The Art and Science of Breaking In Your Shoes

There’s an inherent joy in purchasing a new pair of leather shoes. You open up the box, peel back the tissue paper and unsheathe your new lace-ups from their fuzzy shoebags. You hold them in the light, and notice the fine craftsmanship—the intricate stitching, the smoothness of the leather and the unblemished footbed inside. You can smell the leather, can’t you? It’s all good until you try to wear them for the first time.

That gleaming leather you were just admiring suddenly feels a lot less forgiving. Your toes are pinched a bit and your heel is being rubbed raw. Then come the blisters. What the hell? The truth is, that if acquiring a new pair of shoes is among life’s great pleasures, then the act of breaking them in is one of its greatest pains. Think of it this way, your new shoe is a wild stallion—beautiful and a little dangerous until it’s tamed. To make it your own will require some work (and maybe some blood, sweat and tears), but then you’ll be incredibly comfortable in the saddle. Don’t be discouraged. In fact, it’s a rite of passage every man should endure.

And while there are a handful of bizarre shortcuts and hacks floating around the internet, don’t fall for them. You should not be running over your shoes with your car, or stashing them in the freezer with plastic bags filled with water. Thankfully, the real process is a lot more straightforward. So pull out your new shoes and let’s get to work. Because as soon as they’re broken in, you’ll have a pair that you’ll be happily wearing for the next decade or so. You might not know this, but breaking in your shoes properly will actually extend their lifecycle. The process of gradually introducing stress to the materials allows them to adapt without experiencing excessive wear and tear. This means that your shoes are more likely to withstand the test of time and maintain their structural integrity, ultimately saving you money in the long run. And don’t worry, the process is way less involved than you might expect.