Leather boot care?

This is mostly a follow up to another thread I had started (Leather boot break-in time). So, my boots (a pair of Scarpa M3 SL) are getting pretty comfy now, even though I feel some hot spots now and then (or when the days are long on the trail).

I was wondering if there was anything I should do as post-hike boot care? I've removed all the dirt with a little (soft-ish) brush, but other than than...is there more I should do?

Cheers!

Fish

I usually clean mine with Nikwax gel cleaner and then reapply Nikwax waterproofing if they are muddy. If I just need to clean them, I wash them with warm water and use a soft brush to get the dirt off.

MadRiver said:

I usually clean mine with Nikwax gel cleaner and then reapply Nikwax waterproofing if they are muddy. If I just need to clean them, I wash them with warm water and use a soft brush to get the dirt off.

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And you wash them with nikwax gel and re-waterproof the boots everytime there's mud of your boots? I'm still new to this leather boot stuff, but that sounds excessive, no?

Fish

Here’s how I treat my Limmers:

At day’s end (or hike’s end) I remove dirt and mud from the boots’ uppers, welts and soles with a stiff scrub brush, sometimes rinsing in water to loosen stuff that has dried on or otherwise resists the brush. A homemade tool hooks out pebbles and sticks, and persistent mud jammed in the sole tread. (The tool is just an ordinary 1/8” or 3/16” Allen wrench which has been ground to a blunt point on its short arm – the long part is epoxied into a wood handle.)

When everything has dried out, I check to see if an application of boot dressing is in order to “heal” (seal) scuffs, etc.. I use Limmer Boot Grease applied generously and rubbed in with a dauber brush. Excess grease is polished off with an ordinary shoe brush before the next hike. Shoe trees help keep the boots in their correct shape (the one that fits my feet!) between hikes.

I also like to use an occasional light application of Obenauf’s Heavy Duty Leather Preservative paste – which contains some beeswax -- on the leather inside lining of my boots.

G.

hikingfish said:

And you wash them with nikwax gel and re-waterproof the boots everytime there's mud of your boots? I'm still new to this leather boot stuff, but that sounds excessive, no?

Fish

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What can I say, I’m anal. I also polish my shoes after every third wearing. When I say that I reapply Nikwax when they get muddy, I mean MUDDY. I wear gaiters year round and plow through streams and mud without hesitation, so my boots take a beating.

By scrubbing the muck off immediately after hiking (don't wait until you get home) you'll greatly prolong the life of your boots. Dried-on mud tends to pull the oils out of the leather.

Cleaning regularly probably doesn't make sense on a $75 pair of fabric 'throw-away' boots, but on a high-end pair of Norwegian welt, leather-lined it makes a huge difference.

At the end of the regular hiking season, wipe out the INSIDE of the boots with a damp cloth as well - this helps remove the salts from your sweaty feet. And, if your boots are leather-lined, keep an eye on the condition of the liner, and don't let it dry out. You can treat the inside with Nikwax Aqueous if necessary during the season (doesn't leave much of a residue) and Nikwax Paste at the end for good measure.

Edit - Like Grumpy, I also use shoe trees at the end of the season. Really helps maintain their shape.

I think I said this in another thread recently, but I use mink oil, rubbed HARD into the leather with the palm of my hand or my fingers. The rubbing generates heat which liquefies the oil and helps it penetrate the leather. Works for me.

hikingfish said:

And you wash them with nikwax gel and re-waterproof the boots everytime there's mud of your boots? I'm still new to this leather boot stuff, but that sounds excessive, no?

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I just clean the mud off (an old toothbrush can be handy here). I only re-waterproof (with snoseal) occasionally or before an expected wet hike.

Doug

Kevin Rooney said:

[...]Dried-on mud tends to pull the oils out of the leather.

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That would make sense...

Kevin Rooney said:

Cleaning regularly probably doesn't make sense on a $75 pair of fabric 'throw-away' boots, but on a high-end pair of Norwegian welt, leather-lined it makes a huge difference.

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They weren't prohibitely expensive, but I did buy a leather model so it would last longer than my old North Face fabric boots. So I'm willing to invest a bit of time and money to maintain my boots.

Kevin Rooney said:

Edit - Like Grumpy, I also use shoe trees at the end of the season. Really helps maintain their shape.

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It's probably a language thing...but I have no idea what a "shoe tree" is...is that a feet shaped piece of wood that you put in your boots so they keep their shape?

Fish

hikingfish said:

... It's probably a language thing...but I have no idea what a "shoe tree" is...is that a feet shaped piece of wood that you put in your boots so they keep their shape? Fish

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You guessed it.

G.

hikingfish said:

It's probably a language thing...but I have no idea what a "shoe tree" is...is that a feet shaped piece of wood that you put in your boots so they keep their shape?

Fish

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The short answer is yes. I own fifteen pairs, so I guess I have a shoe forest.

Or this (on US50 in Nevada ...)



(Link to bigger picture here:)