Can You Stretch Rubber Boots? – 4 Smart Methods to Stretch Your Rubber Shoes at Home

​I am sure you love wearing your rubber shoes or rubber boots outdoors.

After all, they are very comfortable to walk outdoors and they do protect your feet from mud, water and soil in rainy seasons.

But sometimes new rubber shoes or boots do not fit properly and they become too tight to wear on a daily basis.

In this case, you either have to replace them with the another pair or you can simply try to stretch them a bit.

Stretching any type of rubber boot or rubber shoe can be a challenging task for many of us. Because these kinds of footwear do not stretch easily and though they stretch, they don’t remain in the same state for long.

Stretching leather shoes or boots is somewhat easier as compared to rubber footwear.

Rubber material is elastic in nature.

But boots that are made of rubber material do not stretch permanently.

Although, there are certain ways which you can implement to make your new rubber shoes or boots somewhat bigger than their current size and width.

I will try to provide some smart ways to stretch your rubber footwear easily at home.

Even after implementing those tips, if you are not satisfied with those results, then you can take your shoes to a shoe cobbler or a local shoe store owner.

You can then ask them about possible ways to stretch your rubber boots.

But before providing those tips, I would like to answer some pressing queries which I am seeing many folks ask online. So, without further delay, lets dig into them.

​Do Rubber Boots or Rubber Shoes Stretch?

​This is the question that thousands of people ask on a daily basis. The answer to this question is sometimes “Yes” and sometimes “No”.

To certain extent you can stretch your new rubber shoes. Breaking in new rubber footwear takes some time.

After few weeks of regular usage, the rubber material is stretched to conform to your foot size.

So, just wear your rubber boots on a regular basis for few weeks and you will see that the boots are stretched a bit after first few weeks of usage.

It also depends on what kind of material is used in your rubber footwear.

Premium quality rubber footwear are made from either processed or natural vulcanized rubber material.

In recent years, the companies have started to integrate PVC (vinyl), neoprene, and Polyurethane material into making these types of rubber footwear.

Considering all the environmental factors, the safest option is natural rubber boots for all men and women; especially for kids.

There are 3 main categories of rubber boots viz. Vinyl, synthetic rubber and natural rubber boots.

Out of these 3, the safest and non-toxic option is to use natural rubber boots.

I avoid synthetic and vinyl or neoprene rubber footwear. Because they are harmful and toxic for  out health.

But if you want to stretch your boots, these plastic rubber shoes are ideal candidates.

Stretching pure natural rubber boots can be a daunting task.

Because when you wear them, they will stretch to some extent and once you take them off, they will return to their original state after some days.

However, this is not the case when you use plastic rubber boots.

You can stretch them to some extent on a permanent basis.

Because they are made from neoprene or vinyl material which is stretchable in nature.

​Can You Stretch Hunter Rain Boots?

​Stretching hunter rain boots can be a cumbersome task.

Because the rubber material of these types of boots are already vulcanized and molded in the factory in certain ways.

It makes them to remain in the same shape and size most of the times.

If you do try to stretch these boots, sometimes you end up ruining them.

But this does not mean that you can not implement certain boot stretching techniques that are harmless and effective.

If your hunter rain boots are new, I suggest you give them some time to break in.

Initial break in period could be longer for new rubber rain boots.

In this case, ordering the right size is really important for perfect fitting of your feet.

The right size and width of your new hunter rain boot is really essential for comfortable walking and wiggling of your toes inside your boots.

To some extent, you can stretch these hunter boots. But if your footwear is too tight, then you certainly need to order another pair.

Because rubber boots can not be stretched beyond certain limits.

If you are looking for wider rubber rain boots then I recommend you search for best Hunter Wellington boots.

These boots are ideal for long distance walking and comfortable working.

​Is It Possible to Stretch Sorel and Dunlop Rubber Boots?

​Stretching Sorel rubber boots is also somewhat difficult to achieve, Because rubber do not stretch permanently.

It gets back to its original position as soon as you release stretching pressure from it.

But this does not mean you can not do anything about it.

If Sorel rubber footwear is tight around the calf area, you can try some reliable shoe stretchers to widen the calf area.

You can also try wearing a pair of thick socks to attain some widening of your boots.

Even after trying out these methods, you don’t see any satisfactory results, then I recommend you replace it with the new pair.

The same case applies to Dunlop rubber boots. Just like Sorel boots, the Dunlop rubber footwear do not stretch easily.

You may try the above two stretching techniques for stretching these boots to certain extent.

But after that if you don’t see the results, it is better to get a new pair for comfortable fit.

​Can You Stretch Rubber Climbing and Riding Boots?

​If you are wearing rubber climbing shoes for activities such as rock climbing or mountain  climbing, then you should be aware of few things.

The first thing is it should fit your foot size and width properly.

If it is very tight fitting, then you need to stretch it a bit for comfortable rock climbing experience.

Most leather and suede boots can be stretched to considerable length and width with the help of some easy household stretching techniques.

But when your climbing shoe is made up of rubber material, it becomes somehow tricky and tedious task to stretch it as per your wish.

New rubber climbing shoes takes some time to break in.

After few weeks of regular usage, if they are broken in properly and still not fitting your feet comfortably, then you can consider heating the upper part of the shoe.

Just use your house hair dryer or blow dryer to warm the rubber of your shoe.

And then walk in it for few minutes. Repeat this process for next few days.

Another method some reddit users suggest is to use microwave oven to warm your shoes.

By heating your shoes at lower temperature, you can somewhat expand the rubber material of your shoe.

Then just walk in it for few minutes. And repeat this procedure for next few days.

I hope, you will see some good results after following this stretching method.

If you are using rubber motorcycle riding boots, then I suggest you do not try any household stretching techniques.

To stretch these kinds of boots, you need a professional help.

Your local shoe cobbler might have some unique riding boot stretching devices.

They can be used to stretch these boots to a certain extent.

You can also widen the calf area of rubber riding boots with the help of your local shoe cobbler or professional shoe stretcher in your area.

I recommend you to watch the following video to understand how professional cobblers stretch riding boots.

​How to Stretch Rubber Boots Around Calf Area or the Top Area?

​If you have got the new rain rubber boots with somewhat tight calves, then you should think about widening the calf area of those boots.

Sometimes, your old rubber boots do get shrunk due to non-usage for longer period.

In these situations, calf area of your boots do get tighter.

This is the time when you really feel uncomfortable due to tight fitting of these boots around your calves.

However, there are certain methods you can implement to widen the calf area of these rain rubber footwear.

There are mainly 4 methods to stretch your rubber boots around the calves.

One method is to freeze the calf area with small ice cubes to stretch the calf area and the second method is to heat the calves of the boots with the help of blow dryer at your home.

Both these methods should be used in moderation to get proper results.

Third method is to use boot inserts that are available in the market.

They can be inserted around the calves and then you can walk in them to stretch the calf area gradually.

The fourth method is to use a reliable boot stretcher device to widen your boots.

They are available in online stores at great discounts.

I recommend you to watch the following video to learn how to use shoe stretcher to widen the width as well as length of any kind of boots effectively.

​All of these methods are explained in detail in the below section of boot stretching techniques.

Do read them and implement any one of them to stretch tight calves of your rubber boots.

​Can a Cobbler Stretch Your Rubber Boots?

​Yes, professional shoe cobblers can definitely stretch your new or old tight fitting rubber footwear.

These cobblers usually make use of professional shoe stretcher devices available at their workshops.

If you find it difficult to implement home shoe stretching methods, then I recommend you to visit and take help of these professional cobblers.

I am sure, they will be able to help you in stretching your tight rubber footwear to make it more comfortable to wear.

Watch the following video to get an understanding of the stretching technique these professionals implement to widen the boots.

​Can I Stretch My Rubber Boots at Home?

​Yes, you can. As already mentioned above, you can try out certain home boot stretching techniques without any issues.

Some of the prominent footwear stretching methods which you can implement are as follows:

1. Freezing your boots with ice

2. Heating your boots with blow dryer

3. Using a boot stretcher device

4. Asking for help from professional shoe stretchers

All these methods are explained clearly in the below section. So read it carefully.

​4 Best Methods to Stretch All Types of Rubber Boots and Rubber Shoes

​The 4 main stretching methods that are mentioned above can be tried out to widen your rubber boots at home.

I will now explain them one by one.

​1. Boot Freezing Method

​This method is tried out by thousands of people and they have gotten pretty satisfactory results from it.

This technique is all about freezing the rubber material with the help of ice.

In the process, rubber gets expanded to some extent and then repeating it till you get satisfactory results for yourself.

You will need ziploc water bags in this method.

Pour half the water inside these bags and carefully pack them so that water can not get out easily.

Now place these bags inside your rubber footwear with care.

Once you place them inside the boots properly, it is time to store these footwear inside your deep freezer.

Let these boots stay there for overnight and then take them out. Now take out the frozen water bags outside and walk in those boots with your thick socks on.

Repeat this process till you get desired results for yourself. The main science behind this is water becomes ice and expands inside the bag.

It also stretches your boots in the process. But you might need to repeat this process to get the proper results.

You can check out the following video to understand how this shoe freezing method works.

​2. Boot Heating Method

​Another super easy method is to heat your boots to expand the rubber material and then repeat it as and when you want more stretching.

In this method, you will need only 2 things and that are your thick socks and your house hair dryer or blow dryer.

Just wear a pair of thick socks and then wear your tight pair of rubber boots.

Now start your blow dryer and keep it away from your boots for at least 5 to 10 cm for safe handling.

Focus on the areas more where you feel the boots are more tight like your toe or heel area.

When you are warming your boots with blow dryer, you can also flex your boots to get it expand and stretch properly.

Once you heat it properly from all angles, its time to walk in these boots for at least half an hour.

You may have to repeat this procedure as and when you require it.

Because rubber is that material which gets back to its original width and size after certain stretching is performed.

So, this heating method may or may not be permanent for your boots.

But you can certainly get some short term stretching results with this method.

Kindly watch the following video to learn how to perform stretching of all kinds of footwear with heating method.

​3. Using Boot Stretcher Device

​There are certain types of boot stretchers available in the market or you can even purchase them online.

With these stretching devices, you can widen the top area or calf area of your Wellington rubber boots or Hunter rain boots to a certain extent.

You can even use them to stretch your toe area or heel area which are very tight for fitting.

These stretchers are made to stretch your toe area or shaft area of the boot.

If your boot is too narrow for your feet, this method may not work properly.

Also remember to walk in these boots as soon as you stretch some part of your boot with these boot stretcher devices.

This way you will properly know how much more stretching you need for your boots.

To understand how to use these boot stretchers to widen the calf area of your rubber boots, kindly watch the following video.

​4. Take Your Boots to Cobbler

​The final option for you is to pay a visit to your local professional shoe stretcher person.

These are well trained and experienced professionals who know how to properly stretch any type of footwear.

They always have the right tools and devices to safely and harmlessly stretch new and old footwear.

You can consult with them and try out any possibility to stretch your rubber footwear.

If they advise you not to stretch your boots to avoid the damage to them, then I guess you may have to think of replacing them asap.

Or else, get a completely new pair of rain rubber boots for yourself.

​Wrapping Up

​Using these 4 stretching methods, you can try changing the width and length of your new and old rubber boots.

But the truth is rubber boots are hard to stretch because they always get back to their original position due to the basic nature of rubber material.

The best option for you is to always order the right size or at least one full size larger boot for your feet.

If your rubber boots get damaged, then you can repair them with the best glues from the market.

If you want more information about hunter boots then check out this guide.