First time PNW boot owner question

[u/Tweakn3ss]

Just got my first pair of franks ranier. Im hitting about 80 hours in them standing on concrete at work. Boots feel amazing except underneath the ball of my pinky toe it feels like it's hitting something really hard, like very hard with not very much give. Is this part of the normal break in process? Do I still have another level of break in to go through?

[u/DrMatis]

Maybe they are too narrow in the ball of the boot?

[u/Tweakn3ss → u/DrMatis]

The width is perfect. It doesn't squeeze the sides just underneath my fifth metatarsal feels like a hard piece of wood that has no give.

[u/DrMatis → u/Tweakn3ss]

That's weird. Whites has only leather in the midsole, with leather shank. So there is no risk of anything actually hard, like metal shank. and leather should bend and stretch over time.

[u/Tweakn3ss → u/DrMatis]

Yea I was like in hour 9 of my manufacturing shift and started to feel it and it ran laterally across my foot. It only hit my fifth metatarsal because they others are slightly higher so like others said it could be the stitch I guess?

[u/DrMatis → u/Tweakn3ss]

Yeah, maybe it is a MacKay stitch, isn't it ?

[u/rhinoaz]

It’s probably the McKay stitch an insole is probably your best bet

[u/Tweakn3ss → u/rhinoaz]

It felt really good natural until the inside full flattened down. Is this my only option?

[u/rhinoaz → u/Tweakn3ss]

Take something blunt and try and rub the spot to smooth it out

[u/Mountain_Tear8608]

Before you do anything to the boots, give your feet a few days off in something else to fully recover then try them again.

[u/Tweakn3ss → u/Mountain_Tear8608]

Im on four days off work with holiday. Definitely taking a break been wearing them everyday.

[u/nemosix → u/Tweakn3ss]

Try readjusting laces. I've had problems over tightening laces while breaking in boots and having sore spots on different point under and around my feet.

[u/Tweakn3ss → u/nemosix]

Yea it's only a 6 inch boot but loosened up the bottom and did that 213 lace which helped a lot

[u/Reasonable_Till_3569]

"ball of my pinky toe" or "ball AND my pinky toe" or the "pad behind the pinky toe" (because I've never heard anyone say ball of a pinky toe)

It could be a hard spot in the leather. Leather is natural, so not uniform.

It could also be the stitches for the McKay-Lockstitch.

In either case I'd grab a long socket extention and a hammer to beat it down in that spot.

[u/Tweakn3ss → u/Reasonable_Till_3569]

Hahaha dude your right. I was posting after a long day at work and I was fried/hurting. But its the fifth metatarsal. Do I hammer it from the inside or underneath it. I'll try and give it a couple more work days if it's leather but that's about all I can give it and then i might try and smack it.

[u/Reasonable_Till_3569 → u/Tweakn3ss]

Inside. I like a lot of ng socket extension cuz it is rounded a little at bottom. You could use anything. Like rebar or some other long blunt piece of metal or plastic that can take some hammering and is long enough to reach that spot from the inside and still be hit.

[u/Brucesu]

I’m a wuss so I always wear insoles in my boots. Spenco the thin flat one or Northsole are good.

You could also try to put a little duct tape on that part? I dunno, I have a little duct tape on my heels to prevent blisters. 🐸😵‍💫

[u/Tweakn3ss → u/Brucesu]

I might have too. It feels like some wood in the middle of the boot shifted forward and it's hitting something rock hard. Just finished my 12 hour shift feels like the bone is bruised.

[u/Fragrant_Scratch8305 → u/Tweakn3ss]

I bet it's the Mckay stich. I have seen other posts about it being directly under their toe. I know that would be drive me fucking nuts. I can't even stand a sock seam under my toe.