BOOT CARE: REPROOFING, CLEANING & LEATHER AFTERCARE

Taking care of your walking boots ensures that they last longer and perform better in the outdoors. Regularly cleaning, drying and reproofing hiking boots enhances comfort by keeping feet fresh and dry (full grain leather boots also need to be conditioned when the uppers start to dry and crack). These are the different treatments and aftercare products required for maintaining your footwear:

Everything from dirt particles and salt from sweat wearing down technical fibres, to wet grass blades stripping off the durable water repellent coating (DWR), can affect the performance and longevity of your boots, so it’s important to clean your footwear after every outing and to regularly reproof depending on how frequently you walk.

Generally, full grain leather boots require more aftercare than thinner nubuck leather, suede or fabric footwear.

Whatever technical materials your boots are constructed with, they must be properly cleaned and dried before reproofing.

• Always remove insoles and laces before cleaning. You can wipe down the insoles with a warm, damp cloth separately.
• Bang the soles together to loosen excess dirt and clogged mud before rinsing with cold water.
• Use a technical cleaning spray (never use detergent) and toothbrush or nylon brush to remove remaining stains and grit.

• Shake off any excess moisture after cleaning and stuff your boots with balls of newspaper.
• Replace the moisture-absorbing newspaper every 6-12 hours until the boots dry naturally.
• If possible, never dry boots on top of a radiator or dry them too close to heat sources like fires. This can make boots smell and even distort their shape and damage their materials/adhesives.

Never wait for your boots to fail you in the outdoors; always repair or replace them well in advance.

If the outsole starts to detach from the upper on the trail (particularly on the front of the boot), ensure that the boot is dry before applying adhesive and tightly binding the front in duct tape (wrap a few strips around your water bottle). Let it dry overnight (you can visit us in-store for expert repairs after your trip).

If your laces are showing signs of fraying don’t wait for them to snap on the trail; replace them before your next hike or carry a spare pair in your backpack.