Stretching Moldable Boots for Width

Aerocat · May 14th, 2019, 06:20 PM

Bought a pair of Atom Pros and they are really nice for the price. However, I must have some duck feet or something because they just plain put my feet to sleep after about five minutes. Tried the heat molding, but what I really need to do is give myself some more width at the ball of my feet.

How should I go about doing that?

Do I need to bake them or just local heating with a heat gun?

What's the best way to push them out from the inside? Shoe stretcher?

BigFoot · May 14th, 2019, 10:43 PM

This is NOT a helpful reply. I only offer you sympathy. I have duck feet. For years I bought boots in standard sizes/widths that, in a short time, would squeezed all feeling out of my feet and caused blistering. I suffered with this problem for years. I twice used an improvised scissor-like flat bar set-up, with a c-clamp, and pieces of wood to spread the toe box. It helped, but these were leather boots. They would stretch with use, even without using a stretching device. The Atom boots are, I think, all synthetic with a shell made of carbon fiber and mold-able fiber. I don’t know how that material would respond to stretching. Anyway, I now have to order custom-made boots to fit my freakish feet. But hey, its important to have a good fit. You need to be comfortable and its critical to have feeling in your feet when you skate.

shesk8 · May 15th, 2019, 05:26 PM

How much stretch you can get on a boot, rather depends on how much you need to budge the area across the bunion. Stock boots are not always a Cinderella story, every mgfr uses a different last to build boots on.

If you have not done a basic oven heating, I'd suggest to try that first. Too many are concerned with damaging the boots, but they are designed to be molded for optimal fit. Prior to molding them, adhere a thick piece of mole skin to your bunion(maybe even double it up), and a strip along the outer 5th metatarsal, the fleshy area below the pinkie toe. This will feel horribly tight when molding, but will help push out the boots in the spots you need.

If that does not resolve the issue go after those spots with a heat gun and Hoke tool - and, with some patience you can work on those areas with the heat gun to create more space around the bunion area.

If you are really fighting the width, to the point the foot is painfully pressured across the ball of foot, be warned, that continued pressure could result in a neuroma. When I find skaters having wider feet, or just splayed toes, I will shift them to a Bont boot, as Bont is more square in the toe box, plus they are the only company to offer semi-custom widths based on the skaters foot profile (for a minimal upcharge fee).

Hope these tips help. If not, it might be worth exploring other boot options.

Aerocat · May 20th, 2019, 12:56 AM

Thanks for the helpful replies!

ursle · May 20th, 2019, 12:59 PM

You don't list a location, but walk into a good ski boot fitting shop, they can stretch any part of the boot in any direction, and make custom orthotics which will free up some room also.

Aerocat · May 20th, 2019, 01:51 PM

That’s the direction I’m leaning. Found a ski shop that does custom molding and stretching. Since it’s the off-season it has been hard to get together with the owner because his shop has very limited hours. He’s never done a speed boot but has done hockey skates before.

BMW325TI · August 22nd, 2019, 08:14 AM

Well I have same issue; wide feet

Triedd to heatmolding (oven) Luigino Challenge to have some more width.
Too bad material remains hard to deform.....
Only material around ankle will pliable....

May 14th, 2019, 06:20 PM	#1
Aerocat Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2018 Posts: 24	Stretching Moldable Boots for Width Bought a pair of Atom Pros and they are really nice for the price. However, I must have some duck feet or something because they just plain put my feet to sleep after about five minutes. Tried the heat molding, but what I really need to do is give myself some more width at the ball of my feet. How should I go about doing that? Do I need to bake them or just local heating with a heat gun? What's the best way to push them out from the inside? Shoe stretcher?

May 15th, 2019, 05:26 PM	#3
shesk8 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Salt Lake City, UT USA Posts: 1,054	How much stretch you can get on a boot, rather depends on how much you need to budge the area across the bunion. Stock boots are not always a Cinderella story, every mgfr uses a different last to build boots on. If you have not done a basic oven heating, I'd suggest to try that first. Too many are concerned with damaging the boots, but they are designed to be molded for optimal fit. Prior to molding them, adhere a thick piece of mole skin to your bunion(maybe even double it up), and a strip along the outer 5th metatarsal, the fleshy area below the pinkie toe. This will feel horribly tight when molding, but will help push out the boots in the spots you need. If that does not resolve the issue go after those spots with a heat gun and Hoke tool - and, with some patience you can work on those areas with the heat gun to create more space around the bunion area. If you are really fighting the width, to the point the foot is painfully pressured across the ball of foot, be warned, that continued pressure could result in a neuroma. When I find skaters having wider feet, or just splayed toes, I will shift them to a Bont boot, as Bont is more square in the toe box, plus they are the only company to offer semi-custom widths based on the skaters foot profile (for a minimal upcharge fee). Hope these tips help. If not, it might be worth exploring other boot options. __________________ From Salt Lake City where ice meets inline... Email: sales@theskatenowshop.com www.theskatenowshop.com

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May 14th, 2019, 10:43 PM	#2
BigFoot Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: So Cal Posts: 131	This is NOT a helpful reply. I only offer you sympathy. I have duck feet. For years I bought boots in standard sizes/widths that, in a short time, would squeezed all feeling out of my feet and caused blistering. I suffered with this problem for years. I twice used an improvised scissor-like flat bar set-up, with a c-clamp, and pieces of wood to spread the toe box. It helped, but these were leather boots. They would stretch with use, even without using a stretching device. The Atom boots are, I think, all synthetic with a shell made of carbon fiber and mold-able fiber. I don’t know how that material would respond to stretching. Anyway, I now have to order custom-made boots to fit my freakish feet. But hey, its important to have a good fit. You need to be comfortable and its critical to have feeling in your feet when you skate.

May 20th, 2019, 12:56 AM	#4
Aerocat Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2018 Posts: 24	Thanks for the helpful replies!

May 20th, 2019, 12:59 PM	#5
ursle Street Skater Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: NH Posts: 1,871	You don't list a location, but walk into a good ski boot fitting shop, they can stretch any part of the boot in any direction, and make custom orthotics which will free up some room also.

May 20th, 2019, 01:51 PM	#6
Aerocat Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2018 Posts: 24	That’s the direction I’m leaning. Found a ski shop that does custom molding and stretching. Since it’s the off-season it has been hard to get together with the owner because his shop has very limited hours. He’s never done a speed boot but has done hockey skates before.

August 22nd, 2019, 08:14 AM	#7
BMW325TI Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Drachten > Europe Posts: 107	Well I have same issue; wide feet Triedd to heatmolding (oven) Luigino Challenge to have some more width. Too bad material remains hard to deform..... Only material around ankle will pliable....