Hiking Boots: Cleaning, Care, and Maintenance of your Most Important Piece of Hiking Equipment

If you live in a cold climate long enough you know what it does to your leather. However, a few helpful techniques for leather cleaning and leather care can help you to preserve the life of your most important piece of hiking equipment. The right amount of preparation for leather care is only half the battle. This is true especially between your leather shoes and a full winter onslaught of Mother Nature. Preparing to treat your shoes might seem pointless but once you consider the conditions that your shoes have to withstand you’ll think twice and more then like want to winterize all your shoes.

If you’ll apply  leather conditioners, like Huberds Shoe Grease at least once before you step outside you’ll give your shoes a good defense against salt, moisture, grime, and cold.  Remember to allow your shoes their preliminary cleaning and drying  they require.  

Always try and remember when you come in from the winter weather to immediately brush off your shoes. It often helps if you keep a brush or a rag by the door for just this occasion. The longer the snow and salts stay on your shoes the more damage sets into your leather shoes, and the harder it will be to maintain the leather over time. Sweat and smelling feet are always an issue and is more so in the winter weather. If you can afford it, buy some antibacterial or antimicrobial socks. However, regular socks are fine as long as you use a talcum powder or deodorizing foot sprays before putting them on.

Winter is going to happen. There is no way around it, plain and simple. So in order to keep your prized leather shoes intact and in good condition, your best defense is being prepared. You know winter is coming so there isn’t any reason that you can’t get ready weeks before hand by purchasing leather cleaning and conditioning products to take care of your winter shoes.