I'm with SgtSaint here. I don't have a lot of knowledge about wearing armour but its always good to test it out for a day at home. An added bonus is that you also get a feel for how to move around in it.
You should also watch out that if the boots retain a lot of heat that they could also get sweaty which might cause friction. Nothing sucks more than having your feet hurt while walking
Edit; Also, I really like the idea of making smaller versions of your parts. Helps get a feel for them and work perfectly as test parts for painting