Breaking in Celeris boots?

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Muddywellies

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I've had my Celeris boots for a couple of years now and they are worn several times a week. However they still rub me raw around my ankle where they have dropped slightly and creased. I knew Celeris took a while to break in but this just isn't getting any better. Any tips ??
 
Not celeris but I had a mountain horse pair that were lethal the only way I managed to get past it was wearing them around the house doing housework mainly, and just doing short bits of walking around in them before I could properly ride in them.

I've had mine 2 years and can still only do short rides in them they are taking an age to break in compared to my other ones which are so comfy.
 
Not much help but I’ve had three pairs of long Celeris boots and none have needed any breaking in! Have you asked Celeris for their advice?
 
j1ffy said:
Not much help but I’ve had three pairs of long Celeris boots and none have needed any breaking in! Have you asked Celeris for their advice?
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Yes, and was told by them to tap it from the inside gently with a hammer. I've tried, but can't manoeuvre a hammer in the ankle part of the boot as it's too narrow 🤷‍♀️. Strange thing is I've got other pairs of Celeris boots and they don't cripple me like this pair.
 
Muddywellies said:
Yes, and was told by them to tap it from the inside gently with a hammer. I've tried, but can't manoeuvre a hammer in the ankle part of the boot as it's too narrow 🤷‍♀️. Strange thing is I've got other pairs of Celeris boots and they don't cripple me like this pair.
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Are they the same style of boot? I wonder if the measurements might be a bit off? Mine didn't take any breaking in...
 
Escapade said:
Are they the same style of boot? I wonder if the measurements might be a bit off? Mine didn't take any breaking in...
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Yep, all the same style. I guess some leathers are more rigid than others. I just wish these would hurry up and get comfortable as I now have shares in Elastoplast !
 
How much of an area of your ankle is suffering? Wild suggestion but you are desperate - is it possible to get a small pad between the boots and the sore? (On same principle as a plaster over a foot blister). Or perhaps the boots are too “fitted” and tight to slide anything between.
 
That sounds awful :( What have Celeris said about it?

I've had three pairs of Celeris long boots (two custom-made, one pair from a sample sale that happened to be roughly my measurements) and none have rubbed like that! My first pair gave me bruises on the top of my foot (due to the zip and my high arches) and my current pair do dig into my achilles if I walk far with spurs on, but that's been it. Also two pairs of short boots with no issues at all.
 
j1ffy said:
That sounds awful :( What have Celeris said about it?

I've had three pairs of Celeris long boots (two custom-made, one pair from a sample sale that happened to be roughly my measurements) and none have rubbed like that! My first pair gave me bruises on the top of my foot (due to the zip and my high arches) and my current pair do dig into my achilles if I walk far with spurs on, but that's been it. Also two pairs of short boots with no issues at all.
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I darent approach them. I did once when I had a problem and I was made to feel awful. They are made to measure so I never would have expected this. Yes its my achilles (and also ankle bones), where the boots have creased. My ankles are so scarred now and look dreadful in sandals. Going by what youre saying, maybe ill start taking them off immediately after I've ridden and see if that helps (i dont walk far at all, but I do potter for 10 or so mins in them)
 
Well done for persevering - please stop wearing them. Let the company know of your disappointment in their product as feedback to their business is important.

If it was your horse in pain you would have desisted immediately.

Hit them either a hammer??? Really, that was the best they could do?

Consider an alternative company for your next pair.
 
Not sure where you are in the country but might be worth going to see a shoe/leather specialist. Northampton and Newmarket would be two hotspots with probably the right kind of specialists. Leathers do react in different ways but it could also be slight differences in the shape/maker which could also have an impact.
 
Bonnie Allie said:
Well done for persevering - please stop wearing them. Let the company know of your disappointment in their product as feedback to their business is important.

If it was your horse in pain you would have desisted immediately.

Hit them either a hammer??? Really, that was the best they could do?

Consider an alternative company for your next pair.
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Youre totally right, I would never use equipment on my horse that rubs. Sadly, at the price I paid, I need to try and find a way to make them work. And as they are bespoke (and 4 or 5 yrs old now) I couldn't sell them on.
 
LEC said:
Not sure where you are in the country but might be worth going to see a shoe/leather specialist. Northampton and Newmarket would be two hotspots with probably the right kind of specialists. Leathers do react in different ways but it could also be slight differences in the shape/maker which could also have an impact.
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I didn't know that. Googling as we speak . . . . .
 
I had this issue with mine. I went through so many blister plasters it was unreal and my skin would be marked for weeks at a time.
I was glad when the zips broke for the third time as I then decided not to replace mine. Another factor in my decision to move away from them was whilst the guys in Portugal were lovely and very helpful the same could not be said of their UK representative, which I found extremely disappointing given the ££££ outlay.
 
I'm amazed that people continue to injure themselves with footwear (not just riding boots) because of the price paid. I have a pair of Cavallo boots that I find too stiff and give me ankle pain. I don't wear them anymore, instead I have a cheapy pair of Broginis that fit nicely from the get-go.

Made to measure shouldn't cause such a problem for so long. That's the point of having them made, surely?

Depending on how the leather is produced, sometimes soaking it and treating with appropriate conditioner before it totally dries can work. But it can go wrong. Maybe ask someone like @cremedemonthe about it? He's a knowledgeable chap.
 
You deserve a medal as you've been suffering with the your boots for 4 years now.....

Have you tried Isopropyl Alcohol (aka rubbing alcohol)? The shoe stretch sprays are generally IA, but you can get big bottles of it from DIY stores. I'd be tempted to liberally spray or sponge it on before you ride, to see if that softens the area around the ankle. 🤞
 
Beausmate said:
I'm amazed that people continue to injure themselves with footwear (not just riding boots) because of the price paid. I have a pair of Cavallo boots that I find too stiff and give me ankle pain. I don't wear them anymore, instead I have a cheapy pair of Broginis that fit nicely from the get-go.

Made to measure shouldn't cause such a problem for so long. That's the point of having them made, surely?

Depending on how the leather is produced, sometimes soaking it and treating with appropriate conditioner before it totally dries can work. But it can go wrong. Maybe ask someone like @cremedemonthe about it? He's a knowledgeable chap.
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I'm not familiar with the make or what they are made of but here's my 5 pennies worth.
If they are veg tanned you can try blocking them to shape, their comments about using a hammer are rather unprofessional, amateur and crude to put it mildly.
Depending on the colour fastness, the leather would need to be wet, then like your own skin would be able to stretch/block to shape. It's how we do winker plates, saddle flaps over knee rolls and anything else we want to shape. The picture is of a knife sheath I made for a country chap who used it to hack his way through brambles, it was completely flat before I started.
Once blocked it will need conditioner, NOT oil!
Blocking the old fashioned way was to put boot stretchers down them which can still be bought but that's mainly for opening up narrow calves and not the ankle so much.
You need something that you can put down where your ankles go that is slightly too large.
BUT make sure you have something on it that you can pull it back out with!
I have heard of people using a small inflatable tough ball, insert in to the area you need blocking and then slowly inflate and keep inflating a little over a day or so to get the right shape.

If the boots are chrome tanned then it's going to be harder as the chrome won't yield in the same way as veg tan but it's worth a try.
IF it was me, I would make something to shove down it. the knife sheath I used metal plates I have lying around my saddlery workshop and kept shoving them in until I got the right size. I hope this all helps and I have explained it right but as I said, if you try the wetting and blocking method you must make sure the leather is conditioned afterwards and that's not a hint to buy mine as I'd have to make some!
just don't oil it!
You can always use my recipe to make your own, Oz
 

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Muddywellies said:
They aren't too long. Its around the ankle where the boot has creased that im rubbed raw. 😔
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Sounds like you need to find a way to force the creased area to straighten out. Cremedemonthe have already described what needs doing, and LEC have given suggestions on where you might find someone who is able to help you do it, if you can't do it yourself.

My amateur suggestion would've been to try to wet the creased area on the inside of the boot a bit (e.g. with a damp cloth), and then putting tightly rolled up newspapers down there to press out the creases from within.
 
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