FootFitter Professional Cast Aluminum Combination Boot Instep Shaft Stretcher Adjustable Expander for Tight Leather Relieves Boot Tightness on

At the beginning, the price of this item was a large deterrent, but I figured this is something you only want to buy once. There are plastic alternatives at a fraction of the price, but they didn't give the impression they would stand up to the job. There are some major forces at work to stretch a boot, so an all-metal device seemed the logical option. I decided to make this a Christmas gift to my wife (but hey, guess who gets the job of doing the actual work), which helped overcome some of my reservations on the hefty price tag. I'd rather go for overkill than be disappointed by some flimsy apparatus that broke after a few weeks of use. And my wife has several pairs of expensive boots she can no longer wear in comfort (no honey, I'm sure it's the boots that have gotten smaller over the years), so it seemed like a wise investment. If anything, the stretcher was even heavier and more robust than I'd expected. I've only tried it on a pair of synthetic boots so far, but it seems to have done the job well. Getting the boot onto the stretcher wasn't easy. My wife takes a size 6 1/2 shoe, and even at the smallest setting, getting the boot zipped up over the lower part of the stretcher took some effort. I also got it on the wrong way round to begin with, until I realised it was assymetrical at the heel, and that there's a right and wrong way to fit it. But once on, it worked well and tightening was self-explanatory - a good thing as it came with no instructions. There are upper and lower expanders, and the handle pulls up and down to engage into the different screws for each. You can't go too far at the top without expanding the lower crank a turn, otherwise you'll seize up the screw, but this wasn't a problem in use. Next job is to move on to some leather boots, after first spaying them with shoe stretch spray Kiwi SELECT Universal Shoe Stretch to make them supple. I have no doubts that the stretcher will work just as well on these. I'd certainly recommend it to anyone who's prepared to pay the price for a professional device that should last a lifetime. Read more

I have inherited thick calves and needed to stretch cowboy boots 1in+, and this stretcher did the trick. I sprayed the boots inside with 1:4 isopropyl alcohol and water solution and stretched the calf (this stretcher also can stretch the ankle area but I don’t need that) of the boot. I cranked as far as I could initially and then turned it again every six hours. It takes time but both boots stretched to fit very comfortably. If you owe/love boots, and always need them stretched, this is an investment that I find worth it. It’s very sturdy and will last forever. It does not, however stretch the width of the foot, only the ankle and/or the calf. Read more

It's unusual for me to be this enthusiastic about a purchase, but this boot/instep stretcher does exactly what it says it will do. And at a time when so many products are cheaply made, this stretcher is all metal (cast aluminum and steel) and if used as instructed should last many, many years. For some reason they do not include instructions except for a sticker on the side that tells you to turn the bottom screw twice for every five upper turns. I Googled it and watched both the instruction/info. video on the web site and on YouTube. Once you see how it works it's VERY easy to use :-) Like many other people I have larger than 'average' calves and have always had to watch others wear beautiful tall boots that I could only wish for. I seldom find a boot that I can pull all the way up and in a style I want. I love Frye boots for the quality and style, but could NEVER find tall styles that fit around the calf. I just purchased three pair that I couldn't have worn if not for the boot stretcher. A suggestion: measure your calf and then after inserting the stretcher into the shaft of the boot measure around it's circumference and you'll come pretty close to knowing how much you need to expand the top part of the stretcher. I spray the stretcher liquid on the inside of the shaft (put several paper towels in the foot to keep the insole dry), let it soak in for a few minutes before inserting the stretcher and make your final adjustments top and bottom. Works great! I know it's expensive, but honestly, you get what you pay for in an item like this. Cheap plastic stretchers just won't do the job. This one is worth the cost as it will last for years and you can loan it to family and friends. If they are careful! ;-) Before purchasing this stretcher I called all the shoe repair shops in my area and could not find one that could stretch boot shafts. One even told me a professional model would cost $1700! and they weren't interested in investing that much, etc. Well, now you don't need the repair shop to do what you can easily do at home in just a few hours. Read more

I bought this device to stretch my high end boots. The incline to get into the boot is high and calf shaft is narrow. This device was able to widen the shaft and incline. It is costly but is does the trick. I stretched my boots for days not hours and I used the spray that is recommended to help with the stretching process. The mechanics of the device is tricky and it did get jammed but I was able to free the device. It didn't get caught in my boot it was locked into itself. It takes practice but you will get the hang of it . I wear a size 8 but I had to upsize the boot to a 9 because it is known to be a tight fit. I can now wear my boots as intended. I purchased two because I wanted to stretch both boots at the same time. I bought the second from a differnt seller. Read more

Stretcher broke on second pair of boots I used to stretch. The mechanism won't stay open to stretch. I just collapses inside the boot. Very disappointed and frustrated being that it was expensive and I only got to stretch one pair of boots. Read more