Waterproofing your boots

[B-Man2]

Do you guys do them once and done.... or.. do you re do them every so often?

 

[Smithy]

Do you guys do them once and done.... or.. do you re do them every so often?

I do mine once a year Burt. Works well ;-)

 

[Smithy]

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.

And therein endeth the lesson.

 

[kirova]

would Dubbin darken the color of your boots?

I have a pair of Red Wing Beckman, and last time it rained the water just went straight through my multiple layers of leather conditioner and boot cream

thx

 

[Smithy]

would Dubbin darken the color of your boots?

I have a pair of Red Wing Beckman, and last time it rained the water just went straight through my multiple layers of leather conditioner and boot cream

thx

It does initially but TBH it doesn't bother me. They look and feel so much better afterwards that it's a non-issue for me. I think they lighten again anyway over time with wear but I haven't ever studied it so that's not based on scientific fact.

You need to waterproof your boots. Do that and they laugh at rain and snow ;-)

 

[crism1]

And therein endeth the lesson.

An American guy had Goretex shoes but that day they were soaked wet because short pants + low-ankle-regular shoes make a bad decision. Funny how the people I met on the Camino were super curios about my double buckle m43 boots. In retrospect, it was a weird decision but I didn't have a single blister in 900 kms straight

 

[Centaurus3200]

I have a pair of 1970s Dexter Sitka rough out hiking boots. Got them from the goodwill outlet bins for $5. Had 40+ year old sno-seal on them. You're never getting it off. I tried. If you can't beat em, join em.

The below pic is after some saddle soap, a few rounds of obenauf's lp (better than sno-seal from what I hear) and a round of clear Venetian shoe cream. Easily the most comfortable boots I own.

 

[elfraty]

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!

Yes I can relate to that. Something I picked up in the army, where I had to polish my boots every single day. Since those days It always stayed with me.

 

[SydneyCollectorGuy]

I'm the Australian army we were issued Terra's "terror on your feet!"
They were nubuck I think.....I used to (like most engineers) go and sno seal the shit out of them since oil and transmission fluid stains looked worse (and we're more dangerous) than sno seal darkening up the boots
I can say that on kangaroo nubuck that it lightens up as you wear them..... Not sure it it's the same on bovine nubuck leather as well though......

 

[Smithy]

With winter fast approaching here in Arctic Norway I'll be dragging my boots out and the Sno-Seal for the annual application.

It's actually something I really enjoy doing.

 

[Smithy]

...I'll be doing the same for my new boots for work, a pair of Haix (we just got them, same as French army issue), wonderful boots.

 

[SydneyCollectorGuy]

...I'll be doing the same for my new boots for work, a pair of Haix (we just got them, same as French army issue), wonderful boots.

Ahhh I think I know the model your talking about (desert Nepal or something like that?)
Haix make a fantastic product......but I'm biased since I wear their GSG/BSK model for 12 hours shifts in all weather

 

[Smithy]

Ahhh I think I know the model your talking about (desert Nepal or something like that?)
Haix make a fantastic product......but I'm biased since I wear their GSG/BSK model for 12 hours shifts in all weather

I don't know the model name but they're terrific boots (military spec boots have come a long way from the days of having to wear them in the bath!). Not cheap, apparently unit price is €350 but they're like butter to wear.

 

[SydneyCollectorGuy]

I don't know the model name but they're terrific boots (military spec boots have come a long way from the days of having to wear them in the bath!). Not cheap, apparently unit price is €350 but they're like butter to wear.

Yeah I know the "bad old days " of the old black GP boots (Australian army boots were pretty much exact copies of the British army DMS hi leg boots)
But once you broke those boots onto your feet (or should I say break your feet into those boots) then they more or less felt like slippers..... especially if you were lucky get the next size up so you could shove inner soles inside them

 

[Smithy]

Yeah I know the "bad old days " of the old black GP boots (Australian army boots were pretty much exact copies of the British army DMS hi leg boots)
But once you broke those boots onto your feet (or should I say break your feet into those boots) then they more or less felt like slippers..... especially if you were lucky get the next size up so you could shove inner soles inside them

Haix make the best boots I've ever worn. That's a big claim but I'm blown away by them.

They're just damn good boots.

 

[B-Man2]

I don’t know if you guys ever tried them but I’m a real believer in Salomon Quest 4D GTX Gortex lined boots. The USN Seals used them for several years over in Afghanistan and found them to hold up really well over rugged ground and heavy use. I’ve had a pair for the last 6 or 7 years and they do last . Of course living in Florida isn’t the best testing ground for them .

 

[Smithy]

Haix

Here's my Haix boots. Probably more modern than is the fashion here but when you have to actually wear the things for work I unashamedly love them. Best boots I've worn with all the whistles and bells, speed laces, sun reflection, no slip, etc, etc.