Looking After Walking Boots - the Eco Friendly Way
Arms up - I’ve never valued walking boots enough to properly look after them. I never really saw the point, boots would only last me a season and then I’d have to buy a new pair anyway.
I’ve no idea why it took me so long to realise I’d been doing it wrong - invest in a good pair, look after them and you have years of adventuring together with them. Less wasteful, you value them more and you look after your feet.
So, having sold some old clothes I had collected enough to invest in a pair of Scarpa boots and we had a merry old time breaking them in in Dartmoor (said with a slight grimace). But as the season turned and the terrain got wet I started to think about how I was going to care for my boots throughout the winter season.
Monty and I walk every day without fail (unless one of us is ill) so I knew these boots would be out through their paces and we’re now in Feb after what feels like the longest and wettest winter and my boots are fighting fit. So I wanted to write a post on how I’ve been looking after them using conscious products.
I want to highlight that none of these products have been gifted not have I received any payment for mentioning them here, I bought with my own money and am endorsing them on my own experience.
Good practices for healthy boots
Products aren’t the only thing that are going to keep your boots in good nick - in fact what’s perhaps more important is how you keep your boots.
Golden rule number 1: don’t leave your boots in the boot of your car. When you go in the house take them with you and try and brush mud off as soon as you can. If I’ve been on a muddy walk I try and find a puddle to kick about in to clean them off a bit.
Never put your boots on a radiator, especially when they are covered in mud - it’s tempting to dry it out but the mud will crack and the leather will follow. A better practice is to gently wipe the mud off and then place on the floor in a hallway or if you’re really going to need to dry them off for the next day they can sit on the floor under a radiator but I would suggest keeping a keen eye out for any dry looking boots.
In the winter months you should aim to try and care for your boots once a week - this means giving them a good clean and treating with cream which I’ll chat more about in a mo.
Cleaning and treating
As mentioned above, in winter months care for your boots little and often. And in the dryer months I tend to go in for a fortnightly treatment unless they are looking very dry.
First off, using a soft bristled brush, remove mud from your boots and make sure you get into the laced area too - you may have to remove the laces for this.
Then you’ll need a cleaner to really get those stubborn bits of dirt out the leather. I use Liquiproof Eco-Cleaner to cleanup my boots. It’s an amazing product - the enzymes get right into the leather pulling up engrained dirt and the product is made from biodegradable and cruelty free ingredients. Another alternative is from another of my favourite brands Attirecare - you can see their shoe cleaning kit here.
Once your boots are looking squeaky clean you’ll need to leave them for a little while to dry off a bit before you treat them. I used to use Scarpa’s HS12 to treat my boots but I can’t find any information about the ingredients except it’s silicone based. I wasn't satisfied with this on an eco or cruelty free level so I now use Liquiproofs Leather Nourisher but a note here for vegans - this does contain beeswax so if that is a factor for you you may prefer the Protector which is made from a natural silicon dioxide.
I use a clean microfibre cleaner to treat and with boots it’s best to spend a bit of time massaging the treatment in and try not to overuse.
