Hi
I have just treated myself to some very nice Lowa Munro leather walking boots and I wondered which product/s are best to use to look after the boots and keep them water proof?
Cheers.
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 Usually boots come with a care leaflet of some sort, but just use your fingers!  Lowa care guide Welcome to OM, btw.
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 Hi - treating your leather boots will depend on whether they have a waterproof lining, as certain products aren't suitable for these. (Waxes will clog up the membrane)
Either way, after use, wash gently with water and a soft brush to remove any mud, as certain acidic soils ( such as peat) will damage the leather.
Every so often, use a conditioning cream to keep the leather in good condition. Try Brasher Leather Conditioning Cream, which is meant to prolong the life of the boots and maintain waterproofness. It is apparently suitable for Gore-Tex lined boots. Rub it in gently using a soft cloth but use it sparingly. Alternatively, Nikwax produce a liquid conditioner which does the same thing but is perhaps easier to apply.
If the leather doesn't need conditioning but you want to keep it waterproof, use a sponge on waterproofing product. Nikwax produce some good ones - try Nikwax Fabric and Leather waterproofer. You could also use a spray on proofer.
Treat your boots well and they should last for absolutely ages. If they get wet, stuff them with newspaper and let them dry slowly - don't put them near strong heat as the leather will crack. Hope this helps!
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| Edited: 12/12/11 16:49 |
 All waterproofing contains "waxes". It will only clog the membrane if you soak all of the boot in it. The difference between brands is in the delivery method.
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I was just going on what I'd been told in outdoors hops - the more traditional, heavy waxes can apparently clog up membranes but I've not experienced this.
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Personally use Granger's G-Wax on my leather Meindl boots and really rate it.
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I've always used Brasher conditioning cream on my brasher bots and its kept them in great condition and covers the scratches. I use grangers on my wifes boots as the brasher cream is the wrong colour and the grangers works well too.
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Grangers make a range of boot treatments for Millets under the Peter Storm brand. The 150 ml pump action sprays include a waterproofer; a conditioner and a cleaner. They also have a more traditional wax in a tin. With the current Millets sale they are all available as reasonable prices.
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slightly different here, but anyway.. i've a pair of Meindl Borneo's (the ones without the plastic bag stitched into them) , and i keep them in tip-top condition by cleaning them with saddle soap - your local horsey-shop will have it, £5 for a bar the size of a 1985 mobile phone - and oiling them with Neatsfoot oil every few cleans, again, it comes from a horsey-shop, and again about £5 for 500ml or so. in the winter i cover them in Graingers G-WAX, and in the summer i don't bother - the oil keeps them sufficiently waterproof. the oil has definately discoloured the leather - its now a much darker brown than it was when new (5 years ago or so) - however i'm not that fussed because the leather is wonderfully soft, and water just beads off even after a day on a snowy hill. i've tried the nikwax aqueous wax, and i wasn't that impressed - its relatively expensive, i'm not that keen on the sponge thing that delivers it, and the results are, imo, no better than oil or wax.
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 i have always had leather boots - from zamberlan, scarpa, brashers and lately teva. i have variously neglected and abused them. left them filthy, dried them too quickly, occasionally polishing them up with unsuitable treatments etc. without fail the soles have worn out before the uppers.
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 I have used SnoSeal on my leather boots, even after two resoles, don't leak. I use a very thin cotton cloth, apply sparingly, then 'buff' to remove any excess proffer and give a bit of a 'shine'. I'd do this every couple of trips in summer, unless got soaked, haven't leaked so far, done as a precaution. In winter I'd do after every trip, again just as a precaution.
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 Used Nikwax recently and it was really effective. I like Contours own brand of waterproofing , it comes in a toothpaste type tube and smells of marzipan. 
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| Edited: 23/12/11 09:48 |
