A new pair of leather boots can be stiff to the touch. While wearing the boots certainly breaks in the leather and increases comfort, there is a way to help speed up the softening process. By oiling your boots in an oven, you can soften the leather quickly and safely.
Take the racks out of the oven. Line the oven's bottom with tin foil.
Place the bottom rack back into the oven at the lowest point. Skip a rack and put the other rack into the next groove. This leaves enough room to lay a boot on each rack.
Cover the bottom rack with enough tin foil so any oil drippings from the boot will not fall through. Repeat for the second rack.
Place a sink stopper into the sink and fill it with hot water. Add the boots slowly to the water one at a time. Use the tongs to push down on the boots in order to fill the inside with water. Let them sit for 10 minutes.
Drain the water. Flip the boots upside down to make sure all the water is out. Allow them to dry for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 150 degrees F. Place each boot on a rack and wait 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Cover a flat working surface with newspaper. Remove the boots with tongs from the oven and place each one on the newspaper. Put on the gloves.
Slide the cloth over the mink oil and scoop out a generous amount. Place the cloth at the top of the first boot and rub in circles. Continue down to the bottom, working around the laces, and moving around the entire boot. Reapply the oil generously as needed. Repeat on the next boot. Remove the gloves.
Place the boots back into the oven for 1 hour. Turn off the oven when finished. Take out the boots carefully and let them sit for 30 minutes.
Slide your feet into the boots and walk around for at least 15 minutes. This helps continue to soften the boots.