5 Ways to Loosen & Break-In Your New Moccasins

Moccasins allow you to look fashionable and stylish all the while, giving your feet ultimate comfort. When you first purchase a pair of real leather Canadian handmade moccasins they might feel a little stiff at first, before you break in the leather. Traditional style moccasin shoes and slippers fit like a dream once they’re broken in, but how do you achieve a comfortable fit even faster?

Please note: we carry a product called Tana Universal Shoe Stretch Spray which helps relieve tightness for a more comfortable fit.

1 - By Hand

Keep in mind that genuine leather, suede and sheepskin are natural materials so they will stretch to mold to your foot. If you find a portion of the moccasin uncomfortable, whether the heel or the toe, you can bend it by hand. You can also use a wooden shoe stretcher to help give the moccasin a little give.

2 - Golf Balls

Another tip that you can try to help widen the toe box portion of your moccasins is by inserting one or two golf balls into your moccasin width wise. Leave the golf ball(s) in the shoe for 1 - 3 days to help achieve the extra wiggle room you desire.

3 - No Socks

Remember that you are wanting a perfect fit and for the leather to mold to your feet, so don’t wear socks with your moccasins during these first days. One of the marvelous properties of natural materials is that they will custom form to your foot so keep those toes in their clean, dry, natural state. Once the moccasins are fitting like a glove (shoe rather), then you can start wearing socks if you wish.

4 - Wet Them & Wear Them

This is a trick farmers and cowboys have used to help achieve a custom fit with their leather boots: wetting them then wearing them. Whether you prefer to stuff wet newspaper into your moccasins and allowing them to dry or spraying your moccasins with water then wearing: both techniques help to achieve a more comfortable fit. Some people have created a mixture of 1/3 rubbing alcohol and 2/3 water to spray on the moccasins: the moisture helps give the wearer a little more flexibility while allowing the leather to form to the foot as it dries.

It is important to note that wetting leather could change the color and texture of the leather from it's original state, so you may not want to use this method if you really like the way the leather feels or looks.

5 - Walk In Them

Lastly, you can place your foot flat on the floor and move your toes toward the toe lacing. You want achieve an imprint mold in the moccasin and before no time you’ll feel like you’re wearing no shoes at all.


The best way to break in footwear is to constantly wear it, even if it feels little uncomfortable at first, once you endure a little bit of discomfort the leather will eventually stretch and loosen.