How to care for leather hiking boots

In this video Martin demonstrates how to care for leather hiking boots so that they last longer & keep your feet drier. Learn some pro tips on keeping your leather boots supple, nourished & watertight while extending the working life of your boots.

[@rogerivy2919]

This is the best and most confident video about boot and leather care. Simply amazing. Thanks!! Better than all other videos I have seen. Its perfect.

[@GreenerGlens]

Thank you Roger. I've been working in boots my whole career & my boots are lasting longer than everyone I know using them for the same purposes so I know these processes work well. Clear & no bs is what I'm going for. Thanks for commenting 👍

[@TheCinematicFly]

Thank you. Great information. Just got a new pair of boots and Ill be doing everything you said.

[@stevenroche9874]

Melting the dubbin with a hairdryer ( not a heat gun ) is THE WAY to do it !

[@soletrail]

Nice Job Martin. Just bought myself a new pair of leather boots just breaking them in and getting them winter ready.. Nice job mane. Sub from me.

[@GreenerGlens]

Glad to help - thanks for the sub 👍 good luck with the boots

[@goodgodzilla]

Great stuff, thanks. BTW I remove the insoles when drying to help dry the midsole. Also, I use a toothbrush to get the wax into the seams, stitching (especially the double stitching of the soles) and around the lace hooks. Loving the use of hair dryer.

[@GreenerGlens]

Very useful tips there. I tend to use cotton buds to get right into the very hard to reach areas & yes removing insoles is also what I do - I should have mentioned it in the video but I guess I thought it was too instinctive to mention.

[@goodgodzilla]

@@GreenerGlens I was thinking that the wax (I use Redwing Mink Oil) could be warmed to a liquid in the tin and painted on, would make it easier to apply and would soak in straight away. Is that an idea?

[@Sool101]

Good tips as well thanks! So I was wondering, if you wash any other gear (i.e. Bikes or cars) with water only, the soil will not be completely removed and it shows after drying. So, one has to use soap in order to get rid of it. So, the obvious questions is, is it ok to use mild detergent like dishwasher soap or good old fashion sunlight soap without compromising the qualities of the leather? Does it make sense at all to use soap with shoes?

[@GreenerGlens]

@@goodgodzilla It would certainly work but you run the risk of making it too hot & hardening the leather. You want to use as little heat as is necessary to melt the was to keep the leather supple. Putting hot wax directly onto cold leather is probably not the best idea - too many question marks & opportunities to either burn yourself or your boots.

[@GreenerGlens]

@@Sool101 In most of those scenarios the dirt can be removed by water & manual scrubbing alone, the soap is to speed it up & remove oil based products. You can use soap to wash leather but it is generally a gentle soap like glycerin based soap. There's a saying in the traditional leather work & leather tanning industries that you shouldn't do to leather what you can't do to your own skin. So being gentle & protecting & treating the leather with natural products is preferable.

[@denisryan8965]

Very informative.

[@arncj18]

slow drying is the best, mostly if you are inside that pretty much already takes care of it

[@GreenerGlens]

These boot dryers are slow & if you get your boots properly wet just having them indoors isn't enough to dry them before other issues start to happen like mould etc. The very minimum drying regime should be to remove the insoles & stuff with newspaper & replace regularly until dry enough to air dry - thats what I did before having boot dryers but I wouldn't go back. I can get soaked on day put the boots in the dryer & they are dry for the morning - it's great.

[@bigpoppapump2025]

Great video 👍

[@arncj18]

you can use a painting brush for waxing, that way you lube and recondition the natural bristles as well (^horse hair or something)

[@Ah01]

Been using my Meindl boots for some nine years, with a regular maintenence. Working perfectly, water proof, breathe, support and fit comfortably.. Never dry using a hair drier or a boot drier, just let them be for a while.

[@andrewbailey2735]

I’ve a pair of north face waterproof boots. They have a membrane and are leather. I’ve not treated them and they leak now a tiny bit. They haven’t been used a lot and I was wondering if they are ruined or just need a good portion of care to repair the waterproofing? There’s no cracks etc and look fine but leak a tiny amount…

[@Ryan.90]

Fantastic to see you back! Really informative video, might have to invest in one of them boot dryers for my work boots. Is that you making the deer noise in the intro? Haha

[@GreenerGlens]

Thank you - great to be back. You should get a boot drier - great bits of kit, especially if you work outdoors. Ah I've been discovered ha ha yes I couldn't get a loud or clear enough recording of a red deer stag so I did my best to imitate the rut roar - obviously it wasn't good enough.

[@Ryan.90]

@@GreenerGlens Ah would have fooled me mate, was just the idea of you doing deer roars into a microphone in the kitchen. Gave me quite the chuckle.

[@GreenerGlens]

@@Ryan.90 It was out in the woods to be fair & it is the same roar I use to call in stags in the rut so it fools them as well ha ha.

[@DaveDoesOutdoors]

Nice 1 mate - atb 👍🏽

[@GreenerGlens]

Thanks Dave

[@Gollammeister]

What about kiwi leather polish isn't that good for putting moisture into leather

[@drs-Rigo-Reus]

Whats that middle lower boot?

[@831gkl]

Can you use shoe polish after you have waxed them?

[@nancycampuzano7266]

Hello. Can someone tell what kind of wax is he using? or What kind of wax do you use? Please.

[@GreenerGlens]

I was using Grangers G-wax in the video but any hard dubbin will work, you can also see meindl sport wax on the table & a few leather treatments of my own devising. You don't want a really soft wax or oil for hiking boots. You want to keep the leather hydrated & protected but not too soft.

[@nancycampuzano7266]

@@GreenerGlens Thank you!!

[@Gollammeister]

What about split n cracks in leather boots? Is there a repair system?

[@GreenerGlens]

In terms of functionality no, some small superficial cracks can be hidden but the fibres have severed so the strength & flexibility is gone. A good cobbler could replace or even patch the leather depending on where on the boot it is but the trick is to prevent the leather from drying out in the first place.

[@arncj18]

i use grasso di foca, which is natural seal grease

[@JohnTCampbell1986]

What model of boots are those? I struggle with ankle stability and some that are quite a bit higher like those look like they'd do a better job than what I can typically find.

[@GreenerGlens]

Meindl dovre extremes. Great boots lightweight & great ankle support & waterproofing but they do need to be taken care of to last through the years.

[@Ah01]

@@GreenerGlensgreat boots, will serve a long time well handled. Mine are from 2014..

[@crazycressy7986]

So if you apply a wax or waterproof spray to a leather gortex boot won't this stop the gortex from breathing?

[@GreenerGlens]

Well observed. It won't stop the gortex breathing but it will prevent some moisture from passing through the leather temporarily every treatment wears off through hard use. In all my years wearing waterproof boots following this practice (I spend almost every day in waterproof boots) I have never had foot issues such as athletes foot etc & believe me if you are walking in bogs or other very wet terrain a little bit of sweat is drop in the ocean compared to soaking wet feet from split leather or holes in the boot letting in water.

[@crazycressy7986]

Ignore that comment as you said at the end it might stop the breathable essay of the boot ,I've just bought a pair of boots do you think I need to do this straight away ?

[@crazycressy7986]

@@GreenerGlens thanks I've always had merrell canvas boots but just got a pair of leather Tresspass boots ,I only walk the dog in them on fields ,I don't really abuse boots anymore like I used to but want them to last ,my Merrells lasted 5 years fishing, shooting and even wore them in the sea a few times, but always washed them but never had to apply waterproofing ,but I hear that they aren't as good as they were back in the 90s

[@GreenerGlens]

@@crazycressy7986 Even if you are not "abusing" your boots the leather uppers will still last longer if given even a light coat of wax. Dubbing will also help some plastics last longer.

[@crazycressy7986]

@@GreenerGlens cheers👍

[@alexburgess2525]

Hi Martin. How often would you wax your boots? Every 3 or 4 hikes or less frequently? Cheers.

[@GreenerGlens]

It really depends on the hikes to be honest. Every 3 to 4 hikes would be a good rule of thumb but if the boots were not worn in conditions that would degrade the treatment you could leave it longer between the waxings. If you are walking in bogs & harsh mud or even very dry & coarse environments you might need to wax more regularly. If the leather on your boots looks like it is drying up or feels harder or is getting lighter in colour it is time for a wax.

[@EdmundoAyarzagoitia]

Can you use beeswax instead?

[@GreenerGlens]

Beeswax is the main ingredient of most of these types of leather treatment. Beeswax on its own is a little hard so adding a little oil such as mink oil or neatsfoot oil to the wax will help apply it & help keep the leather flexible.

[@arncj18]

trust me you don't want to dry a boot mechanically unless it's soaked or extreme in condition

[@ronaldreid2185]

There's a certain amount of pleasure in cleaning and waxing leather boots. It's of those chores where the benefits are immediately apparent.

[@user-dg9eh2et7r]

🦌👁️🤔😁let' s Russian 😍deer 😝🤓🤠🤳🙇🙅