Waterproofing Leather Boots (Applying Sno-Seal to Thorogood Work Boots)

Here is the best product I have found to waterproof my leather work boots. I have used this on my Danner's as well as now my new Thorogood boots, and extended the life of the boot. We show how to take Son-Seal and make the application easier and better. One note, this will darken the leather and change the look of the boot. Links below of all the products shown and referenced in the video. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, so if you're thinking of buying one for yourself please use the link below and you'll help me out.
Time Stamps:
Start of Application- 1:46
Heating Leather- 3:25
Applying Son-Seal- 4:08
Removing Excess Son-Seal- 5:52
Final Look- 6:28
PRODUCT LINKS:
Thorogood Men's American Heritage 8" Moc Toe Boot
amzn.to/3FgORo2
Danner Mens Bull Run Moc Toe 6"
amzn.to/3W5NeAm
Sno-Seal - 7 oz
amzn.to/3FgP4rk
Wagner Furno 750 Heat Gun
amzn.to/38zmtxJ
Black Mamba Super Strong Nitrile 100 Glove Box
amzn.to/3UElQbP

[@oliverk191]

I found that the friction when applying it with elbow grease is enough to really get the snow seal into the leather. Regarding longevity, my work boots have lasted four years with yearly snow seal treatment worn through very damp wet British winters. I hike through the mud daily in them and they are still going ! They are military surplus boots so very thick tough leather

[@BusyBeeLiving]

4 years and still going strong, those are some good boots! Thanks for sharing!

[@oliverk191]

@@BusyBeeLiving french foreign legion boots they are pretty good and resoleable

[@alexk3606]

I go through a pair of boots a year, definitely prepping the next pair. Thanks

[@BusyBeeLiving]

Yes, it will definitely help those last longer!

[@colorado.e9x]

Good idea. Another thing that prematurely wears boots is drying them out with heat. They will crack apart

[@christavarone1607]

Sno-seal works great for leather gloves too!

[@BusyBeeLiving]

Great to know! Thank you for sharing!

[@jamesd5415]

Sno seal is the best. I have the same thorogoods. Before putting the snow seal on I put seam grip along the threads between the sole and boot for added protection and water proofing. I would do all the seams, but it gives a glossy finish and they are work boots not rain boots.

[@BusyBeeLiving]

Great tips! Thanks for sharing!

[@ltfocht]

I use the oven method, as I don't have a hair dryer or access to a low enough setting heat gun myself. However in summer I like to use a good window for a day to heat the boots, works nicely. That said, I'm in Montana and in winter it's not an option. I put my oven on the "keep warm" setting, give my boots 20 minutes inside, then goober the sno seal on and really massage it in generously before plopping them back in the oven for 20 minutes, and repeating the goobering. I leave a moderate layer on there to dry for a day, and then the next day I like to take the boots outside and shuffle through some snow in winter. Sounds silly, but it really does a good job of cleaning off the excess. Crisp snow is a wonderful mild abrasive. Also in my mind, the second oven treatment after the first waxing (again, in my mind at least) let's the first layer of wax melt in a bit, particularly into the seems where I try to focus the "goobering" I describe. The second layer of sno-seal I hit it all evenly.

[@BusyBeeLiving]

Thanks for sharing all the info and helping those with another option.

[@ltfocht]

@@BusyBeeLiving that's what I'm here for my man, heat guns and sunshine do seem to work better... Wood stoves too now that I think of it, but I work with what I've got.

[@deborahshields729]

In the summer, I put my boots and other shoes to be waterproofed in the trunk of my car and park my car in a sunny place. That really heats them up nicely. I try to make sure to do this while the weather is still warm so that I don't have to get out the hair dryer to do it in the winter.

[@kimdopfer2637]

Vaseline works great also ,but I like Sno seal ,I use a micro fiber towel to apply, thanks for the video

[@BusyBeeLiving]

Never heard the Vaseline trick before, but the sno seal seems to work great, just got to stay on top of the reapplication.

[@j33pfyn4tik6]

I do the treatment process every summer. I set out boots and sealer in the sun to preheat both, and the leather really takes the sealer. I also treat my soles with a rubber/vinyl protectant.

[@BusyBeeLiving]

Great point! If one does not have a heat gun, a sunny window sill works great!

[@ms.annthrope415]

I just use a Terry cloth or micro fiber cloth rag to daub the sealant on the leather and rub into the seams and stitches. I do this in the summer when it's hot like 98°. Rub it in and leave it in the sun all day to warm up and open the leather pores ro soak in thr sealant. Then when thr sun goes down, rub off any excess. All done.

[@BusyBeeLiving]

Yes, a hot window sill works great!

[@andiionce]

after you applied the first coat did you used the heat gun on it again to impregnate the wax deeper and then applied the second coat ?

[@BusyBeeLiving]

Great question! Yes, but with the boots being warm already it was much quicker process. I did just enough to make the second coat apply easier and buff.

[@Dan4052]

Nice video. Very informative. But please help me; I can't get a shine on my leather work boots to save my soul. I'v tried everything known to man and experimented with every technique and medium for years, right out of the box boots and old boots. Is it me or is it the leather? It's almost as if the supple leather is too porous and the wax or polishing oils never completely dry. I generally wear Red Wings, Carolina's, and ThouroughGood's. When I was a kid in the 70's and 80's, they would always shine up to a mirror finish. Your help would be greatly appreciated

[@djjoeykmusic]

Great video. Where in Michigan are you from? Allen Park here * * * Thank you

[@BusyBeeLiving]

Thanks! I'm in the Detroit area!

[@casper2cold446]

Would it work better if you lightly heated up the wax itself a little before the first application? I find it comes as a heavy wax when you first open it. So just wondering if warming the wax up a little before applications

[@BusyBeeLiving]

The heating of the leather did enough for me to be able to work it in.

[@dang3r823]

Do it stay greasy? Also well it protect snow salt from stain?

[@HomesteadTOS]

Great product

[@BusyBeeLiving]

Thank you!

[@michaelbrinks8089]

50% clear candle wax 50% wax toilet ring works amazingly well. I haven't 100% toilet 🚽 ring wax but it might work even better. I haven't tried clear silicone/odorless mineral spirits on anything yet. I might try it on some suede boots.

[@SFFS_99]

Hey, am I okay just doing one coat? I feel I did it pretty heavy made the boots darker

[@deborahshields729]

Do you ever put shoe polish over the snow seal as an extra layer of protection on the boots? I'm thinking about doing that

[@BusyBeeLiving]

No, I have not. I'm not positive, but it would seem that the wax coating would seal the leather and not allow the polish to treat the leather

[@deborahshields729]

@@BusyBeeLiving I saw on the sno-seal website that it is advised to put shoe polish on top of the snow seal. I'm going to give it a try and see what happens. My hiking boots can take quite a beating and I'd like to see if shoe polish as an extra layer of protection

[@MrBurns0618]

I’ve never had a problem applying first and then heating. Just my experience.

[@MyRcGoSlow]

Picked it up on Amazon hopefully it’s cool survivors leather lube makes them look good but I need that waterproof for the job

[@BusyBeeLiving]

It worked really well on mine

[@MrCabimero]

This made my brown Meindl Boots almost black in color. Not happy with the color change

[@BusyBeeLiving]

Yes, it will darken the leather, but provides a good protection to keep them long term.

[@mitchellcrockom2666]

How long do you let them set befor you wear them?

[@BusyBeeLiving]

I did the application in the morning and I could have worn them that afternoon.

[@minty717]

How many coats should I apply to genuine leather?

[@BusyBeeLiving]

I put two coats on these new boots. They say you can apply until the sealant starts to build up on the surface of the leather and no longer be absorbed into the leather. Hope that helps.

[@OGRH]

Is it necessary to wait 24 hours or can I just put these on and go?

[@OGRH]

I'm a bit of a noob with all of this... I go through a pair of red wings a year. After applying this do I still need to treat with mink oil in between... or should I just do this periodically. I guess what I'm asking is... is this enough? If water is not penetrating them, then, is it safe to say all of the conditioners are sealed into the leather?

[@BusyBeeLiving]

I just treat mine with this every so often and haven't added anything else and they have held up very well, even through this winter.

[@OGRH]

@@BusyBeeLiving thank you sir! So far so good... I treated a new pair right out of the box, and so far so dry. My work requires my boots 🥾 to get literally soaked every day.

[@coolfern37520]

How do I clean boots that have sno seal on them?

[@BusyBeeLiving]

Just like you would normally. Just remember though that you will need to reapply the seal as it wears.

[@glendaburton903]

Should always have two pair of work boots to swap them everyday so they can dry out between wearings. Healthier for your feet.

[@whoistomiam]

Do you reheat the boot between coating the boots?

[@BusyBeeLiving]

I did slightly, but I did not have to take as long heating it up on the secondary coats. (This is where just placing it in a sunny window while applying to the second boot works well) You may start to see shinny spots and dull spots. The shinny spots indicate that those areas have taken all the wax that the leather can absorb. In that case just apply to the dull areas, and then finish with a buffing.

[@AnasAhmed-sh7ue]

What happens to the sno seal if you use the boots in the summer. Does the wax melt off?

[@ltfocht]

In my experience I've never seen it melt off. The beauty of good wax and oil is it absorbes into the material, it's not just a surface coating. If you overuse you may see something, but a proper amount will be minimal if at all visible.

[@otpays8552]

No, it's designed to melt one time at a low temperature then it has a much higher melting point

[@uptown215P]

Wow my boots last about 9 -10 months 😂 $200 a pair

[@martysonn]

Real men make their own leather beesway sno seal

[@BusyBeeLiving]

LOL, you sound like my dad (he's a bee keeper). His solution to everything is use beeswax or put honey on it for everything! 😂🤣😂🤣 I will say we made our own cutting board coating from the beeswax before, it's actually where the woodworking business got its name from.

[@martysonn]

@@BusyBeeLiving Hehe, I hope I didn't sound rude, it was meant just as a good-hearted taunting. But yea, I'm a bee-keeper as well and I recently tried making my own shoe-protector from our wax with some oils etc. and it was super easy and pretty satisfying. So far it seems to be holding pretty well

[@mrGW]

Wearing gloves😂🫨

[@BusyBeeLiving]

🤷‍♂️😂

[@otpays8552]

Ya that's not how you do it