that the best option is bringing them to a professional cobbler. The other options might also work, as long as your shoes are made of genuine leather.

I’m curious to now what your results are. Did you use any of these techniques? Let me and other readers know what your experience was!

Frequently asked motorcycle boots questions

How tight should motorcycle boots be?

Motorcycle boots should fit almost perfectly when you buy them. Most people think that the boots will get wider over time. Truth is, that motorcycle boots are full of safety features and protective material. This makes the boot less likely to stretch.

Which type of boots is best for me?

The type of boot that is best for you depends on your personal preference and which type of rider you are. Do you own a cruiser, a tourer or a sports bike? Do you have wide or slim feet? All these factors come into play when buying a pair of boots. Are you smaller than average and do you have a hard time reaching the floor? In that case, you might want to consider height increasing boots. My advice is to buy boots in a shop. Don’t buy them online unless you are absolutely positive about your size and the fit of the brand.

Can you wear sneakers on a motorcycle?

I highly advise you to always wear motorcycle boots whiles driving a motorcycle. Motorcycle boots are specially developed to keep your feet safe. They are often fitted with extra protection around the toes, heel and ankle.

Are motorcycle shoes any good?

Motorcycle shoes offer you slightly more protetion than normal shoes, since they are often fitted with protection on the ankle. They aren’t anywhere as safe as boots though. The big difference between normal shoes and motorcycle shoes, is the sole. Motorcycle shoes have a special sole which makes sure you won’t slip whiles standing in oil or gas.