How to Break in Vintage Cowgirl Boots

So, I have this vintage pair of red cowgirl boots that I am obsessed with; however, they do, in fact, give me horrific blisters anytime I wear them. Despite my many years of breaking in Doc Martens, cowboy/cowgirl boots are a whole new territory. When authentically made, they are quite stiff, and the leather only gets stiffer as time goes on -- unfortunate for a pair of boots from the 90s. After doing some research, I made a list of plausible solutions so I could wear the shoes for more than two hours.

The methods to fix this goes as follows:

1. Buy a boot stretcher

No? Why would I do this? Unless I am regularly buying cowboy boots or leather shoes, this is one of the worst possible purchases for a college student to make. Afterall, I need to get groceries.

2. Buy special relaxing spray

Although this seems more practical, the efficiency of the spray products is debated. Apparently, it takes multiple rounds of spraying then wearing for brief periods, and I am an impatient person.

3. Get padded socks

I did do this! And it did absolutely nothing other than make it difficult for me to get my foot in my shoe. They are helpful though for Docs as well, so not a complete waste of financial resources.

4. Fill the shoes with frozen water

Don't do this, especially if you share a freezer with three other people. You cannot fit shoes next to garlic bread and nuggets. Plus, the bag can tear and fill the sole with water. Not that I would know.

5. Just blow some steam inside then stomp around in layered socks

Listen, this may sound crazy, but it actually was the best solution. I took the steam that comes out of the tea kettle then let it fill my boot. Immediately, I stuck my feet in with three layers of socks and wore them till the leather cooled. I did this about three times while also pressing my hand inside to make space. All it took was one discomforting evening!

We were successful as pictured below: