Your hiking boots and shoes are just like any other piece of technical gear, it is important to take care of them, no matter what they are made of, and irrespective of their performance.
Because almost all hiking boots are factory-treated with a Durable Water Repellent (DWR) finish, new boots rarely require treatment out of the box. But that finish will eventually wear off and need replacing. You’ll know it’s time when you see that water no longer beads up and rolls off the boot's surface and that water is consistently absorbing into the outer layer of your boots. Plus you paid good money for your fancy hiking boots, so there’s no use trashing them!
In this article, we’re going to talk you through how to clean, maintain and water repel your hiking boots or shoes so that they’re always ready for adventure. These four quick and easy steps will keep your shoes in tip-top condition!
What to do after each wear
Hiking boots are built to take muddy, gritty trails in stride. But that doesn’t mean it’s a great idea to toss your mucky companions in the closet and forget about them . Clean your boots whenever they get really dirty. Leaving dirt caked on your boots will pull moisture from the leather, which can cause premature cracking. It’s really important to give them a quick wipe down after each time you wear them.
Dirt also attracts water. This makes the waterproof coating less effective making it more difficult for moisture from sweat to escape. You don't need any special equipment. A soft brush and warm water are quite enough. Before cleaning the uppers, bang the soles of your shoes against one another in order to get rid of any remaining dust and mud.
Cleaning the upper of your hiking boots
If they’re encrusted in mud, get your hands on a soft boot brush, or a toothbrush and use circular motions to slowly buff off any dirt that’s stuck on there.
To give them a thorough clean, you may need to use a specialized outdoor footwear cleaner. This is because any bar soap or detergents; many contain additives that can be harmful to leather or waterproof membranes and can negatively affect the water repellency of your shoes. Never put boots in a washing machine because it can damage them.
Proper and regular cleaning is going to keep the waterproof treatment on your shoes performing properly. Though over time the DWR treatment will wear off and will have to be reapplied.
Cleaning out soles your hiking boots
Though caked-on mud won’t damage your boots, removing it will restore them to full traction. Also, having clean out soles prevents you from transporting invasive species from one hiking area to another.
This could end up causing damage to a delicate ecosystem or environment, which is why it’s important to give your soles a scrub after each trip.
Drying your hiking boots
Even with shoes that breathe, we all end up with sweaty feet. And water can also enter the shoes from the top when hiking in the rain. In this case, it is essential to dry the shoes in order to maintain their level of performance.
Take out the insole so that the shoes can breathe and dry faster.
Leave the shoes to dry at room temperature. Never expose the shoes to a direct source of heat (fire, radiator, etc.), because doing so could deform them. But, you should just dry them in a well-ventilated place that’s out of direct heat or sunlight. You could even put them in front of a fan if you need to speed things up.
You can also stuff them with newspaper. This will keep the shape of the shoes and absorb humidity at the same time.
Leather boots ruin if left them out in the sun to dry, it made them shrink- so keep your shoes away from heat!
Water-repel your hiking boots
Hiking boots or shoes will come with a factory applied durable water repellency treatment (or DWR treatment for short) on them. During use, the exposure to sun, dirt, water and abrasions will eventually make the coating lose its effectiveness.
There isn’t a strict time frame that we would recommend for how often you need to apply a waterproof treatment to your boots. The best advice we can give you is that when you notice that water is no longer beading off of your shoes, and is soaking in instead – then it’s time to waterproof them again.
You get specialized waterproofing products or can you use ArmourMe Shoe Protection and make them water repellent. Spray will coat the minute threads of your shoes allowing it to be still breathable.
Spray from a distance of 12-15 cm till it is fully damped and then spread it evenly with a brush. Allow it to naturally cure for 2 hours and shoes are ready to go.
It’s essential to choose a product that caters to that material, as for example – using a waterproofing wax meant for smooth leather on suede will completely ruin the texture of it. So choose smartly.
Conditioning your boots
Nu-buck, suede and synthetic are all materials that don’t need to be conditioned. However, if your shoes are made of smooth full-grain leather, you will need to condition them.
Use a conditioner when your boots’ full-grain leather (leather that looks smooth rather than rough on the outside) appears dry or cracked. Conditioner can also be used if your new full-grain leather boots need to be broken in quickly.
Use a conditioner judiciously. Healthy leather functions best when moisturized. Conditioning the leather on your boots will not only keep it supple and supportive, it will also top up the waterproof repellency. Too much conditioner, though, makes boots too soft, reducing the support they provide.
Do not use Mink Oil or similar oils designed for industrial boots; it over-softens the type of dry-tanned leather used in hiking footwear.
How do you keep your hiking shoes and boots in good condition? Do you have any tips? Let us know!
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