New boots hurt my lower leg

Just back from the first walk in new boots; Harkilla Mountain Trek GTX 8" Vibram. Foot area very comfortable and well supported, soles grip like a grippy thing dipped in grippyness. But... very painful lower leg / shin around top of the boot. Tried loose / tight and everything in between. Any ideas please?
 
Perhaps pressure sores - it strikes in the most unlikey of spots

I've had the same with new boots - got better with time

as an after thought -

Are these boots a fitted with a shank? I.e stiffened in the sole for climbing?

j
 
Is the lacing tighter at the top of the boot than around the ankle/bottom? Could be that your foot is moving around in the boot, but may not be enough to notice too much, and the top of the boot is gripping your lower leg so this is taking the brunt. Or it could just be that the angle of the cut is not comfortable for you....

Regards

Mark
 
Got the same boots and I've had similar experiences with these and a couple of other brands of boots, for me I always try to only wear them for short duration for the first few outings, just to break I and soften the leather and to get my legs used to them.

Hope they come good for you.
 
Maybe try while breaking them in only lacing them to the "corner" - ie don't lace them up the vertical eyes. The stiffness of the new boot below the ankle is forcing the top of the boot to press against your shin, but once the leather has softened up it should ease up. +1 for the guys above on altering tightness of lacing on different parts of the boot and softening them up.
 
If it's the shin/lower leg that's sore, it could be the lacing is too tight around the top. To avoid this, I put my boots on when seated. I then lace the boot to the last two eyeholes, then move my legs back beneath me, so the angle between foot and shin is acute, or about 70/80 degrees. This 'flexes' the muscle on the shin front and then I lace the final two eyes and tie off. No pressure on the muscles then and trouble free shins.
If it's your feet that hurt, it could be from a stiff shank, or if you have fallen arches it could make it quite uncomfortable. If it is the feet, try some good orthotic insoles.
 
It has taken 7 months of once-twice a week shooting trips, to break in my current boots to a point where they are so comfortable that you forget you are wearing them.

Ian
 
If it's the shin/lower leg that's sore, it could be the lacing is too tight around the top. To avoid this, I put my boots on when seated. I then lace the boot to the last two eyeholes, then move my legs back beneath me, so the angle between foot and shin is acute, or about 70/80 degrees. This 'flexes' the muscle on the shin front and then I lace the final two eyes and tie off. No pressure on the muscles then and trouble free shins.
If it's your feet that hurt, it could be from a stiff shank, or if you have fallen arches it could make it quite uncomfortable. If it is the feet, try some good orthotic insoles.

+1 (you beat me to it :))
 
As mentioned previously , good socks make a massive difference . It might also be worth not lacing the boots to the top for the first few outings. My new meindls seemed to be a tad longer than the older model , being a short a*** these gripped my calfs to begin with. Once the boot had "shortened" with use they were as comfy as the older ones.
 
I lace the top eye upside down, i.e. Go over the eyes and tie the knot lower down. Also to quickly break in some boots (if they are leather) get them ringing wet and have a good long walk in them. You could lightly bandage your shins first as a precaution perhaps.
 
Thanks for all the ideas and suggestions chaps, there's enough options there to be going on with I think. It sounds like patience and putting up with the pain for a while are both on my list of things I need to get used to.
 
I break new boots in by wearing them indoors before they get dirty... about 1/2 hour per evening, I find it useful to insert screwed up balls of newspaper to stretch any tight areas.
 
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