Just bought some Meindl burma's and as these are my first leather boots I am intent on looking after them  

I've just gone on my first hike in them, 8 miles around Mams Tor and they were superb. Extremely comfortable and finally I think i have a boot that doesn't want to destroy my feet.

So anyway, I've been reading up on cleaning leather boots and it mentions removing the insoles to clean the inside. Well I looked at my insoles and they look to be glued in or attached somehow to the boot, so i'm a  bit wary of tugging at them to get them out and hence ruining the things. Can anyone give me some advice?

Also i've just given the leather a rinse and a brush to get rid of all the mud. Do I need to put anything on them now or will they be ok for another few walks?

Cheers

Dan

nice boots. gore tex horrors or the proper burma's?

the insoles should pull out.

occasionally rinse the boot out with warm water. fill the boot with warm water and let it stand for 10 mins or so and then another rinse. this will dissolve all the sweat salt build up and get rid of dust/fine grit that's found its way in.

always clean them after an outing. i use a soft shoe polishing brush under the shower head. the soft bristles will remove mud and not damage the leather surface.

there have been tales of meindl being a bit stroppy if they start to fall apart and you haven't used their products so take the next advice if you wish.

rub a generous amount of wax, the stuff out of a tin/jar, well into all seams. melt the wax into the seams with a hairdryer. give the whole outer a coating of wax - apply with a damp/wet cloth so the wax doesn't stick to the cloth i.e. it all goes on the boot. allow to dry thoroughly - at least 24 hrs. i then apply a coat of shoe polish with a wet cloth in circular motion. you will now have nice clean shiny boots.

the polish just provides and extra layer over the wax. thereafter i use nikwax water based liquid stuff when they need it.

but when do they need it?

after washing (or even when out) you will see "wet" patches. if these "wet" patches dry in about 10-20mins the leather isn't wet, it's just the surface wetting out. areas that haven't dried need some liquid wax - these areas will usually be the flex points as that's where wear on the original wax application rubs together the most.

lately, i have stopped using the nikwax liquid since i got hold of some of meindl's own sylproof - in a tube - which is excellent stuff indeed. however, i think they may have stopped producing it.

i always treat boots this way when brand new and more wax (the tin stuff) on the flex points after they've broken in i.e. all the flex points are well defined.

the tinned wax shoul dbe be used only occasionally as it will soften the leather over time and you could end up killing your boots with kindness.

so far i've been fortunate in never having a faulty pair of boots.

They are the "gore-tex horrors" as you put it  

Thanks for the advice parky, extremely useful info. so should i just pull on the insoles a bit to get them unstuck

can i ask, what brand/type of wax do you use?

lol. sorry daniel. gore tex lined leather boots are my favourite "hate". the burma's are excellent boots and don't need the gore tex lining! bloody ill-informed "customer" demand

give the insoles a tug - i'd be surprised if they were glued in.

i have both nikwax and grangers wax - the tinned/jar smelly stuff. both seem to be the same to me. i believe grangers make this wax for various other brands too.

the tinned wax is also excellent for all other leather shoes you may have. by melting the wax into the nooks and crannies you can make "leaky" shoes no longer "leaky"

I was told to use Meindl Sportwax on my Burma's - which comes in small tubs like normal wax. Seems to do the job. I believe the Burmas without GTX are called Borneos.

 Roger

Does the hairdryer treatment not damage the leather in any way i.e. the heat? Also i've read about applying conditioner to leather to help break it in....

no, the hairdryer doesn't as you aren't holding the heat in any one spot for very long. the wax melts very quickly. it's like them being in the sun.

as you have discovered they were comfy straight from the box so no breaking in in the traditional sense is required. the old breaking in was to make unwearable boots wearable.

 thanks rog for the clarification. it was a long time ago i owned a pair. sorry for the slur daniel.

do the lot. wax on the boot tongue can also stop the tongues squeaking/grinding.

once you get into that habit of always washing them after an outing they should reward you with much service.  excrement in all it's forms will wreck your boots quicker than anything else.

oh, and while you're at it, you can use the nikwax water proofing on the laces too. i just squeeze some neat nikwax into my hand and squash into the laces. lol, then spend a while trying to de-proof my hands.

especially when it's dry and hence dusty, you will be surprised at the amount of muck that gets inside your boots.

 Use your fingers to rub the wax in. Your body heat melts the wax and you are able to get it into all the nooks and crannies.

I don't bother with the whole cleaning deal after every outing, but most often just brush off the dirt and dust. Then, maybe every 5th outing, I apply Sno-Seal - imo the best care product for leather - using an (old)  toothbrush. Every 10th outing, I wash the boots on the inside as well. My last pair of Meindls lasted 3 resolings and 12 years. I only had to get new ones (Island Pro) because the leather on the inside succumbed to my sweat. 

Paul