Shoe care products for walking boots and outdoor shoes
Walking boots, multisport shoes and trekking boots become increasingly dirty during regular outdoor use, so thorough shoe cleaning is necessary from time to time. Coarse dirt can be removed easily with a soft brush and a little water. After this, selecting shoe care products then depends on the material of your hiking and trekking shoes.
For classic leather boots, high-quality shoe wax from Nikwax or Fibertec is the best choice. Leather wax or liquid care products for leather make the leather soft and supple again and prevent cracks and small tears from forming in the leather in the long term. At the same time, the shoe wax allows the fine pores in the leather to continue to breathe. Leather grease, on the other hand, is not so suitable for the care of walking shoes, as it clogs the pores and can also dissolve glued joints.
Shoe wax, shoe creams or dry treatment?
A product that is optimal for the care of leather shoes literally clogs the pores of outdoor shoes with mesh fabric. So with combinations of leather and mesh, waxing and waterproofing should be done with some care. Shoes made of pure synthetic material therefore do not require the somewhat more time-consuming waxing.
Walking boots and outdoor shoes made of mesh fabric with TPU reinforcements can be easily sprayed with an appropriate DWR spray after basic cleaning with lukewarm water. This reactivates the water-repellent and dirt-repellent effect on the surface of the multisport shoes, light hillwalking shoes and trail running shoes.
Regular shoe cleaning
It is not absolutely necessary to clean the walking boots intensively after every mountain tour. Regular cleaning and occasional treatment with shoe wax will provide sustainable durability for your outdoor boots in the long term. It pays to use good walking boot care products, because well-fitting and perfectly worn-in walking boots are worth their weight in gold when hillwalking.