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Look after your boots and they will look after you!
Always refer to the manufacturers boot cleaning guidelines and the cleaning product guidelines.
There are three elements to footwear maintenance:
1) Cleaning, 2) Drying and 3) Retreating.
Cleaning
Regularly:
Wash the outside of the boot in the same way but remove the laces for a thorough job and wash them in a little soapy water.
Remove the footbeds and wash these in the same way (be careful with custom made footbeds/orthotics as these may not be washable).
Very occasionally with fabric lined boots and boots with waterproof breathable linings (Gore-Tex, Sympatex etc) the inside of the boot should be washed out with lukewarm water or a dilute solution of mild soap. This is not only good for hygiene, but will prolong the life of the lining by removing abrasive grit particles from the membrane’s surface.
On leather lined boots wipe out the inside with a damp cloth.
Wash the outside surface of the boots in cold/lukewarm water using a soft nylon bristle brush to remove dirt. The kind that you would use to clean your dishes with is ideal. This is particularly important if the boots are dirty with peaty mud and/or farmyard muck as these can accelerate the degradation of the upper.
Rinse carefully.
Try to pay attention to any nooks and crannies that dirt can get trapped in, such as the folds on the tongue.
On heavily soiled fabrics you can add a little mild soap (something like Nikwax Techwash is ideal) but don’t use washing-up liquid as this may strip off any existing water-repellen
finish.
Remove the footbeds and tip out any debris from inside the boots.
Wipe out the inside of leather lined boots with a damp cloth.
Drying
Dry your boots at room temperature only! Do not dry boots in-front of a fire, on-top of a radiator, in direct strong sunlight or near any other strong heat source. Excessive heat may irreversibly damage your boots.
A bit of air movement will help speed things up.
If the inside is wet, drip dry upside-down. Once the worst of the moisture is out you can stuff with successive batches of dry newspaper or use a reusable drying kit such as the ‘Dryzone Dampire’.
Re-treating
Smooth leather finishes:
Remove the laces and apply a thin coating of your chosen proofing wax. A few examples of excellent products are Scarpa HS12 cream, Alt-berg Leder-Gris and Nikwax Waterproofing Wax for Leather. Ensure you get into all of the nooks and crannies in the folds of the tongue and around the eyelets. Pay particular attention to the ‘flex zone’ at the forefoot and apply a coat of wax to all metal eyelets/lace-hooks as this will help to prevent corrosion.
A quick and effective way to apply hard waxes and creams is with a traditional bristle shoe-shine brush (these can be bought cheaply and most shoe shops and supermarkets).
Water based products can be applied to a clean damp or dry boot and some waxes may optionally be applied to slightly damp surfaces but if in doubt apply to clean, dry boots only.
On boots with waterproof breathable linings avoid old fashioned ‘dubbins’ and tinned waxes as these can clog the lining and adversely effect breathability. Some waxes can also damage the gluing on modern boots. (Outside only sells waxes which are safe on breathable linings and have been tested thoroughly by ourselves).
On leather lined boots apply a very sparing quantity of leather conditioner to the lining inside (you could use a tiny amount of most common proofing waxes).
Nubuck, Suede and reversed leather finishes:
For best waterproof performance these can be treated in the same way as smooth leather surfaces, however hard waxes and creams will darken and smooth the appearance of leather.
To maintain a matt finish a proofing spray designed specifically for suede finishes must be used, we recommend Grangers footwear proof aerosol. Water based products such as Nikwax Fabric and Leather Proof can be applied to a clean damp or dry boot but otherwise apply to clean, dry boots only.
Fabric and fabric/leather combinations:
Use only spray applied proofing products specifically formulated for fabric/leather footwear such as Grangers Footwear Proofer aerosol and Nikwax Fabric and Leather Proof.
All finishes:
Remove the laces first so that you can reach all nooks crannies and folds on the upper. Allow the proofing product to dry fully before you use the boots again.
Further care:
Scuffs on leather boots can be treated with a coloured shoe polish to restore the lost colour, finish after with a coat of proofing wax.
Small sections of loose sole unit or rubber rand can be reattached with ‘Mc Nett Freesole’ urethane formula shoe adhesive (clean the area with methylated spirit or similar to remove all traces of wax first).
There are several excellent specialist repairers that can fix anything from a broken eyelet to a full refurbishment and resole at reasonable cost. Feet First of Chesterfield come highly recommended. Alt-berg boots are best returned to the Richmond factory for expert after-sales service.
