3 Easy Steps To Help You Care For Your Walking Boots

Without adequate and substantial footwear for long hikes across Britain’s varied and sometimes tough terrain, you could quite easily do damage to your body, especially your feet, ankles and knees - so this cost is one you must bear (It is possible to purchase a pair of walking boots that are designed specifically to provide good support and longevity for between £54.99 and £159.99 through Hi-Tec’s walking boot range).

If you’ve spent this kind of money on your hiking footwear, you’ll want to make sure that they are well looked after and protected against the elements and terrain.

1. Drying Wet Boots

One of the biggest mistakes you could make when removing your wet, sodden walking boots after a long hike is to place them directly in front of a heat source, such as an open fire or on top of a radiator.

Drying out wet walking boots takes time and should not be rushed if you want to maintain your boot’s integrity. The best advice you could use is to place them in a warm, but well ventilated room that will gradually bring your walking boots up to temperature to enable the excess moisture to evaporate and disperse. Once the boots are dry, you can proceed with using a leather conditioner as described in step 2.

2. Leather Care

The most traditional material, which is still highly popular with walkers with varying levels of experience, is leather.

Leather is robust and allows feet to breathe naturally, however it does require love and attention.

Leather contains natural oils which help keep it supple and strong. Unfortunately, one of the enemies of leather is wet grass, which is so often found in the British Isles. Wet grass can remove the natural oils from the leather and increase the chances of cracking, stiffening and remove the natural waterproofing quality of the material.

One way to combat this is to use a leathercare product which is applied to the walking boots leather upper when they have been removed. Traditionally, a product called ‘dubbin’ (a mixture of natural oils, tallow – a substance derived from beef fat, and wax).

Commercial products are also available that replicate the natural oils in leather – but whichever you choose, you should ensure that after each and every walk, your boots are treated with a specialist product of this kind.

3. Soles

The soles of your walking boots are often the most overlooked part of the boot. It’s highly important to remove stones, mud and any other matter that remains on your walking boots once they have been removed. The acidity of some soils can begin to break down the glues used in manufacture that attaches the soles to the rest of the boot – by removing any remains of soil and other natural matter from this area before putting them away will help ensure a longer lifespan for your footwear.