How to Care For Your Walking Boots

Caring for your walking boots will mean they perform better and last longer. Whether they're full-grain leather, nubuck, or synthetic, knowing how to clean, treat and reproof walking boots will keep them in great condition. If you notice water is soaking into the outer fabric rather than beading off, it's time to give your walking boots some TLC.

Follow our step-by-step guide to treating and re-waterproofing your walking boots.

You will need:

• A soft nylon scrubbing brush, a sponge and a cloth.
• A footwear cleaner such as Granger's Gear Cleaner
• Footwear Proofer / Conditioner
  - For full leather boots – Granger's G Wax
  - For nubuck or suede boots – Grangers Footwear Repel Plus
  - For Synthetic Boots – Granger's Footwear Repel

How to care for your walking boots

Step 1

Lightly scrub your boots with a soft nylon brush to remove any chunks of mud.

Step 2

Apply Granger’s Gear Cleaner Spray liberally and carefully scrub your boots until they’re clean.

Step 3

Wipe off any cleaner residue with a damp cloth.

Step 4

For Full Leather Boots

Allow full-grain leather boots to dry naturally before applying Granger's G-Wax or Nikwax Waterproof Wax/Cream. These products condition and reproof the leather. This prevents it from drying out and cracking. Both options are effective and easy to apply. Simply rub and buff the G-Wax into the leather evenly using a cloth or use the nozzle sponge (Nikwax). Be sure to get the wax or cream into any cracks or seams in the leather. But take care not to over-treat the upper parts of the boot. Over-conditioned leather can become too soft, losing its support.

For Suede / Nubuck boots

A beeswax-based treatment such as Grangers G Wax will nourish and protect all kinds of leather. This will maintain performance and prolong the life of your boots. However, these treatments will change the appearance of suede and nubuck. To avoid this, use a treatment such as Grangers Footwear Repel Plus. This preserves the original texture of the leather. Apply Grangers Footwear Repel Plus to your boots while they are still damp. Ensure the surface is given an even coating and leave them for two minutes to absorb the treatment. Wipe off any excess and allow it to dry naturally.

If your boots are synthetic/hybrid

It is important to apply a reproofer to synthetic boots while they are still damp after cleaning. This will help the proofer soak into the material so the protection will last longer.

Apply Granger’s Footwear Repel (spray-on).

Allow the boots to dry naturally. Avoid speeding up the drying process by heating them as this can damage boots, causing materials to crack or adhesives to split. Methods of speeding up natural drying time include stuffing them with newspaper, or placing socks filled with (clean) cat litter inside.