I received an email last night that reminded me of information I have blogged about before, but it may have been so long ago that it doesn’t come up in a search.<\/p>\n
The question is, “if I use a liquid product to stretch boots, what should I use?”<\/p>\n
My response…
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\n… If you look at a label of a product marked “shoe stretching liquid,” you would see that the liquid in the bottle is primarily rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol).<\/p>\n
Alcohol relaxes the bonds in the collagen fibers that compose leather. Some of the bonds break, which allows leather to be stretched. <\/p>\n
Alcohol (or even water) does not remoisturize the fibers. Remember, they are from an animal that is dead. Only internal moisturization (skin growing on an animal) allows fibers to grow and remain elastic (or stretchable).<\/p>\n
Once the skin is harvested and tanned, the fibers of collagen are compacted (rolled during the tanning process). Alcohol loosens the very compact nature of the collagen fibers. It does not actually make those fibers more elastic so they stretch like rubber, but it breaks the bonds that make the leather hold together. This is particularly true with old leather, such as on a pair of vintage boots.<\/p>\n
![\"rubbingalcohol\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bootedmanblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/rubbingalcohol.jpg?resize=288%2C288\")
You treat leather by soaking it with rubbing alcohol and pull it to stretch it, but the more you stretch it, the more collagen fibers are broken. The more broken fibers = potential damage (rip or tear.) That is why it is not recommended to try to stretch boots more than about 1\/2 inch (or 1.2cm).<\/p>\n
If you are looking at stretching boots, don’t go to the expense of buying “shoe stretching liquid” at a higher price for a product that will do the same thing. Just get a bottle of rubbing alcohol at the drug store and it will work just as well.<\/p>\n
Life is short: frugality pays.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I received an email last night that reminded me of information I have blogged about before, but it may have been so long ago that it doesn’t come up in a search. The question is, “if I use a liquid … Continue reading