Polishing GoreTex-treated leather boots

[Andrew Knox]

Bought a pair of Lowe gore-tex boots for alpine walking. The shop I bought
these boots said to wipe dirt off, scrub and let dry with water. And
occasionally use a waterproof protector spray.

I wonder - what would happen if you use Kiwi shoe polish on Gore-Tex treated
leather boots? Would the Gore-Tex protection "lose" its effects, thus the
boots become just plain ol' leather boots??

ta
- Andrew

(Did search the Lowe websites, but no e-mail addresses provided - seems they
don't want e-mails)

[Peter Clinch]

Andrew Knox wrote:
>
> Bought a pair of Lowe gore-tex boots for alpine walking. The shop I bought
> these boots said to wipe dirt off, scrub and let dry with water. And
> occasionally use a waterproof protector spray.
>
> I wonder - what would happen if you use Kiwi shoe polish on Gore-Tex treated
> leather boots? Would the Gore-Tex protection "lose" its effects, thus the
> boots become just plain ol' leather boots??

Goretex isn't a treatment, it's a fabric, in this case made into a liner
that is sewn into the boot below the leather. It should always be
waterproof, but if the pores in the fabric are blocked then it will stop
"breathing", or letting water vapour out, so your feet will get much
sweatier (and thus less comfortable and probably more prone to
blistering). By using a polish you may well risk blocking the pores as
the polish soaks through the leather over time. With coats, trousers
etc. in goretex you can just wash it to unblock the pores, but that
isn't really possible with a leather boot, so I'd just stick with the
shop's suggestion.

> (Did search the Lowe websites, but no e-mail addresses provided - seems they
> don't want e-mails)

I didn't think Lowe don't made boots: possibly Lowa, who definitely do?

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net p.j.c...@dundee.ac.uk http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

[Mike]

I would thought your boots would have a Gre-Tex lining i.e a layer of Gore and
then the layer of leather so buy polishing you not actually going to ruin the
Gore tex. I don't what you would do to the breathability though.

Andrew Knox wrote:

> Bought a pair of Lowe gore-tex boots for alpine walking. The shop I bought
> these boots said to wipe dirt off, scrub and let dry with water. And
> occasionally use a waterproof protector spray.
>
> I wonder - what would happen if you use Kiwi shoe polish on Gore-Tex treated
> leather boots? Would the Gore-Tex protection "lose" its effects, thus the
> boots become just plain ol' leather boots??
>

> ta
> - Andrew

>
> (Did search the Lowe websites, but no e-mail addresses provided - seems they
> don't want e-mails)

--
"Looking North West out over the Irish sea."

[John Pennifold]

I'd have thought that the more water you kept out of the boot, the better.
If you can stop it even getting as far as the Goretex I'd have thought that
was better than oceans of water sloshing about between the leather and
Goretex.

[Dave Wishart]

Usually the leather outers are treated with some form of water repellancy
(is that a accurate term) when you buy them but this will wear off after a
period of time. I use the Nikwax waterproofing liquid on my Meindles and it
seems to work a treat. The leather doesnt soak up any water whatsoever and
the gore-tex linings breathablity doesnt seem to be affected at all.
Stay dry out there,
Dave
Andrew Knox <auslan_n0sp0m@n0sp0m_rockclimbers.com> wrote in message
news:88ddo4$ke4$1...@bw107zhb.bluewin.ch...
> >
>
>
>

[Nick Isaac]

Treat the boots as simply leather boots, and you won't go too far wrong. The
basic problem with your nice goretex (fabric) lining is that your heel or
big toe will probably puncture it after a week or two's worth of walking, at
which stage you are simply left with a pair of leather boots which will keep
water out briefly but not completely. IMHO it is generally better to buy
whatever boots are comfortable (and appropriate for the season), and wear
goretex boot liners to keep your feet dry. At about £15 for a pair of
liners, you can afford to replace them considerably more often than a pair
of boots!

Regards,

Nick
Andrew Knox wrote in message <88ddo4$ke4$1...@bw107zhb.bluewin.ch>...

[Auslan]

Thanks to all those who replied...
- particularly Pete who pointed out its Lowa not Lowe who make those
boots. I have since got in touch with Lowa via e-mail. Their reply confirmed
those answers / replies that raised the issue of breathablity, etc...

In any case, I bought those boots not for their Gore-tex feature but for the
simple fact that it was the only one of some 7 different boots I tried that
fitted my feet snugly on the flat level and off the staircase steps (to
detect whether my feet would slide too much as if I was walking down steep
hills).

Lowa's reply: We would not recommend using polish on your boots. You should
use a silicone based liquid or spray instead. Your boots won't breathe
properly with polish. It can't impregnate the material and it will change
the appearance of the boots.

Most importantly... using a polish instead of a silicone based liquid or
spray voids your warranty."

- Andrew

[jujual...@gmail.com]

I have leather walking boots and use Nikwax waterproofing cream for leather. It's in a tube and works great for maintaining the breathability. It's about £10 from Amazon