There's something special about the feeling of putting on a new pair of football boots and hitting the pitch, but the experience itself is often ruined by the inevitable pain and discomfort that comes with wearing them straight out of the box.
Whether you're a professional or Sunday League superstar, nobody likes blisters, so naturally people are going to look for ways to make the breaking-in processes quicker and more comfortable.
We have a complete step-by-step guide that we believe is the answer to moulding, shaping, and fitting football boots to your foot shape, so you can perform to the best of your ability without the worry of blisters.
Step By Step Guide on How To Break In New Football Boots
Step 1 - Get your football boot sizing correct
Although this may seem like a given, many football boot buyers actually end up purchasing the wrong size football boots.
Due to multiple rumours such as professionals wearing boots a size too small or going up a size because football socks are thicker than ordinary ones.
Specialists advise that you stick to your true size as purchasing/wearing football boots that are either too big or too small for the foot can lead to injury.
Step 2 - Introduce/break them in slowly
A key part of how to break in football boots properly is to have patience. Don't expect to buy a brand-new pair of shiny football boots and be able to play a match in them right away.
We recommend that you go home and wear your boots around the house on your nice comfy carpet or on the grass outside in your garden.
Step 3 - Start wearing them in training
Gradually start to wear your new boots in training sessions for a short period. We recommend starting with wearing them for a total of 20 minutes, no more in your first training session.
Once they start to loosen, and feel more comfortable increase your training time in the boots.
Continue wearing your football boots in training for progressively longer spells, football boots before finally dawning them in a match.
If at any point your boots start to hurt or cut you, change your boots immediately, don't play through the pain.
Go home and try the next step on your new boots to help break them in.
Step 4 - Place them in warm water
Place your boots in warm water, not boiling water as that may ruin/melt the boot. Keep them placed in warm water for about 20 minutes before putting them on your feet. This should help stretch your boots and counter any stiffness in the boot.
Step 5 - Keep them clean and dry them naturally
The maintenance of your boots is just as important as breaking in your boots.
- After playing in your boots, clean excess dirt off with a toothbrush, sponge or small brush and warm soapy water.
- Place newspaper in the boots when leaving them to dry, so they don't become out of shape or crease.
- Let your boots dry naturally, don't use heat as it will ruin the boot
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How to avoid blisters when breaking in new football boots
Contact points are the parts of the feet that will interact with the boot most during play.
These are mainly a player's heels, toes, and ankles, however, they differ from player to player and from boot to boot.
It is up to you to identify these main contact/friction points.
You will know what points these are when playing, as you will most likely feel discomfort or a slight pinch sensation in that area.
This is what to do when you are experiencing friction in a certain area so you prevent blisters and/or cutting on your feet.
- Identify your Friction points
- Apply Vaseline to those friction/main boot contact points
READ HERE: 7 Old Football Boots We Desperately Wish Were Still Available In Shops
How To Break In New Football Boots: Methods Used by Professional Football Players
The Hot Water Method - Cristiano Ronaldo
In recent years we've seen players like Cristiano Ronaldo post pictures of them using 'the hot water method', which is literally just putting the boots on and placing your feet in hot water until they soften and mold to your feet, but there is a better way to do it that doesn't involve you soaking your feet for an hour.
Steaming Method - Troy Deeney
Steaming football boots is the quickest and most effective way of softening them to mold to your feet, and Troy Deeney of Watford explained why it works for him in a recent interview with Soccer AM.
Mine go in here, the steamer.
It softens them up, and when you've got feet like Daffy Duck like me, you need it.
Throw them in there, about 20 minutes or so, put your feet in afterwards while they're still hot, and it molds to your foot. Mine are supposed to be 9.5 [shoe size] but I go to a 10, then if you've got wide feet like me it all spreads out.
Deeney and the Watford players use a steam machine designed specifically for footwear, and Nike also have a similar device that customers in certain Nike Town stores can use after purchasing runners and football boots.
Troy Deeney's Steaming Method Step-by-Step Guide
- Run a piping-hot bath
- Find something that can hold your boots above the water, such as a bucket placed upside-down in the middle of the bath.
- Let the boots sit for 15 minutes, then check on them and top up the hot water.
- Give the boots anywhere between 30 minutes and an hour.
- Remove the boots while the water is still hot and put your feet into them.
- As the boots cool down they will mold to your feet and create a custom fit, so be sure to give them another 15 minutes cooling off time on feet.
Having tried this method myself I can confirm it works, so give it a shot the next time you've got a new pair of football boots and want them broken in nice and quickly.
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