Waterproofing leather boots

[Labrat]

Another vote for Ko-cho-line here.

[pwa]

Hi,
I think nikwax must be safe as its recommended by scarpa, if you are using boots in a harsh moorland environment then yours boots would need treating every walk, leather softens with use just like tyres so you would need to replace them more often.

Nikwax does the job perfectly. But I don't apply it every time the boots get dirty. I let the mud dry (not near a radiator, but slowly at normal room temperature) then when it gets powdery I brush it off. That's the cleaning done. If the dry boots still look waxy they don't need anything applying. If they look a bit dry I get the Nikwax out and give them a good going over. I've never had boots go so soft that they become a problem. I stop using them when the sole gets too worn, which takes many years.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

Hi,
I think nikwax must be safe as its recommended by scarpa, if you are using boots in a harsh moorland environment then yours boots would need treating every walk, leather softens with use just like tyres so you would need to replace them more often.

Nikwax does the job perfectly. But I don't apply it every time the boots get dirty. I let the mud dry (not near a radiator, but slowly at normal room temperature) then when it gets powdery I brush it off. That's the cleaning done. If the dry boots still look waxy they don't need anything applying. If they look a bit dry I get the Nikwax out and give them a good going over. I've never had boots go so soft that they become a problem. I stop using them when the sole gets too worn, which takes many years.

+1
Open moorland in winter strips everything off the leather due to the long wet grass, ten miles will do that.
If I have done a dry summer walk or the ground has no long grass then when the boots have dried out, visual inspection will tell you what needs doing.
I have never worn the sole of a boot out but have had to ditch boots because they were never up to the job / the stitching fell apart / upgrade to a better or newer boot, I have only one pair of boots where the stitching has failed about four years ago - I bought them in 82 - scarpa, Found a pair on ebay for er in doors.............immaculate and same model.......just need breaking in, I keep my eyes peeled.
I cant replace my old boots that fell apart as the designs have moved on and I have unstable ankles, it appears that Mountain Walking boots are impossible to find / very expensive, like hundreds of pounds? Plenty of loggers / ranger boots with high cuffs for the ruff tuff boys with big boots

99.9% of my walking has been non pathed moorland on grass, soles never wear out, they only wear on tracks especially the balls of the feet or the soles round off on gravel.
I remember marching on old railway tracks and your feet ache and swell up.................30 seconds walking on grass and it feels like cotton and the feet are instantly relieved, fast hard tracks or slow comfortable grass
Sheep or animal tracks (looks like a foot path) are fast and comfortable but jut check that its going your way

I am a bit spoilt living near Dartmoor and the sea on the south coast of Devon.