Waterproof Hiking Boots: How to Stay Dry on Any Trek for the Life of Your Shoes

On any trek from a small day hike to a multi-day tramp, you want your feet to stay dry and toasty for many reasons:

• Comfort—Let’s face it. Soggy shoes and socks just feel plain yucky and can take the pleasure out of any hike.
• Fungus—Wet skin in closed conditions equals fungus paradise. Good for fungi, bad for you.
• Blisters—Wet socks are likely to cause blisters, especially when your skin is softened with all that water that got in your shoes!
• Damage—If water is in your hiking boots, something’s not working right. Water inside can deteriorate the materials, like leather and glues. Take ‘em off and air dry as soon as you can.

What to Look for in Waterproof Hiking Boots

Many hiking boots on the market are made to be waterproof. The heavier the boot, the more likely it is to totally block out the water, but weight does not necessarily mean water resistance.
Even lightweight hiking shoes come with a waterproof membrane using materials like Gore Tex.

The tradeoff with many waterproof hiking shoes is that you lose some of the breathability. If you can find a good combination of waterproof and breathable, you have a versatile, comfortable boot.

I like to admire the construction of hiking boots. When I see the boot wrapped at least up to the bottom of the ankle bone, with leather, suede, nubuck, or rubber, that tells me that I should be pretty safe in a couple inches of water.

But I also like to see some fabrics above this line, since that tells me the boot is going to be breathable. Many man-made fabrics in hiking boots are waterproof and breathable.

Remember that even boots that you buy waterproof will need some care to keep your feet dry and toasty for the life of your boots. For avid hikers, plan to waterproof your boots every season.

It’s easy to waterproof hiking boots and the whole process takes about 30 minutes. The next day, you feel like you almost have a new pair of hiking shoes!

Here’s How to Do It:

1. Water-based products, including silicone and wax. Most of these products are good for mixed materials, including leather, suede, and fabrics.
2. Oil-based. These are intended for full-grain leather. These may soften the leather too much and allow it to stretch, and may also darken the leather. (In general, I wouldn’t recommend them.)

Waterproofing products can make suede smooth and darken the appearance of leather and fabrics. They can also close the breathable pores in the membrane and make your boots airtight as well as watertight, so be careful with how much you douse on.

If you have a waterproof hiking boot like most on the market these days, with mixed materials including leathers, fabrics, rubber, or suede, pick up a good water-based product.

I like to use Nikwax Fabric and Leather Proof on my boots, and I’m going to use this in the next few steps. Nikwax uses a mixture of wax and polymers to provide a flexible water resistant and breathable layer. (Nikwax also makes a line of products for waterproofing clothing and gear.)

With a cloth, clean the remaining dirt with lukewarm water and a tiny amount of mild soap.

NEVER wash your boots in the washing machine, and don’t use harsh detergents. Doing either will damage the materials.

By the same token, NEVER dry your boots by putting in a drying machine, exposing to heat or placing near a fire.

Heat can “melt” the glues holding your shoes together, in addition to drying out the leather.

You want your boots to remain damp when you apply a water-based proofing product, since the moisture will help the product seep deep into the fibers.

Nikwax also makes a gel cleaner for footwear which cleans effectively and safely. Using this product, you won’t make the error of using a harsh soap.

For full leather, or boots with a good amount of leather (not suede) Nickwax makes a leather conditioner, which is essential for restoring the natural moisture to leather and to keep it from drying and cracking.

Step 3: Apply the waterproofing product. Depending on which waterproofing you buy, you may have a pump, spray, or sponge-on container.

Apply the product liberally to your clean and damp boot.

You should try to soak the nooks and crannies especially, as well as the joints and seams in the materials. These areas are where water can get in easiest.

Cover every millimeter of the outside of your boot, except for the rubber sole, of course.

Most of the product seeps into the fibers of the shoe’s upper, so generally there shouldn’t be too much to wipe off.

This step also helps to “buff” the product into the boot’s materials and create a good seal.



Step 5: Let your boots air dry overnight. Again, don’t use heat to dry your boots.

The next morning, your waterproof hiking boots are ready to hit the trails and shed away the H2O.

Test them out, and watch how the water beads up, even on fabrics.

When your boots start absorbing moisture instead of water beading up, repeat steps 2-5. (The Nikwax product used above lasts at least three times.)

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