Help altering boots?

[whippedcreamy]

First off, I'm not sure if this is exactly the right place to post this, but I thought it made more sense than to post to EGL. If this is not the right place however, just let me know!

Comments

[mintymuffins]

If you don't have the right tools it would be hard to alter shoes on your own. I had a pair of boots that did not fit right and I took them to a cobbler. In my case the calves were too big and they were able to unstitch the back seam, take out some material and sew it back together in a way that looked factory made.

If the boots are inexpensive, you may just want to sell them because the alteration cost may be the same as the boots.

[whippedcreamy]

Looking at how the boots are constructed I'd say I wouldn't necessarily need any special tools to do so, (at least I think not!) as the material was just simply cut and sealed with glue to begin with. Also, I would only be taking some height off rather than messing around with the general fit. The only thing that would need to be un-stitched and re-sewn is the tongue, which consists of two pieces sewn together any how.

I'd definitely feel safer leaving it to a professional, though.

[fabula_umbrae]

I agree with Mintymuffins. Altering shoes is a strange strange process that often requires specialty tools.

There are some things you can do with normal sewing supplies but it's impossible to give advice without knowing exactly what you're working with, why/how they don't fit, and what exactly you want to end up with at the end.

[whippedcreamy]

What I wanted to do was shorten the length of the boots. The fit issue is simply that they are slightly too small in the calves and have an odd curve at the back of the boot which does not place correctly due to my having longer legs. Both of which would be solved by making them shorter.

I don't want them ankle-length, more like this: http://www.qutieland.com/products/big/MS9992-5.jpg

In essence it doesn't seem all that difficult, but I don't want to be too confident.

[fabula_umbrae]

It's hard to tell from photos I'm finding online. You said the material is stiff. Is the trim on the boots a different material or did they cut it to shape and stitch under it?

[whippedcreamy]

The material is stiff, but is still bendable and flops over when I unzip them. The trim is the same material and the stitching is simply placed under it.

[faloofay156]

Hmm... I have some bodyline shoes as well! :D Theyre black and white 2in. creepers with a union jack flag on them. <3 I have had this problem with a pair of boots that rubbed my upper legs because the material was quite annoying and way too stiff to simply fold down and sew. So I cut a few inches off the top and ran a lighter over the top to reattatach the material to the boot. It worked pretty well.

[whippedcreamy]

Ah, yes! That would work too, instead of glue! Thanks!