The cold temperature, shorter daylight hours with beauty, and challenges of snow and ice define the winter weather.
Whether you enjoy the snowfall on the mountains or fight the coldness of your outdoor workplace, your warm leather boots are your first defense against harsh cold.
However, without care, winter conditions such as snow, road salt, and moisture can take a toll on your precious leather boots, leaving them dry, cracked, and worn out before the season ends.
In this guide, I will assist you how in preparing your boots for the harsh winter weather with my personally experienced leather care treatment. Moreover, I will share practical tips to make boot care in winter easy. Let’s dive into the details.
How Does Winter Impact Your Leather Boots?
The harmful impacts of winter weather can badly damage your favorite leather boots, making it compulsory to protect them during the season.
The snow, ice, and slush are the by-products of winter that soak into the boot body, weakening it over time.
Clogging, dryness, and eventual cracking of leather can change boot shape. Additionally, road salt and chemicals in the winter show up in the form of white stains that cause dryness in the leather, causing stiffness and complete damage if kept unaddressed.
Continuous care can increase the lifespan of your leather boots while maintaining their style, comfort, and shine.
Step-by-Step Guide for Winter Protection of Leather Boots
It is important to adopt an experienced guide to protect your leather shoes. Follow these simple steps to prepare your boots for winter:
➜ Step 1: Determine the Use of Leather Boot
First, decide on leather boots to use. You will use them either for work wear (Construction, farming, or manufacturing), outdoor activities (Hiking,Trekking, Hunting, and Camping), or Fashion or style (casual wear, formal or semi-formal events).
For casual wear at family events or households, you only need a good leather care lotion to nourish your leather boots to avoid cracking.
You need proper waterproofing care and protection if you want to use them for outdoor work involving harsh environments, slush, and puddle-like conditions.
➜ Step 2: Clean Your Leather Boots
Next, clean your leather boot to free it from dust, debris, and mud. Boot leather has natural pores that get clogged up with all this contamination. You can use the Complete Leather Cleaning Kit from MY SHOE SUPPLIES for unsoiled leather boots.
It will have a waffle weave premium towel to remove contaminants. Then, use the saddle soap applicator brush to apply all-natural saddle soap for cleaning and conditioning leather boots.
The saddle soap carries lanolin that will comprehensively nourish leather boots, avoid cracking, and protect its natural beauty and finish while cleaning.
➜ Step 3: Maintain the Leather Moisture
The third step of leather boot winter preparation is to moisturize and condition. Otherwise, dryness, cracking, and clogging will decrease the life span.
Since leather is a skin with natural pores, using oil for moisturizing is not a correct approach because it will clog the pores and decrease their life.I use Eagle Leather Lotion to moisturize my leather boots.
It’s a premium leather care product in 8.5 OZ packing and an applicator cloth. You can use it on a variety of leather types except suede.
Its smooth application protects the leather of all items against cracking, drying, and fading, increasing its lifespan.
➜ Step 4: Apply a Waterproofing Wax
Now, protect your leather boots in winter using an effective waterproofing wax. From my experience, I can recommend the Eagle Leather Boot Waterproofing Wax.
It is made of Natural ingredients such as Beeswax Conditioner & Sealer to provide snow seal waterproofing for all types of leather boots.
This 4oz (120mL) tin will provide a substantial quantity of wax to apply in repetition to avoid water, stains, and wear in your leather shoes.
➜ Step 5: Continuous Protection and Maintenance
The high dryness of winter is not good for a leather product. It is totally subjective how often and where you use your leather boots. You will repeat all the above steps, such as cleaning, moisturizing, and waxing throughout the season to avoid clogging, dryness, and clogging on your leather boots.
Tips for Maintenance of Leather Boots
Follow these practical tips to protect your leather boots from winter damage:
➜ Store Your Leather Boots Properly
When the winter season is gone, store leather boots in a clean, cool, and dry place in a breathable bag to save them from dust and humidity.
➜ Wear Boots in Rotation
Do not wear the same pair of boots every day. Instead, give it an off-time to avoid moisture build-up. It will help them to dry, recover, and increase their life span.
➜ Maintain Boot Shape
Use boot shapers or rolled-up newspapers to Keep your leather boot upstanding and crease-free. It will maintain its original shape and remove wrinkles.
➜ Polish Leather Boots Regularly
Always polish the leather boots to increase shine and shield against environmental impacts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: How to make winter boots more comfortable?
Wearing thick soaks will secure your feet from cold and provide comfort in the boots, making them like a tight glove.
Q2: How can I deep clean and moisturize my winter leather boots?
You can do it using this complete leather cleaning kit. It includes saddle soap, an applicator brush, and a cleaning towel.
Q3: What is the best waterproofing wax for leather boots available online?
The Eagle Leather Boot Waterproofing Wax is the best product available online. I have personally used it and found great results.
Q4: What is the reason my feet stay cool in winter boots?
The cold temperature, moisture, and sometimes sweat are the main causes of cool feet in leather boots.
Q5: Can heat damage my boots?
Yes, it can. Warm temperatures dry the leather and its stitching, making it hard and brittle and reducing leather fiber strength.
