How to Stretch Rubber Boots to Fit Calves or Around the Calf

Many of us love rubber boots, especially for their water-resistance abilities. They are wonderful in the rainy season and great for keeping our feet warm from the calves downwards. Technology is improving and so are rubber boots, one could spend the whole day just admiring the different types of boots that have flooded the market today. But what if after going through all of the stores and you finally make up your mind on a pair of elegant boots, what if upon trying them on, you find them tight at the calves? What do you do? Do rubber boots stretch?

We are always concerned about how you enjoy your shoes and so we keep helping you find new ways of modifying them to your taste no matter the situation. This article contains seven smart ways to stretch your rubber or rain boots to fit your calves, your toes, and everywhere on your feet! You will not have to feel uncomfortable or dread wearing those rubber boots anymore. So, let’s get on with answering your question of how to stretch rubber boots to fit the calves.

Can Rubber Boots be Stretched?

Either it is the length or the width that you need to increase, rubber shoes can definitely be stretched. Every method that we will suggest to you here about stretching your rubber boots to fit the calves is also applicable in stretching them to fit any other part of your feet.

Understand that rubbers though durable and great for insulating the feet, are very delicate. They are not as easy to stretch as leather shoes and they must be handled with great care. But the fact that they don’t easily stretch does not mean that they never do, the word “easily” is simply relative.

Whether your rain boots are tight around the heels or toes, or calves, or at the instep, there are ways to go about stretching the rubber material. Let’s go.

Method 1: Dry Heat Method

You will need a blow dryer to effectively use this method. Dry heat has saved the day many times in stretching shoes, and rubber boots around the calf are not an exception. Here’s what you will do:-

Get a pair of thick cotton socks and wear them with your rubber boots.
Set your blow dryer to medium heat and blow it over the tight area of the boot for about 20 seconds. For tight calves, let the dryer hover around the calf area for about ten seconds longer.
In the process of blow-drying, bend your calves in and out to give the boots more room to expand.
Do the same for any area of your boot that is tight. Wriggle your feet inside them to achieve the maximum expansion possible.
Now put off the dryer and walk around with your socks and rubber boots on. Do this until the boots cool down.
Remove your socks and test the boots to see if they now fit. If they still don’t fit to your desire, repeat the process carefully again, or try any of the next methods.

Note that rubber shoes can easily be destroyed by heat so when using the blow dryer, don’t linger on a spot for longer than twenty seconds at a time, and make sure you hold the dryer several inches away from the boots. We don’t want to damage your boots.

Method 2: Moist Heat Method (Hot bags)

The moist heat method is relatively safer than the dry heat method and is similar to the freeze-up method which we will discuss next.

Rubber boots can be stretched around the calf with moist heat by following these steps:

Put some hot water in resealable or Ziploc bags and carefully place them on the calf areas of your boots. If you wish to expand other parts of the boots, place the hot bags there too.
Leave the hot bags in the boots and allow them to cool down.
Once cool, remove the hot bags and stuff your rubber boots with old socks to enhance the stretching.
Place the stuffed boots in an oven or microwave for some seconds to further stretch them.
Allow your boots to cool down and then try them on.

Check to see how they fit.

Method 3: Freeze-up Method

This is just like the moist heat method but you will be using ice instead. When water is turning into ice, the molecules of the water expand while turning into ice, this expansion is what we have targeted to rub off on your tight boots.

Place resealable or Ziploc bags filled with cold water in your boots. Make sure the water is cold and that the bags lock up well.
Place your boots in the freezer and allow the water in the bags to turn to ice while in the boots. Make sure not to overfill the Ziploc bags.
Take out the boots after about 24 hours and allow them to cool down before trying them on.

The rubber boots will have stretched by now and the calves will fit better.

Method 4: Calf Stretchers

Your calves are important, so take care of them and avoid inconveniences around them. Making use of a calf stretcher to stretch your rubber boots is a great way to make them fit nicely at the calves. You can purchase stretchers that you will insert into the boot and allow them to stay on for the maximum result.

The only problem with this method is that rubber shoes fully play out their stubbornness the most when trying to stretch them with calf stretchers so you must be patient and ready to win if you will be going with this method.

Method 5: Wear them Away

Every time we have to talk about stretching shoes, even if they are leather, we always remind you that you can effectively have your way by simply wearing them around, especially in the evenings. They are your boots after all!

Wear them around the house and see what wonders will happen. Rubber stretches easily this way because it expands with use. This method is also cost-effective, if you don’t what to spend any more money on that pair of rubber boots, choose this method.

Method 6: Use Homemade Stretching Liquid

There is a variety of stretching liquids available for sale online and in your local supply store. You can get one and apply to your boots, or alternatively, prepare homemade stretching liquid for yourself. Here’s how.

Prepare a mixture of alcohol and warm water in the ratio 1:1, that is, mix up an equal amount of alcohol and warm water.
Fill up an empty spray bottle with the mixture.
Apply the mixture by spraying the calf area and any other tight area of your rubber boots. Spray on the inside and outside of the boot to achieve maximum stretch.
Allow the rubber boots time to get dried and then test your work.

This method is also cheap and easy to follow at home, so get on with it.

Method 7: Use Your Cobbler

This method is usually the last we suggest because it may be an expensive choice. But it is usually worth it. A good cobbler will know what to do to stretch your rubber boots to fit at the calves or at any other part of your feet.

If you choose this method, ensure to communicate correctly with your cobbler to explain exactly what you need to be done to your boots. With a professional cobbler, you basically will have nothing to worry about and will be able to receive your boots back in the exact state that will fit your feet and calves perfectly.

Can You Stretch Rubber Rain Boots?

Stretching rain boots is not difficult and the methods to get this done are not different from those listed above. If you have a pair of rain boots that you need to stretch, select one of the several methods of stretching rubber boots explained in this article and you will get good results.

A Final Word on Stretching Rubber Boots

It is always better to purchase the right pair of rubber boots from the get-go rather than try to stretch them. Make sure that you purchase rubber boots that have soft stretchable material so that you can get a wriggle room easily if you need to.

Shop for your rubber boots patiently. Measure your calves with a tape rule and use the measurement to crosscheck the rain boots that you purchase at the store. Do the same if you are ordering online.

While buying your boots, be sure about the return policy of the store or retailer you are shopping from so you will not waste precious cash on something you will not wear eventually.

Great comfortable boots help enhance our walking posture. No one likes to walk in shoes that are too loose or are too tight. Any time you find yourself with a pair of boots or shoes that you just don’t know how to stretch or shrink, check out our site, we always have a way. And while we encourage you to shop and buy the right shoes once and for all, if you ever run into one hitch or the other with shoes, there’s no need to despair, because as they say, when there’s a will, there’s a way.

Good luck with stretching your rubber boots.

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