Hikers, hunters, and anyone else who treks through wet or snowy outdoor conditions can use waterproof leather boots.The leather of the boots will crack if they are not cared for and maintained.It is possible to extend the life of your leather boots with proper maintenance.To maintain the boots, you will need to care for and condition the leather, and apply waterproof wax or spray.
Step 1: The laces need to be removed.
Take out the laces before starting to treat or waterproof the leather.They will only get in the way if you leave them in boots.Leaving the laces in will make it difficult to treat and waterproof the leather tongue.Place the laces in a safe place.The laces can be put back in once the boots have been dried.
Step 2: The boot leather has dirt on it.
If there is loose soil or mud on the boots, it's time to prepare them for cleaning and waterproofing.To get rid of soil and mud, knock the boots against each other.It is best to do this outside so that you don't leave a pile of dirt and small stones in your home.
Step 3: The boot leather needs to be cleaned.
Cleaning gel can be sprayed directly onto the leather surface.After applying the gel to the boot leather, follow the directions on the container and allow it to sit for at least an hour.Use a clean rag to rub the cleaning gel on the leather.If you don't like using a cleaning gel, you can clean leather with a mixture of white vinegar and water.An all-purpose saddle soap can also be used to clean leather boots.Depending on how dirty the boots were, you may need to use 2 or 3 rags.
Step 4: Let the boots dry.
If you are working indoors, you can run the cleaned boots under a garden hose or sink.Once you have washed all of the leather surfaces, turn off the water.The boots need to be dry for at least 24 hours.Place the boots outdoors if the weather is dry.One or two sheets of newspaper should be put into each boot to speed up the drying.Newspaper helps dry your boots faster.Blow dryer can cause the leather to crack, so don't use it to dry the boots.
Step 5: Rub the boot leather with conditioning oil.
Once the boots have dried, conditioning oil should be applied.The consistency of this oil is thick cream, so use your fingers to dip out a quarter-sized scoop.Rub the conditioning oil into the leather after you hold the boot from the inside.If you have logging or industrial leather boots, be careful with using the oil on hiking boots.Many hiking boots have dry-tanned leather.The boots help keep the leather supple.Over time, leather that doesn't receive adequate conditioning may become brittle.
Step 6: Don't apply products with lanolin to your boots.
Some types of leather products, like jackets or purses, benefit from the application of products containing lanolin.The leather could be too soft if applied to boots.The damage to the boots can be caused by this.If you don't know whether or not a product contains lanolin, you should check the ingredients and chemicals on the side of the product.
Step 7: The wax should be applied to the boot leather.
waterproof wax can be found in a plastic container or tin.Rub the wax into the exterior leather of the boot with a clean rag.Rub the wax into one section of the leather before moving on to the next section.It's a good idea to apply waterproof wax to the boots.It will take a long time for the wax to seal the boot leather.
Step 8: If you are in a hurry, consider a waterproof spray.
The spray can be sprayed directly onto the boot leather.If you don't have time to waterproof your boots, you can use a spray.It is possible that waterproof sprays don't need to be rubbed into the leather.There are directions on the packaging.The disadvantage of waterproof sprays is that they do not soak into the leather as well as a wax.A spray will need to be applied many times during a single winter.
Step 9: Before you wear the boots, let them dry.
You have to give the leather time to absorb the chemicals and dry before you wear the boots.Air dry the boots until all of the wax has been absorbed and the leather is completely dry to the touch.The boots should be placed in the path of a fan.The fan should blow room temperature air on the boots.Don't use a blow-dryer to dry the boots.The sudden application of heat can crack the leather.