Guide To Walking Boot Care

By Barry Jones


What are the best ways to clean and protect your walking boots? Cleaning and caring for your walking boots is a guaranteed way to extend the life of your hiking footwear and will delay the need to buy new boots. But with so many different products on the market, what is the best way to clean and protect your walking boots?

First of all, take out the shoelaces and insole from your shoes. A lot of boots feature a completely removable insole for this function. Doing this will help to thoroughly air the shoe, get rid of odour, and replacing these shoe inserts is yet another important factor for stretching out the lifespan of your walking boots. Removing the shoelaces can help you get to parts of the leather which are normally folded within the tongue of the boot. This lets you achieve a more in-depth clean. Additionally, removing the laces will let you spot any kind of deterioration and then determine whether or not they need to be replaced.

After removing the laces and the insoles, use a brush and lukewarm running water to remove dirt from the walking boots. If they are very heavily soiled it may be necessary to use special boot cleaning products. These will help lift the dirt and clean the boot more effectively. Once the boots are clean, the leather will be in a state which means it is able to soak up water. Adding a water repellent spray whilst the shoe is still damp will help defend the leather from water. This is sprayed onto the shoe and, after being left to dry thoroughly, water will bead off. It is advised that shoes are left for 24 hours to dry.

Adding a water based cream to the footwear can help the leather sustain the natural softness. Without this, the leather of the walking boot may become brittle and crack. This can harm your hiking shoe in a way which cannot be restored. Creams are preferable to oils or even greases which could block the pores within the leather and impact the breathability. Leather which has been clogged by using oil or grease functions a lot more like wellington boots.

After applying these products, allow your shoes plenty of time to dry out. Leaving these on a radiator, in the car, beside the fireplace or even just on the back step in sunlight should be avoided. These can all affect the walking boot. Keeping them enclosed or even in some sort of humid area, the boot of one's vehicle or maybe your shed for example, makes it possible for your shoes to become mouldy. Nobody likes to find they have mouldy boots. Let your Walking Boots breathe and they will continue working hard for you.




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