Waterproofing your boots

[Smithy]

I should have done this a couple of months back before the snow hit but I only got around to waterproofing my boots today, something I do once a year. Back in NZ and Oz I used to use dubbin to do this with rugby and hiking boots, now I use Sno-Seal which is pretty much the same thing as far as I can tell.

This is something I love doing. I just get huge enjoyment and satisfaction from the process and how your boots are at the end. Just wondering if the rest of you have waterproofed your boots for winter and if not this is a good reminder!

 

[Griffon_301]

I am also doing it...I am using bee wax. Keeps the leather soft while waterproofing it. The boots are really watertight afterwards, not only water repellant...

 

[Smithy]

I am also doing it...I am using bee wax. Keeps the leather soft while waterproofing it. The boots are really watertight afterwards, not only water repellant...

Good stuff Griff. Dubbin and Sno-Seal are beeswax so the same as what you're using - old school but still the best thing for waterproofing boots.

 

[Griffon_301]

Yes, beeswax is the best for that purpose...if applied carefully it also works good on rough out boots.

I use a sponge for applying the wax...works great for me

 

[Smithy]

Yes, beeswax is the best for that purpose...if applied carefully it also works good on rough out boots.

That's what they did back in the war, exactly the same Griff ;-)

I believe the German Heer, Waffen-SS, Luftwaffe, etc did pretty much the same with their boots too. So the other side was doing the same. There's a reason why these's old processes are still done today around the world, and that's because they work!

I usually heat my boots with a hair-dryer and then rub it in with a cloth or even my fingers. Fun to do and rewarding.

 

[Griffon_301]

You are right...I learned to waterproof my boots from my dad who was in the Austrian Army for over 30 years. Serving in the Mountain troops, he had every reason to get his boots waterproof.
I can remember my first 20 miles march during my compulsory service time in our army...some guys had treated their boots with shoe shine only. They looked great in the beginning, but after crossing some streams and walking along the banks of a small river (in the water), they were cursing their posteriors off in their soaking wet boots...

 

[Smithy]

You are right...I learned to waterproof my boots from my dad who was in the Austrian Army for over 30 years. Serving in the Mountain troops, he had every reason to get his boots waterproof.
I can remember my first 20 miles march during my compulsory service time in our army...some guys had treated their boots with shoe shine only. They looked great in the beginning, but after crossing some streams and walking along the banks of a small river (in the water), they were cursing their posteriors off in their soaking wet boots...

So your old man was a Gebirgsjäger Griff? That's very cool.

Coming from the Antipodes I only used to waterproof my rugby boots and hiking boots but here, living in the Arctic, I learnt pretty bloody quick to waterproof all my leather boots that I use over winter. I learnt that real quick after getting wet boots the first winter I was here ;-)

 

[Griffon_301]

Yes he was a Gebirgsjäger; During his basic training in what was still called B-Gendarmerie (Austria was still occupied then and was not allowed to have own armed forces, so army training had started under the guise of police forces) he was sent to Blons in 1954 to serve as a relief force after the avalanche catastrophe there...he told me some stories of that assignment-scary stuff. A while village was wiped out and most of the times the could only dig out dead people, whole families on some occasions who had died in their houses while eating their meals or sitting around a table and doing what all families did in those days...

 

[Smithy]

Yes he was a Gebirgsjäger; During his basic training in what was still called B-Gendarmerie (Austria was still occupied then and was not allowed to have own armed forces, so army training had started under the guise of police forces) he was sent to Blons in 1954 to serve as a relief force after the avalanche catastrophe there...he told me some stories of that assignment-scary stuff. A while village was wiped out and most of the times the could only dig out dead people, whole families on some occasions who had died in their houses while eating their meals or sitting around a table and doing what all families did in those days...

You should be very proud of your Dad Phil, Gebirgsjäger are wonderfully trained and highly professional soldiers.

 

[Serghei87]

I have some Dr Martens boots and would like to make them waterproof as well. Can someone tell/teach me which is the better products to use and how to use them? Thankss in advance!

 

[B-Man2]

Waterproofed my Roughouts about a month ago and was happy I did. Used Snow seal because I had two cans of Dubbin but read some bad reviews about using the NOS Dubbin. Won’t get into it here but I turned to snow seal and it seems to be a good replacement . I put it on then get a hot hairdryer and melt it into all of the seems and stitching. So far ... so good .
Take a look!
Damn if she sees these on the dinning room table I’m screwed!!

 

[Smithy]

I have some Dr Martens boots and would like to make them waterproof as well. Can someone tell/teach me which is the better products to use and how to use them? Thankss in advance!

Serghei, if no one else answers give me until tomorrow and I'm make a step by step way of doing it. If you've been in the army or done military service though, it's the same thing ;-)

 

[B-Man2]

I have some Dr Martens boots and would like to make them waterproof as well. Can someone tell/teach me which is the better products to use and how to use them? Thankss in advance!

Serghei
Get some snow seal. that’s the products name . You can get it on eBay.
It’s easy to use . Simply take a scoop of it and spread it all over your boots being careful to coat the stitch seams , holes and where the leather seams meet and is sewn into the soles on the side seams . Once you do that take a hot hair dryer and melt it into the seams and all the places you covered . Once it’s fills in all the holes and seems give it a day and then do it all again and VIOLA!! Waterproofed !!

 

[Smithy]

Burt has done a great job. Your boots will love you for it ;-)

 

[Serghei87]

Thanks a lot guys already checking the ebay and will try to do it as well because here rains pretty much every week or so...always learning smth new here..loving it

 

[B-Man2]

Thanks a lot guys already checking the ebay and will try to do it as well because here rains pretty much every week or so...always learning smth new here..loving it

If you have any questions just PM me and I’ll try to help you out Serghei!!

 

[Carl]

I use my fingers to apply the dressing on my "rough outs"
That's if they are " rough outs " as they have no rivet at the base of the lace up part ??

 

[Grant]

I second Sno Seal and a hot hair dryer! Been using both on all my roughout boots for years.

 

[ButteMT61]

My old man started out after graduating college/grad school as a field geologist. I can remember many a night melting bees wax for boots. Still do it too. It's a tad messy, but works great on regular or roughout leather. All the old hiking boots we treated were heave roughout leather. I've done it on my WWII boots and Red Wing Muleskinners too. Sometimes old is best.

 

[crism1]

I did use Sno Sneal on my hiking leather boots before going for the Camino de Santiago. One day I walked under the pouring rain for literally 8 hours straight. Came out with completely dry feet.