A quality pair of winter boots can be the difference between having a good day and having a terrible day with cold, wet toes. Of course, to ensure your feet stay warm and dry and to help the longevity of your shoes, you’ve got to do some prepping at home. You may assume weatherizing your boots means hitting them one time with a waterproof spray, but Los Angeles-based shoemaker and leatherworker Devin Anders says real weatherizing takes more frequent maintenance.
“Leather is skin and like your own skin, it needs to be taken care of!” Anders told HuffPost. “The wet, cold and particularly salt [for de-icing] can really do a number on your favorite boots!”
According to Anders, when caring for winter boots, you want to pay attention to dehydration and deformation. Jim Mcfarland, a fourth-generation shoe cobbler at McFarland’s Shoe Repair in Lakeland, Florida, and creator of the popular TikTok page America’s Cobbler, agreed, noting that keeping your boots polished and conditioned helps them stay weatherproofed.
To help you keep your winter boots warm and dry, Anders, McFarland and other cobblers shared their best tips.
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Anders explained that saddle soap is a combination cleaner and polish, which will help break through dirt and grime and help smooth over scuffs.
Anders recommends Lexol leather conditioner. "For easiest application, mix it in a small travel-size spray bottle with a bit of water (just to get it sprayable) and then you can just mist the whole boot!" she said. "This is not a daily or weekly task, just if you notice the leather is looking/feeling a bit dry, this will nourish it."
"Angelus sells a silicone waterproofing liquid that comes with a dauber in the bottle for easy, less messy application," she said.
Roger LaGrone, founder of the bespoke shoe line Alexander Noel, also recommends a silicone-based spray for repelling water and protecting against stains.
"Applying these treatments regularly, especially before exposure to harsh weather, helps maintain the leather's integrity and enhances its moisture resistance," LaGrone said.
"This will keep your shoes dry when they get wet and you only have to spray maybe every six months," he said.
We like this highly-rated beeswax leather conditioner, restorer and polish made from British beeswax. It's biodegradable, hand-poured in Wales and softens your leather as it cleans and protects it.
(Note that this product may cause lighter-colored leather to take on a darker shade.)
If you really want to be on top of it, LaGrone recommends carrying a microfiber cloth when it's raining or snowing "to wipe away excess moisture and shield your boots from water stains."
LaGrone added that shoe trees help boots keep their shape, promote air circulation and can stop mold or mildew from forming.
Though you certainly could stick your boots in front of a fan, we think this boot dryer is a fun gadget — and it has some pretty good reviewer ratings.
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