This is my first post here, but been a member for a while and gleaned a lot of info already! Just wondering if you can help with this latest query.
I've had my first pair of leather walking boots (Meindl Burmas) for about 4 months now, and have been very keen to look after them properly. After a lot of internet searching and advice from outdoors shops, I decided to just treat these boots with Meindl Sportswax. This is mainly because some members of this forum said that they had used other products (mainly Nikwax), which had possibly caused cracking of the leather which Meindl refused to cover under warranty, due to the use of products they do not recommend.
The boots have been fine until this weekend, when I was caught in a lot of rain coming down from Pen Y Fan. Where the toe crease has developed, water is soaking into the leather, I think because the wax is cracking around this area. Apparently people would normally dab a bit of Nikwax Aqueous around this area to reproof, but obviously I am loathe to do this!
Is there anything I can do? Just rub in a bit more Sportwax once the boots are dry perhaps? Or use Nikwax anyway (I really rate their stuff for everything else)? Or just not worry about it cos the Goretex keeps me dry anyway???
Keep using the sportswax, but use a hair dryer on a low heat setting to melt the wax into hard to get to bits, that's what i do with mine and find it works a treat.
Failing that if they still leak after tryed method I'd take them back to the shop or contact Meindl about the problem.
mmm. many possibilities so i'll stick with the obvious ones first.
it gets wet. how long for? it's normal for the surface of the leather to get wet. if it's dry in about 20-30 mins than it is only the surface that is wet. if it takes hours to dry then the leather is getting wet - which from your comments it is unlikely.
whatever you put on the leather it's only going to sit in the surface. it will rub off in any creases, e.g. where your toes bends, because of simple friction.
this happens using aqeous nikwax too. it's nothing to worry about. shoe polish over the wax makes the boots look good and adds an element of water protection.
If however, you've been using Meindl's own product (Sportswax) and the leather has cracked after only 4 months use, I'd be taking the boots back to where you bought them from seeking some kind of explanation.
Sorry if I wasn't clear in my initial post, the boots aren't leaking, and the leather doesn't appear to be cracked. I waxed the boots before the first walk, and I did it again last week before this trip to Wales, is that often enough? I walk about 5 miles every weekend on average.
As you say Parky, the wax doesn't appear to be "soaking in" to the leather, and where the boot bends, the wax just cracks, causing the appearance of white lines on the toe crease.
I just checked the boots, and 2 hours after wiping them down and cleaning them (outside only), the dark areas where water has soaked in has spread! Grr.
It's frustrating because I also clean and look after my girlfriends Scarpa Rangers (yeah under the thumb...), and they are a doddle! Use HS12 on them, it's fantastic. I would use it on mine, but that warranty thing scares me!
Might try your hairdryer thing Threespoons, I can see the logic there
if it's wet it should dry in around 20-30 mins. that isn't a problem and is quite normal as thesurface of the leather wets out. if it takes a couple of hours for the wet to to dry out then the leather is getting wet an needs treating.
if applying a warm layer of wax - it needs to warm for it to soak into the leather properly and only applied to dry leather - and this problem still exists then it's just plain weird.
Using a hair dryer does work a treat to melt wax into the hard to get nook and crevices but:
No matter what waterproofer you use, Nikwax,HS12,Sportswax,shoe Polish, or as someone told me they used to use Goose fat to proof their boots.
After a short period of time if there is friction on the boot, ie walking in long grass, catching them on rocks etc. the waterproofer soon wears off and the leather can and will soak up water, no matter how hard you try there is nothing you can do to combat the problem.
No matter what waterproofer you use, Nikwax,HS12,Sportswax,shoe Polish, or as someone told me they used to use Goose fat to proof their boots.
After a short period of time if there is friction on the boot, ie walking in long grass, catching them on rocks etc. the waterproofer soon wears off and the leather can and will soak up water, no matter how hard you try there is nothing you can do to combat the problem.
Exactly. There is no magic ingredient in Sportwax that improves waterproofing over other products.
I used to use Sportwax on my Meindls and it is tough stuff to work with - very thick and difficult to work into crevices. Even after buffing it leaves a sticky finish on the leather (BTW, I'm not sure what the OP means by the wax "cracking" - it never forms a hard shell on the leather). I now use an aqueous wax which is much easier to apply and leaves a less tacky finish. Either way it wears off, as you say.
All leather will wet out eventually; particularly at the crease over your forefoot. The suede-like leather on the Burmas is more porous than the shiny HS12 impregnated leather on your SLs, so will wet out sooner. Doesn't matter since you've a goretex membrane to keep you dry. I wouldn't go overboard smothering the leather with proofing agents - you'll just inhibit the breathability by clogging the leather. It may even be the case that goretex lined boots have more porous leather on purpose, and so should be waxed very sparingly.
