Waterproofing boots

I'm starting year three in a pair of Asolo 520's that I only use for winter hiking (once a week Nov-Mar). I have never re-waterpoofed them, nor am I taking on water. But I'm thinking I should be doing some preventative maintenance. Thougts/products/frequency all appreciated. T.A.

Most shoe makers will have recommendations for what to use.

If you are in intervale area during the week stop in a limmer and sons and get there all natural boot grease

For what it's worth, some of us have learned the hard way that for any shoes with a glued on sole which seems to be most of them these days, stay away from silicone sprays which do waterproof but can in some cases anyway do a job on the glue and loosen the sole. There are a lot better products out there for leather anyway.

Thanks for the leads. I'm on it.

Sno-Seal.

Bake (yes, in the oven) your boots at about 120 degrees, apply Sno-Seal liberally to warmed boots, under tongue and in seams. Repeat at least once.

Gore-tex not affected.

For whats its worth - Most folks dont want to "waterproof" boots, they want to make them water resistant. If you waterproof a boot, its keeps outside moisture out but also traps any moisture generated by your feet in, leading to damp socks and cold feet. If you insist on truly waterproofing, consider vapor barrier socks.

Gore Tex in theory is the best of both worlds as it keep out liquid water from
outside and breathes vapor from the inside but as most hikers find out its theory not practical, probably great for a hunter in a tree stand but moderate activity overwhelms the amount of vapor the gortetex can process leading to damp socks. I also find that the liners usually break down long before the boot does.

By the way, Snow seal has its detractors and supporters, the generally recomended alternative is

http://www.limmerbootgrease.com/product_use.html. Note the comments about heating leather. This is a very controversial subject for some folks. Many of the folks with 30 year old Limmers swear by the stuff

I usually use a spray on DWR treatment, usually silicone based to restore the water repellency (I.E. beading).

If the boots have a sewn on sole (hard to find these days), I have used rand seal on occasion as that is usually the area that leaked for me.

I've never used Limmer Boot Grease, and probably should try it. FWIW, I've been treating my boots in the way I describe with Sno-Seal for almost 40 years and have never had a problem. I used to warm the boots and melt the wax with a blow torch, so the oven is much less stressful. Three of us bought Vasque Whitney IIs in about 1973. My 2 friends didn't treat theirs like I did and the stitching on both rotted and the boots fell apart within a couple years. I finally threw mine out in college because I had just finally worn them out.

Nikwax

The manufacture's reps that I've talked with recommend a water based product such as Nikwax

peakbagger said:

By the way, Snow seal has its detractors and supporters, the generally recomended alternative is

http://www.limmerbootgrease.com/product_use.html. Note the comments about heating leather. This is a very controversial subject for some folks. Many of the folks with 30 year old Limmers swear by the stuff

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That would be me for one. Well, my Limmers are not quite 30 years old, but not far from it. I prefer to let my freshly Limmer greased boots sit at room temp in a sunny window for an hour or two, but have been known to use a hair dryer on very lowest heat on cloudy days when I am in a hurry. Just enough to slightly liquify the grease. I used SnoSeal before Limmer my days, but think that Limmer grease does a better job and lasts longer. Bushwhacking in all-day rain is pretty tough to demand that any boot stay perfectly dry, but my Limmer boots never leak and (a commercial plug for Limmer), they are by far the most comfortable boots I have ever owned in wet or dry conditions. The grease works just as well on my Asolo boots too.

There are several "kinds" of leather and it is tanned and treated in several different ways. The best method of waterproofing depends on the above. Thus a blanket recommendation of product "X" may not be the best for a particular pair of boots. Asking the manufacturer for recommendations is probably the best method.

BTW, Limmer boot grease is an animal product. In general, animal greases can cause some leathers to rot. (I aksed one of the Limmers--he said that it is a good match for their boots.)

Doug

I have an old pair of Asolo full leather boots from the 80's. They don't have a lot of miles on them, but many of those were pretty hard miles in NZ, including cross streams and rivers on a regular basis. I used Sno-Seal and a hair dryer and that seemed to work pretty well.

peakbagger said:

http://www.limmerbootgrease.com/product_use.html. Note the comments about heating leather. This is a very controversial subject for some folks. Many of the folks with 30 year old Limmers swear by the stuff

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I swear by the stuff as well. Easy to apply and quite effective. Not just a water repellent, but also a conditioner.

It reminds me of the beeswax EMS used to sell under its own label. Stuff was great, but I haven't seen it in years. Unfortunately, I'm half-way through my last tub.

DrJJFate said:

It reminds me of the beeswax EMS used to sell under its own label. Stuff was great, but I haven't seen it in years. Unfortunately, I'm half-way through my last tub.

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LL Bean sells "L.L.Bean Boot Guard" which lists beeswax in its ingredients. I don't see it online--I bought a jar in their Burlington MA store. Haven't tried it yet.

I have used SnoSeal for many years. I simply apply it and let the boots sit at room temp overnight. No heating required. (There are reports on this BBS to the effect that the formula has been changed, so I can't comment on the newer version.)

Doug

Another great product is Obenauf's.

http://www.obenaufs.com/

I am a professional wildland firefighter, and this is the stuff that the vast majority of folks in this industry use to treat their leather boots with which are used in some of the harshest environments for boots.

I use the Limmer grease on my Limmer standards but I think the Obenaufs grease does a better job at keeping the seams waterproof. It has beeswax in it which probably helps in that area.

dirtpig67 said:

Another great product is Obenauf's.

http://www.obenaufs.com/

I am a professional wildland firefighter, and this is the stuff that the vast majority of folks in this industry use to treat their leather boots with which are used in some of the harshest environments for boots.

I use the Limmer grease on my Limmer standards but I think the Obenaufs grease does a better job at keeping the seams waterproof. It has beeswax in it which probably helps in that area.

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I'd be willing to try, but at $14 plus $6 shipping it had better be outstandingly and measurably better than Limmer grease.

Nessmuk said:

I'd be willing to try, but at $14 plus $6 shipping it had better be outstandingly and measurably better than Limmer grease.

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FYI, the tub you get is about twice the size of the Limmer stuff.