Do Hunter Boots Stretch?

Hunter boots have always been popular, especially with people working in the countryside but ever since Kate Moss wore them at Glastonbury their popularity has exploded. Hunter boots are no longer just practical wellington boots they are now highly fashionable meaning that millions more people around the world want to wear them. But what happens if you have a pair and they are just a little too tight? Do Hunter boots stretch or are you going to be stuck with a pair of rubber boots that don’t fit?

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Buying a Pair of Hunter Boots That Fits Well

Hunter boots have a great website that explains how their footwear fits and in particular gives you the exact fit that the boots have around the calves for particular styles. This means that to fit the most comfortable fit you should in theory be able to measure around the widest part of your calf and choose a pair of hunter wellies that works for that sizing.

The problem with Hunter rain boots however is that the brand doesn’t do half sizes which means that finding the perfect fit can be problematic if your foot doesn’t fit whole sizes. This means that sometimes people pick the wrong size boot to compensate which also causes the calf width not to work as well.

Of course, if you buying a new pair of Hunter boots online you should be able to just send them straight back and reorder ones that are a more comfortable fit. The problem comes when either you have inherited some boots from someone else or you have put on weight and your boots which previously would have fitted no longer feel comfortable or even worse you can get them over your calves.

Are Hunter Boots Supposed to Be Tight?

Whilst having Hunter boots that feel snug is ok they should never be so tight that they feel uncomfortable. Life is too short to be wearing rain boots that hurt or pinch.

If you have tried on a pair that feels a little too snug then you really should go up a half size. Most people do this with Hunter boots and then wear a pair of thick socks when they are wearing them.

Thick socks make perfect sense with these boots as you are more than likely going to be wearing them in the autumn and winter. If it is really cold and there is snow and ice use a pair of thick thermal socks instead.

How Do You Break in Hunter Boots?

Do Hunter boots stretch? Well to answer that question you probably need to think about how much they need to be expanded.

Normally most wellington or rubber boots should be worn in before trying to wear them all day. Put on a pair of thick socks with your Hunters or even two pairs and start to walk around in them for half an hour at a time to break them in.

This may loosen the boots very slightly making them adjust to your particular leg shape which will make them more comfortable. Thick socks won’t however expand their original tall boots very much. So don’t expect this process to increase them by half a size as that is unlikely to happen.

Hunter boots are incredibly well-made and durable boots but in order to achieve this high standard, they are stitched and reinforced and use heavy-duty rubber which is incredibly difficult to stretch in any meaningful way. This means under normal circumstances if you need extra room in the calves or foot area you really should be exchanging the boots for a bigger size.

Do Hunter Wellies Stretch?

If you have inherited a pair of Hunter boots that don’t quite fit or you have put on weight then you may have nothing to lose by attempting to stretch your boots. But we have a big word of warning. Some of the methods that people have attempted to make their boots fit may make little difference or in the worst-case scenario ruin your boots completely.

We recommend that you only use the following methods when you are willing to give anything a try and understand that you may break the rubber boots in the process.

Remember that Hunter Boots that are well taken care of have a reasonable resale value on many of the selling sites. This means it might make more sense for you to sell them on there and get some money which you can put towards a new pair of their rain boots. If however, you want to persist here is what you can try.

How to Stretch Wellies at The Calf By Using a Hairdryer

Our first method that can be useful for some people is the hairdryer method. This is a relatively simple trick to try on Hunter Boots that you are not afraid of ruining.

Just put on your rubber boots and make sure you are wearing some thick socks when you are trying this method to insulate your legs and help with the stretching.

Now hold the hairdryer and the areas of the walking boots that causing you a problem. The aim is to heat up the rubber sufficiently so that when you start walking around in your boots it will cool into a shape that will mold to your particular legs and feet.

Use common sense when you are doing this and try and warm the boots for as short a time as possible. Remember that if you overdo it you could stretch the boots out of shape or make the rubber hard and brittle rendering the boots useless.

Make Rubber Boots Bigger With Stretchers

Whilst wearing thick socks or hoping that your boots will stretch around your calves and ankles with wear an easier way to increase the size of your footwear is by using a boot stretcher.

The FootFitter Cast Aluminum Combination Boot Instep & Shaft Stretcher works particularly well to help boots fit around the calves. You just place the deliver in your Hunter boots and expand the device so that you can stretch your footwear.

There is however one big downside with this device and that is the cost which is more expensive than the Hunter boots!

Don’t buy this product unless you are going to use it to stretch your other Boots as well because otherwise, it won’t be a great investment. Remember that your local cobbler will have a similar device in their store. This means that it is usually easier to get them to help make your boots fit and pay a fraction of the price of this device.

Make Hunter Boots Bigger With a Stretching Spray or Liquid

There are plenty of shoe stretching sprays or liquids that are sold online that can help to expand your boots. The key to finding one that works is checking out the material that they can work with.

Choose a rubber boot stretching liquid or spray that is designed for your type of footwear and then spray it inside the boots. You usually need to walk around in them immediately after spraying so that they mold to your calves and ankle shape.

This method usually works brilliantly for leather boots and shoes but is less tested when it comes to natural rubber boots like Hunters. As the sprays are relatively cheap it is a relatively easy option to try if you have given some of the other methods a go without any luck.

Use Ice to Help You Make Your Boots Wider

Finally, the next method you could try is one that involves ice. We have recommended this method for widening shoes as well so it is a relatively tried and tested way of expanding leather. Of course, Hunter rubber boots are incredibly sturdy so you may find that this might not do the trick.

To make this work fill a freezer bag half full with water and seal it so the water can’t escape. Make sure that there is no air in this section of the bag. Then wrap this bag inside another freezer bag just in case.

Pop the freezer bag into the area of the wellies that need to be expanded and then put it in your freezer at least overnight. As the water freezes it will expand and help to stretch any boots or shoes you try this with.

When you remove the boot and bag allow the ice to melt before removing the bag and trying on your Hunters.

Hunter Boots Wide Calf Wellies

Do Hunter boots stretch? Well, it is worth noting that if you want to wear Hunter boots and have larger than average calves then the brand does sell wide calf wellies. This means you can still keep up with the fashion without having to try and prise yourself into a pair of boots that is a little too small. This solves the problem of trying to stretch their normal boots to fit you.

Their wide calf wellies are adjustable at the sides or the back depending on the style you are looking for and should fit most people who have difficulty wearing their normal boots.

Hunter Original Wide Calf Wellies have according to their size charts the largest calf circumference of 45.6cm. If this is not large enough for you check out our guide to the best wide calf wellies.

These wide calf boots also come in the traditional knee-length style or alternatively, you can buy a pair that is ankle length which is useful if you don’t need something too tall.

More Handy Tips About Boots

How to Dry Leather Boots

How to Stop Boots Squeaking When Walking

How to Stop Walking Boots From Rubbing Your Ankles

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