Today, you are going to learn how to keep boots from slouching at the ankle.
Ideally, your boots should stand straight all of the time, just like when they were new. However, they have this nasty habit of slouching, and looking as bored as heck. In return, this draws all the attention to your legs.
So, how do I stop my boots from slouching? Start by choosing a snug-fitting pair of boots, and storing your boots on a rack to enhance their stability. You can also wear the boots with thick socks in case you need a better fit. However, the most important thing is to ensure that your boots never lose the snugness.
As you can see, the worst nightmare for a boot lover is to have them spiral down and pile up around their ankles. Keep reading to see actionable tips that you can employ to keep the boots on your feet.
How do I tighten my ankle boots?
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Tightening your ankle boots is not too hard. With a bit of creativity, you can keep them steady on your calf. Some of the methods will require you to spend money, but you will be glad you did.
Most of the boots that cost a couple of hundreds of dollars will eventually slouch. They do this because leather is soft. And it gets softer with time! If you can spend a thousand or more on a pair of calf-boots, nice and well. However, in most cases, it is just better to get a cheaper pair and then work to prevent slouching.
Some are just homemade techniques, but they work pretty well. Here are some of the most common techniques that you can employ to keep your boots standing straight all the time:
Get the right fit
This is the first way to prevent your boots from collapsing all around your ankles. If you buy locally, fitting is not a big deal because you can just walk in and try them on in the store. However, in the brick and mortar stores, footwear is costlier.
Therefore, you want to buy yours online and still get the right size. There is away to do that. First, tie a string around your calf. Stretch it out along a ruler so that you can see the diameter in inches, centimeters or whatever units you use in your country.
Do the same for the shaft size, that is, from your arch to the calf. If you are not sure what your shoe size is, measure the length of your foot. Also measure the width. When you are ordering your boots, pass these measurements to the supplier.
Store boots in the right way
What is the best way to store leather boots? This is a bit tricky. Most people store theirs upright, leaving gravity to do its work and when they wear them, they slouch at the ankles. Some people even store theirs with the shaft horizontal on the ground. Big mistake! That enhances loss of shape and encourages slouchiness.
It is best that you store your boots on a rack. This one is designed in such a way that a skeleton gets into the boots. This makes the boots retain their original shape and at the same time, it keeps the leather taut and well shaped.
The boots stay in a diagonal posture and since they are stuffed, the leather stays in its original shape. If you are a true boot enthusiast, this rack is a good investment.
Use a straightening strip inside the boot
Straightening boot strips are either plastic or metallic. They are thin and they do not take too much space. If you do not have such a strip, you can use wood. Just make sure it is a craft stick that you can attach to the area close to the ankle. This will prevent the leather from bunching up. You can attach the stick close to the zipper.
Remember, you attach this to the interior of the boots. When you are not wearing the boots you can remove the straightening strips and store the boots on a rack as explained above.
Stuff the Boots If YouDon’t have a Rack
Now, boot racks cost money. If you do not have one, you can store your boots upright, but you should stuff them with boot shapers. Don’t have even the boot shapers?
Don’t sweat it. Just use what is readily available. For example, you can stuff the shoes with old newspapers rolled up. You can also use rags and old t-shirts. Just make sure you stuff up the shoes with things that will help them retain their shape.
The idea is to prevent the boots from bending at the ankle areas because that is where they start to slouch. They do this because the ankles are thinner than the calf area.
Use two-sided adhesive tape
When your boots stubbornly slouch and want to pile down at the ankles, you have to hold them tall and straight by force. One of the ways to do that is to use two-sided adhesive tape.
When you remove the backing from the tape, you can stick one end on the boots and the other end will stick to your socks. That should hold the boots in place for the entire time that you will be wearing them. It also does not cause any harm to the shoes or to your stockings or socks.
Use a bootbra
A bootbra is a snap-on band that you buy online and then attach one part of the same to the shoe while the other end goes around your calf. Since it has a snap button, you can have the part with the male side of the button going around your calf while the part with the female side of the snap-on button goes around onto the shoes. When you snap the button into place, that boot is not going to budge out of place.
Wear thick socks with the boot
If the boot has stretched some over time, you can wear it with a pair of thick socks so that it fits more snugly. Suede, leather and even cloth boots stretch especially when you wear them too often. While this is a temporary solution, it helps if you have to wear the boots to the party or something.
Conclusion
That is it for how to keep boots from slouching at the ankle. It is pretty simple and straightforward. However, make sure you buy snug fitting boots. The secret is to prevent the boots from becoming too large in the first place such that they bunch up around the ankles.