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

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.

I am way overdue in writing this review.First, the basic: yes, it's well made and pretty much works as expected if you read the description here.Second, I wanted to give some specifics of how I used it, since that would have been helpful to me in deciding whether to buy it (I waited a long time and now wish I'd bought it at least a year ago!)My issue is that I have calves that (due to all the normal stuff, being a distance runner, genetic predisposition to muscular legs, being a few pounds over my ideal weight) are a little too large for most normal-sized knee-high boots. But weirdly a lot of the extended calf styles are too large. Also if you've ever shopped for extended calf boots, you know what I mean when I say that it's hard to find versions that are as stylish and well made as what you can find in the regular sizes, and frankly I'm kind of a snob and cannot stand wearing cheap shoes :)So, I have successfully used this stretcher to stretch the following boots: the Frye Jackie Tall Riding boot, the Frye Jane Tall Cuff, and the Frye Sacha Over The Knee. The Jackie and the Jane were boots I already owned, bought when I was at my skinniest ever and foolishly optimistic that I would probably get even skinnier somehow, and I've never really gotten to wear them much because though I could get them on, they were a bit too tight to look or feel great. I was at the point of deciding I either needed to give them away or stretch them because I couldn't justify the closet space for boots I literally never wore. So I bought this stretcher willing to take the risk of ruining them. The result was that I managed to stretch the calves of each of these about 1.5 inches and that was perfect for them to go from too tight to fitting nicely with jeans tucked it. The Jackie did split a tiny bit in the back seam, which a cobbler was able to repair pretty easily and was not a big deal.After such great success with the Jane and Jackie, I bought the Sacha, as I've wanted a great pair of OTK boots forever. I had no trouble stretching them about`1.5 inches as well. For all of these, I would say it took about 24 hours per boot to get results.One key thing, as other reviewers have noted - there is no way to expand the calf part only - you have to expand the ankle/instep part at least a bit. For the Jane this as ok, as it's a pull-on style and the ankle part is basically straight. For the Jackie and Sacha, I left the ankle zip open to keep it from getting too stretched. However, I haven't yet tried this on a pair with a full zip. My guess is that you would need to tread really carefully with stretching with a boot that had a full zip and therefore required you to close the zipper - only because if you think about it, on a lot of boots, the zipper is going to be the weakest point (Frye have a more heavy duty zipper and might do better) and so I think you'd be taking a huge risk that the zipper would fail and if it does, replacing it is pretty expensive and might not be worth it - a seam splitting can be fixed much more easily The other thing about Frye is that they're lined with leather. But if you're stretching a boot with a fabric or synthetic liner, I would say the liner ripping is pretty likely.Last helpful hint - this stretcher is really designed more for a cowboy boot height, in the sense that if you're doing what I did and trying to stretch a boot that goes all the way to the knee, you may have to sort of move it around - it's not long enough to stretch the whole shaft at once and if you move it up, the little bulge at the bottom that is supposed to be for the instep could make a weird bulge in the shaft. Which is why I say that this works pretty well for a boot with an ankle zipper that you can open, but might not be great with a full zip.Anyway, good luck, hopefully this helps!

I fell in 2013 and lost the cartilage in my left ankle. I am a huge boot fan and lost all ability to wear them due to the significant swelling in my one ankle. I purchased two of these as a last ditch move before I was going to donate my collection of 20+ pair of boots. Okay, I’m old and buy classic so invested over many years, but I digress. I started the first day with a cheap ‘trial pair’ of boots I bought. It worked so I moved on to my White Mountain. I was still winning so next tried my Frye riding boots. I am thrilled to say in two days I have now made 5 pair of boots fit my feet and am not concerned with the brand name or cost. My problem is the ankle and ensuing leg swelling from the ankle and this absolutely worked for me along with a spray- on leather and man made materials. If you are on the fence, try it! I hope you have the same result I have had. I am so excited I send pictures every night to my friends who are ready to purchase since they see the results.

My first review to write in Amazon. But this boot stretcher works! I was hesitant due to the price, but the quality, the ease of using it, and fast shipping made it a chance worth taking. I’ve had Paris Texas boots, Zara boots, and Marc Fisher boots for over a year and never was able to wear them being my calves measure about 14.75 inches. (Which boots usually measure 14 inches at the opening. Specific boots made for wide calves measure around 16”) I was able to stretch these boots almost a whole inch on the first trial run! They now fit comfortably without any damage to the boot or stitching! I really thought I would never be able to wear knee high boots due but this product truly made my day. **Note I did purchase quality boot stretching spray for $15 and used it with it. I recommend doing the same. But if you’re on the fence about getting this product, don’t hesitate! The shoe repair place wanted just as much for multiple pairs. The plastic products don’t seem like they’d be able to give the same results.Definitely worth every penny!

The first one i received the screw fell off one of the tiny arms, it's not a normal screw so I couldn't just put on back in.The replacement, the top of the item won't screw in, the the center bar isn't grabbing properly. I loved the product and buy boots constantly so I'm very disappointed with the quality. This was so much easier than having to take them in to be altered professionally.

Initially I was very happy with this boot stretcher. I successfully stretched 4 pair of boots without any issues. I carefully handled and stored my boot stretcher for future use. Today I took my stretcher out of the box and used it successfully on one boot. When I went to use it on the second boot the one of the rivets broke and I’m not able to stretch the second one. This is very sad news as I am not able to stretch the second boot and I am just out of my Amazon window to return the stretcher. I expected this to work for years for the amount of money that I paid for it. Another person had a similar situation and repaired their stretcher but I am not handy with repairs. Hopefully the seller will have some advice for me. It would be a great tool if not for breaking down so easily and quickly.