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Caring for your hiking boots in 5 easy steps

5 minutes read
Enjoy your hiking boots for as long as possible by caring for them - here's how

Hiking boots need care!

Nothing flatters a hikers foot more than a pair of well-trod hiking boots. Anyone who has ever gone through the tedious task of breaking in a pair knows that you want to wear them forever once they are worn in! Forever is a long time, but hiking boots can be worn for many a trip to come with proper care. Are you caring for hiking boots? Ugh, that sounds like work! With the following tips, it’s not as bad as it seems and will extend the life of a good hiking boot considerably:

1. Clean hiking boots immediately after a hiking tour and dry!

Mud and moisture from the outside, sweat from the inside: Hiking boots aren’t protected from the elements. A quick clean after every intensive use is essential regardless of the material. Use a brush to remove the dirt, even under the laces, and repeat with a damp sponge. Practical tip: Throw a small brush into your backpack to use before getting back into a car or public transportation – you’ll be making fellow passengers or the driver of the car happy!

Before nourishing, first comes the cleaning - with brushes and with hiking footwear products. | Photo: Bela Elbich
Before nourishing, first comes the cleaning – with brushes and with hiking footwear products. | Photo: Bela Elbich

When at home, remove the insole and open the lacing as far back as possible. This enables the inner soles to dry completely. Avoid drying directly on a heater or oven as leather shoes especially may become brittle!

2. Correct treatment of material!

Time and time again, in our retail stores, we hear, “Why use a leather care product? My shoe is Gore-Tex?” No, it’s not! It may have a waterproof Gore-Tex lining or other membranes, but the overwhelming majority of hiking boots are made mostly of leather. This is because high-quality leather is exceptionally durable, long-lasting. Secondly, it adapts like no other material to the foot. Synthetic materials are also available – more on that later.

Leather can take on a variety of surfaces: anywhere from smooth and scarred to a fine, brushed nubuck leather – similar to a micro-fibre. The function is always the same, namely to support and protect. With each step, the leather in your hiking boot is working. It forms soft creases in the points where the foot naturally rolls, and with time, the leather becomes softer in those places where it moves and creases. To prevent the leather from drying out and remain pliable, it must be maintained accordingly. The magic word is wax. Unlike oil or leather fat, the leather keeps its form but won’t become too soft. As wax can darken the leather somewhat and sometimes make it look spotty, there are different products for various types of leather.

Wax is the perfect care product for leather shoes. | Photo: Bela Elbich
Wax is the perfect care product for leather shoes. | Photo: Bela Elbich

3. Proper Leather Care with wax

Granger’s G-Wax, for example, is perfect for smooth leather shoes. It is applied directly, best by hand and thoroughly rubbed in. It’s easier to use when the otherwise dense mass is melted a little in the palm of your hand, making it then also easier to rub into the stitching or eyelets. It is essential not to use too much wax. When the pores are clogged, the boot will respond with a rubber-boot like a climate. Applying every thin layer is especially preferable for footwear worn often and in a cross-section of weather. Meindl Sportwax works the same way.

Although suede or nubuck leather shoes may theoretically be treated similarly,  leather will become smoother and lose the suede optic. If you would like to maintain the nubuck look, we suggest firstly using a suede cleaning brush or suede eraser to remove dirt and mud, keeping in mind that you need to brush it in the direction of the fibres than going back and forth. Finally, you can brush over the suede with a nylon brush to help lift the nap.

The most beautiful adventures are experienced with well broken-in hiking boots: this also includes the right care. | Photo: Mountain time
The most beautiful adventures are experienced with well broken-in hiking boots, including the proper care. | Photo: Bergzeit

4. How often should I care for my Hiking shoes?

As required or each time the hiking boot feels dry. As with hand cream or lip balm, if your skin is already cracking, it’s a little too late! Experience has shown that treatment is needed every five to eight hiking tours. You can’t damage a boot by over-caring for it – more often rather than too seldom is a good rule of thumb!

Hiking shoes come made of leather, but there is also the synthetic type that we mentioned earlier in the article. Most of these are frequently found as a hybrid mixed-form insert made from mesh or textile material. This ensures more outstanding breathability and less weight. These inserts should be treated with a waterproof spray after cleaning from time to time, such as Toko Eco-Proof & Care Eco, so that they do not immediately absorb rain, snow and slush.

5. Outer appearances are not all that count: Don’t forget the value of what’s inside!

The inside of a hiking boot shouldn’t be forgotten when cleaning either. This can (ideally sports detergent) be done with a sponge and a mild detergent solution. Especially soft shoes with high textile content are easy to clean: a saturated sponge with cleaning solution is placed into the shoe and pressed towards the outer part of the shoe – even the pores are flushed thoroughly with this process. Rinse thoroughly and let it dry carefully; done!
Note: Removable insoles are parts that wear out. They absorb sweat and are exposed to tremendous stress. Therefore, they should be replaced periodically.

Caring for hiking boots will give you a boot with longevity… and your feet will undoubtedly thank you for it too!

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Welcome to the Bergzeit Journal! Enjoy our product reviews, buyers' guides, care instructions, packing lists and general tips & tricks for the great outdoors. The Bergzeit Journal editorial team, together with many external authors and mountaineering experts, provide insightful articles on all important mountain and outdoor topics, as well as current industry and background knowledge.