Breaking in Rubber boots?

[mnwanders]

Hey everyone, on the recommendation of the internet and some buddies, I just bought my first pair of rubber boots to use turkey hunting. I spent a lot of time trying various boots on and finally chose a pair of LaCrosse Alphaburly boots that are about 1/2 size to full size smaller than I usually wear. Why did I go smaller? I just could not find a pair that seemed to fit well in the heel cup. I ended up buying the best I option I could find. Now I have them home and I'm walking around in them and having second thoughts. Is there a proper way to break them in? i feel like I might be already developing a hot spot after just a few laps in my house. Is this normal? I've spent 20+ years in the military and put a lot of miles in boots and broken in my fair share of military and hunting boots and I RARELY have problems because I am anal about choosing the right boot when I shop. I've never had rubber boots before. These are making me think that I'd rather have good fitting boots and some wet socks. Any tips or advice?

 

[Logan80]

I actually have the same boots, LaCrosse Alphaburly Pro. I bought them last year for late season because my regular boots had the sole start to peel off and I just got sick of dealing with the muck all over them and in the laces.

My Alphaburly fit like a glove right out of the box, they were about a half size smaller than I wanted, but I could only find them in whole sizes, no halves. They fit well and I hiked around for several days in them and they were great. The only issue I have with them is removing them after a long day. They are TIGHT and very difficult to pull off. I almost returned them for a size bigger but I don't want them to be sloppy. I'm just hoping they break in a bit and become easier to slide off.

 

[LASTINLINE]

have owned a ton of rubber boots.just like leather boots rubber types fit different depending on brand or model.i cant say they will stretch or break in so much but the insulation or inserts will conform a little. i think you did the right thing in getting them a little tight. ive bought rubber boots like Mucks that were loose and used thick socks to make up the difference and was a mistake. unlike leather boots they make your feet float inside like moon boots and if you traverse any terraine with stumps and rocks it slows your reaction and ive kissed the ground a few times because its harder to recover. you can try thinner socks or try a different insert. as far as a shot of breaking them in maybe try wearing a thick pair just around the house to see if it fits better the next day with thinner socks. ive also noticed rubber boots are more tempermental. if youve put some miles on your rubber boots the next day with slightly swelled feet its tough to get them on.

 

[mnwanders]

Thanks for the info guys. I tried Mucks, Cabelas, and Dryshods and the LaCrosse boots just seemed to fit less sloppy and tighter like a military or upland boot. I usually try and go fairly snug everywhere in my boots except the toebox and then let them slowly break in and can usually avoid blisters. I can't remember the last time I had a blister. But it seems like these LaCrosse after I brought them home are tighter around the heel cup but still not quite tight enough, and if I go any smaller I won't have enough room in the toes for swollen feet like you mentioned. I'm worried that the sloppiness might cause blisters. I guess I will just continue to wear them around the house for a few days to see if they get better before I put any real miles on them. Thanks!

 

[Logan80]

I plan to wear mine around quite a bit this summer scouting and see if the inner material gets a bit more worn so I can remove the boots easier. Other than that I've been super happy with them.

 

[Sportsman247]

I’ve never been able to break in a rubber boot. That may be because they make my feet sweat so badly and then they get stuck to my feet so I just quit wearing them.

 

[firebird]

But them a size bigger and wear bama socks (blue booties)

 

[twdjr]

I've always had to buy a size larger in the Lacrosse rubber boots.

 

[neil.hansford]

You're not going to break in rubber boots. Also, you're not going to get a fit with a rubber boot like you do with a lace up leather boot. They're just 2 different types of boots. Anything that can be slipped on without laces isn't going to fit as closely as something that can be laced.

That said, I love rubber boots for certain things, just not long hikes.

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