Friday, August 19, 2016

Caring For Walking Boots

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By Francine Hampton


What are the best ways to clean and protect your walking boots? Cleaning and caring for your walking boots is a guaranteed way to extend the life of your hiking footwear and will delay the need to buy new boots. But with so many different products on the market, what is the best way to clean and protect your walking boots?

Firstly, remove the laces and insole from your boot. A lot of boots feature a removable insole just for this purpose. It helps to thoroughly air the boot, remove odour, and replacing the insoles in your shoes is yet another important factor for extending the life of your walking boots. Removing the boot laces helps you reach corners that are normally folded away in the boot's tongue. This allows a more thorough clean. Also, removing the laces lets you spot any damage and see whether they might need to be replaced.

Following removal of the laces and the shoe inserts, utilize a brush and lukewarm running water to get rid of dirt from the walking boots. If they are heavily soiled it might be recommended to use specific shoe cleaning products. These can help lift the soil and also clean your shoe more effectively. When the shoes are cleaned, the leather will be in a state which means it is able to absorb water. Adding some sort of water resistant spray whilst the shoe still is damp should help safeguard the leather from water. This type of treatment is supplied in a can, and can be sprayed onto the shoe and, after being left to dry out completely, water will bead off. It's advised that footwear is left for 24 hours to dry out.

Adding a water based cream to the shoe can help the leather maintain its natural softness. Without it, the leather of the walking boot may become brittle and crack. This can cause damage to your hiking boot which cannot be repaired. Cream is better than oils or greases which can clog the pores of the leather and affect the breathability. Leather which has been clogged with oil or grease performs more like rubber wellies.

After this treatment, provide the boots with lots of time to dry out. Leaving them on some sort of radiator or heater, in your car, beside an open fireplace or even on the back step in sunlight should really be avoided. These can all damage the walking boot. Keeping the boots confined or in an area of high humidity, inside the boot of your car or perhaps in your garage, for instance, makes it possible for your boots to go mouldy. Mould and mildew will not help your boots perform. Allow your Walking Boots to breathe and they'll continue to keep performing for you.

I have heard so many people moaning about their boots and how they are developing faults. Many become stiff and brittle and uncomfortable to walk in. But if their owners had simply given them some real care and attention, these boots would still be going strong! With just a little bit of time and some simple treatments, you can genuinely help your boots last longer and delay the day where you have to get a replacement pair.




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