Care of Gore Tex Hiking Boots

doh777

Probably a silly question but...

Just bought a decent pair of Ecco Gore Tex Hiking Boots and first time out went on a very wet (but pleasant) walk.

Reading now online that one should waterproof goretex boots before using them for the first time.

How should I now proceed, if at all, with regard waterproofing them?

Should I buy a product and waterproof them now after they've been cleaned and dried?

I've also bought a tin of wax oil that I'm told to use sparingly on the boots after they've been cleaned post walk.

Thanks for any answers as having spent a bit I would like to get good use out of the boots and more importantly keep my feet dry.

Pat Mustard

I don't know about the tin of wax oil that you have.

If you have leather boots, I would recommend this Nikwax wax. There's an instructional video as well, but generally it's a case of clean the boots and apply the wax.

If you have fabric boots, I've used this Meindl Wet Proof stuff and found it good. Clean the boots as manufacturers direct (probably with a suede brush) and apply the spray as directed on the can

doh777

The wax oil I bought is the Ecco Oil Wax

http://us.shop.ecco.com/ECCO-Wax-Oil/0737426896763,default,pd.html

and they are leather boots

http://www.eccoshoesuk.com/products/371-ecco-xpedition-ii

The nikwax stuff looks good. Thanks for the post.

Gillo

As a general guide:
Clean the boots (ideally as soon as you get home), I find a nail brush or tooth brush make life a lot easy.
Let the boots dry naturally, stuff old news paper inside the boots if they insides are wet. Keep them away from direct heat, ie. beside the fire or radiator, as this will dry and stiffen the leather which then causes cracks in it.
Treat them with wax of some sort, the Ecco Wax looks ok, I use Nikwax and find it brilliant. Don't use dubbin, it's great for leather but wrecks the stitching.

If it's a suede or neubuk (sp?) finish, to be honest I wouldn't bother using a seude brush to keep the finish a hour on the Irish hills and it'll be gone again, but thats jsut my opinion on them!

BriangC

Not sure bout oil and wax but Goretex is only a very fine material layer on any type of boot so defo keep away from direct heat of fire or radiator or that will crack and split the Goretex for good.

Personally I rarely clean my boots well unless really covered. I have fabric hanwag boots and they always look fine. super boot btw

jusmeig

Gillo wrote: »

As a general guide:
Clean the boots (ideally as soon as you get home), I find a nail brush or tooth brush make life a lot easy.
Let the boots dry naturally,

I don't usually do this. The reason I don't is because the Nikwax and Grainers stuff says to apply to damp footwear, so I tend to scrub them down with a nail brush, dab them with kitchen roll so they are not soaking and then spray them.

I use my finger to spread the wax and remove buildups of it.

I have never had wet feet ....and my boots tend to last about 6-8 years.

Alun

It depends on the wax ... I've used Scarpa wax before and they say to use it on dry boots, Some (but not all) Nikwax wax says to use it on wet boots, and the Nikwax stuff I'm using now (in a tube) says it doesn't matter

Personally I usually do it when the boots are still damp but not wet, after cleaning, and use my fingers to apply the wax. The warmth from your fingers seems to help the wax to penetrate better.

--Kaiser--

I'm confused, I thought Gore-tex was already waterproof?

Pat Mustard

--Kaiser-- wrote: »

I'm confused, I thought Gore-tex was already waterproof?

It is. However, if the outside of the boot is completely sodden, it affects breathability. If your boot can't breathe, sweat and moisture can get trapped in the boot, which can be uncomfortable.

Also, the goretex membrane breaks down in time, so you will need to waterproof the boot eventually.

That's my understanding.

Gillo

The Mustard wrote: »

It is. However, if the outside of the boot is completely sodden, it affects breathability. If your boot can't breathe, sweat and moisture can get trapped in the boot, which can be uncomfortable.

Also, the goretex membrane breaks down in time, so you will need to waterproof the boot eventually.

That's my understanding.

The wax also helps keeps the leather in better condition, kind of like polishing shows (with out the shine).

IMHO a gore tex or other waterproof membrane is simply a bonus to well made & properly cared for boots.

FrostyJack

Surely if you apply a coating you are blocking the breathabilty? The leather I understand alright.

Pat Mustard

FrostyJack wrote: »

Surely if you apply a coating you are blocking the breathabilty? The leather I understand alright.

This is what the Nikwax people have to say:

Breathability depends upon water-repellency...

Water repellency is important for many reasons. It reduces water absorption into the surface of clothing, footwear and equipment, and protects against cooling and weight gain.

This is especially important for breathable waterproof garments; without water-repellency they can lose up to 70% of their breathability in damp or wet conditions. The same will apply to breathable waterproof footwear if the outer fabric or leather becomes saturated.

Therefore, the Durable Water Repellency (DWR) on the outer fabric of your waterproof items must be maintained to ensure breathability and comfort. It will eventually wear off and need to be renewed with Nikwax Waterproofers.

FrostyJack

The Mustard wrote: »

This is what the Nikwax people have to say:

Still sounds like "use our product". Surely the shoe manufacturer would put the water proofing on the outside of the goretex if that was the case. Maybe putting it on old or wore boots would make sense but not new ones.

Pat Mustard

FrostyJack wrote: »

Still sounds like "use our product". Surely the shoe manufacturer would put the water proofing on the outside of the goretex if that was the case. Maybe putting it on old or wore boots would make sense but not new ones.

Maybe there is an element of Nikwax fighting their own corner, I can't say for sure.

In any case, I don't think that there is a good alternative to treating boots. If you don't treat the boots according to manufacturer's recommendations, they aren't going to last as long or perform as well in the long run.