New Leather boots: a few questions

[Papa Bear]

I just bought a pair of Lowa Alpine Guides from Sierra Trading Post. They were a great bargain ($150 which is $80 off) since they are a closeout. My last couple of pairs of boots have been lighter weight Gortex which required little or no break in. These are all leather and are heavier weight and so they are a bit stiff. I haven't had all leather boots since Boy Scouts, so here goes:

1) Break in: I'm wearing them a little every day. So far so good. They are quite snug but fit well. Question: can I put something on the leather to soften it so the boots will "form fit" to my feet while I break them in? (Sort of like the Native Americans soaking their new mocasins in water and then wearing them.)

2) Care: are waterproofing stuff like Sno Seal or Nikewax adequate for long term leather care? Part of the uppers behind the achilles are nylon. Should I slop the waterproofing on this part too? (see picture).

3) If I like them, I may buy another pair while they last. If I do, should I alternate the two pairs (like I do for running shoes), or just save the second pair for the future? If I save them for the future, how should I keep them (treat them? store them in a plastic bag? Whatever?)

Here's a picture:

Thanks
Pb

 

[spencer]

PB,

I swear by Sno-Seal for conditioning and waterproofing on all my leather boots, hiking, working, chainsaw, Bean's... all of them.

If you search for Sno-Seal, you'll find a pretty good thread about waterproofing from a month or so back...

spencer

 

[Jim lombard]

Pb, I used Mink oil for a long time but have had good success with sno-seal lately on my leather boots. These products will soften the leather and make it last longer.

My wife has a pair just like yours and I've treated them with the same stuff.

Usually for me the sole wears out long before the leather does.

 

[sp1936]

I own a pair of Limmer Standards, so an important part of the break-in and maintenance of these boots was and is Limmer Boot Grease, which appears to be scented lard, although I'm sure there's more to it than that. They claim that it is good "for any leather boot or leather product," not just Limmers.

Steve

 

[dave.m]

I've used SnoSeal a bunch. Then went to Nikwax products of various types. I tried a bunch of other the names all of which all escape me. I've been using Limmer's Boot grease for the past 5 years or so and like it better. I could never get the wax based products to fully soak in and as a result, the boots would get and hold dirt quickly. The guys at Limmer suggested this is why my old Lowas and more recent Merrills died deaths of cracking leather. I've only got about 5 years on my current Fabianos. Way too early to say if Limmer's advice is holding up true, although I suspect it is.

One thing that has changed for me over the years is that I no longer rely on waterproofing to keep my feet dry. If I really need dry feet (spring skiing, hunting in late November snow/swamps), I'll toss rubber randed super gaitors on the boots. I've come to the point of only asking the boot grease to keep the leather from drying out prematurely.

I say go with the Limmer Boot grease.

 

[Rick]

Papa Bear, With my heavy duty Merrell Ridgelines, I filled them with water and let them sit for about 2 minutes and dumped them out and hiked them til' dry. I did this half dozen times with my second pair and they broke in wonderfully. (My first pair were starting to break in back in '95 whe I thruhiked the NLP and they were formfitted in a matter of days due to all the water I was slogging through.

I swear by Nikwax, Biwell Red and Snoseal in that order (IIRC, Biwell Green isn't really beeswax). all are true waxes which will seal out water. I would avoid any kind of mink oil (sorry Jim) because oils not only soften the leather and erode your ankle support, but allow the sides (uppers) of your boots to become scratched and damaged more easily as you rub rocks and logs while hiking. Also, since oils are lighter than water, they tend to wash off the boots and you end up with waterlogged boots and little waterproofing after a short period on a wet trail.

It was hard for me to break tradition with Mink Oil decades ago, as I grew up with it - My father swore by it on his work boots (still does) and I always thought it was god's gift to boots because it softened them up so nicely. Especially when you put them in front of the heat register for the night. That is until I saw my 2.8mm leather Danners just soften up over time and lose complete form. Yeah the boots are comfy, but the leather was always becoming scratched - When I talked to Danner, the first thing they asked was with what product did I treat the boots. They then gave me the full story and I have been a convert ever since.

 

[Peakbagr]

Have to agree with Rik on the Mink Oil softening and damaging leather boots. I have 2 prs of heavy custom Limmers from the 80's. I've used nothing on the boots except Sno Seal, but Limmers does day that their boot grease is best. You should wash and brush out the dirt periodically. The little rock crystals get into the creases of the boots and the sharp edges cut the leather, a little at a time.

As to rotating 2 pairs. I liked the original Limmers so well I immediately ordered a 2nd pair off the original measurements. When they arrived, I wore them for a season of coaching kids soccer to break them in running around the field. I put them back in the closet as backups...my original Limmers are in such good shape the back ups are still playing understudy.

 

[shadowcat]

Alpine Guides

I have these same boots - women's and love them! i wore them right out of the box, no problems. you should not be treating them yet. i've worn my boots all summer and fall and the water still beads off. depending on how much truckin thru water you do - just keep an eye out and treat as needed but you don't need to do that yet! you mentioned they were a bit snug? i'm not sure what that means - do you have a bit of a wider foot maybe? in any case, don't be slopping all kinds of crap on them. you do not want to break down the leather/swede. that will come w/ age and you don't want to push that. if they are to snug then maybe you need a size larger? these are not that stiff a boot and you should be able to wear them out of box w/ little break in time. i often order 2 sizes when i find deals like this and try both and return one. good thing w/ sierra is you have opitions to return so keep that in mind. but please be careful to not jump the gun on treating these and putting stuff on them to try to break them in. you will discolor the sweade and 1) the waterproofing isn't needed yet & 2) if they don't fit, get a larger size. when lowa first came out with these boots i loved them but didn't have almost $250 bucks. i was besides myself when i saw them on stp! altho they are listed as a mountaineering boot weren't you surprised to see how comfortable they were right out of the box? i love the thick ice trek sole on them also. re: storing an extra pair - don't seal them in anything air tight. just keep them in the box they come in that should be fine. but seriously if they are rubbing or your toe is hitting the end, try a larger size for comparison before doing anything permanent to the boot.

 

[Oldsmores]

...I've been using Limmer's Boot grease for the past 5 years or so and like it better. I could never get the wax based products to fully soak in and as a result, the boots would get and hold dirt quickly....

I swear by Sno-Seal. I solve the problem Dave's talking about by leaving the boots in a low heat environment overnight after I treat them. If you've got forced air heat, just leave them on a register. If you've got hot water, leave them sitting on a radiator.

 

[carole]

Does anyone use silicone spray for rough leather?

 

[shadowcat]

silicone spray

carole: don't have my spray in front of me but i have used my rough-out/swede sprays that i got for my shoes/ coats etc on my swede boots. this has worked fine for now as they are still only a yr old. once they get a bit older as needed i will treat the seams and fabric with the proper stuff like these guys are discussing. i don't like to treat my boots before it's necessary as i had one pair of swede boots that i used nixwax on and it really changed the texture and color of the swede. i was like the guy who started this thread and wanted to do whatever nec treatments asap - and i did it unnecessarily and too soon also. an afternote too about treating boots: most high quality boots will say if they have been treated in the description and even if it doesn't if you know you are getting high quality from a reputable manufacturer they usually are "treated". i have spoken with reps from lasportiva, garmont & scarpa and they say that thier leather/swede boots are treated and you can tell by sticking the boot in water - it should bead right off. they can't technically advertise them as waterproof tho & recommend you begin to treat after wearing for several months of continued use or any signs of dampness - note: there's a big difference between the swede getting saturated thru to your foot and a leak! if you have a leak at the seam or elsewhere that's not good & if the boot is new bring it back. if not, then treat the seams as discussed or bring to a boot repair place for help.

 

[afka_bob]

Sno seal

I'm with Oldsmores here. I've used a hairdryer on a lower setting and never got the boot too hot to comfortably touch, and Sno seal sinks right in. My old Fabianos are in great shape with this treatment and they are at least 15 years old. I did wear them enough to wear out the Vibram soles and linings (replaced by these guys, they do great work), but the uppers will last many more years.

 

[bobmak]

I used Sno Seal for years, then switched to Nikwax for a while. I found that the Nikwax worked, but did not last as long as Sno Seal, so I am back to the Sno Seal once again. My technique is to turn the oven on the lowest setting, let it warm up, shut it off, open the door and put the boots in (the oven is about 180 F at this point) with the door open. Leave them there for about 10 minutes and let them get toasty, then coat them with the Sno Seal. The warm leather soaks it right up. You may have to do this twice for the initial treatment, but I find that one coating in general tends to last for quite a while. I have been on the same pair of Asolo boots (I don't even remember the model but they are a medium heavy boot and step in compatible) for three sets of Vibram soles and the leather and stitching seem to be holding out.

 

[J.P.]

My approach to choosing a waterproofing is to go with what the boot manufacturer recomends. The reason for this is that the best waterproofing is one that is compatable with whatever was used to treate the leather when it was processed. A waterproofing that works great on one pair of boots may not work well on another pair of boots. One example of this is that the wax based waterproofings like sno seal don't work well on leather that has been treated with silicone. If the boots didn't come with information on what waterproofing to use I would call the manufacturer.

JP

 

[sardog1]

I've used SnoSeal a bunch. Then went to Nikwax products of various types. I tried a bunch of other the names all of which all escape me. I've been using Limmer's Boot grease for the past 5 years or so and like it better. . . .
I say go with the Limmer Boot grease.

Yeah, what he said, on all points (but without the intermediate Nikwax stop.) But first I'd probably check with Lowa or someone very knowledgeable about their line.

As for alternating or storing: I'd say alternate them. Storing over the truly long haul will be hard to do without risking mildew. And your feet might change, rendering the stored ones not as good a fit. (I have a heel spur that has recently made my feet two different lengths.) Might as well let each pair have some of the fun on the trail.