Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Boot waterproofing?

Just bought a pair of Danner Recurve Moc toe uninsulated boots. They r a full leather boot with a nylon upper. I want to condition them right off the bat before I wear them to start breaking them in. They r super comfortable and light and is the reason I picked them up. Got them for my trip to Africa next year. Not sure if I need a leather conditioner/wax on the leather then a silicon spray for the nylon upper? Or just spray the whole boot? They do have a Gortex liner and are waterproof but want the added waterproofing security. Curious what u guys recommend?


Thanks Roy

Bear fat

I would put a quality leather conditioner on them. I’m partial to Montana Pitch Blend and Schnee’s. Pitch blend has a unique pine pitch smell. I like it. Both of them slightly darken leather. I’ve also used Crispi leather conditioner which doesn’t darken. Kenetrek boot wax is good too.

Why ask a bunch of people that you don’t know what they think they know? A simple call to Danner would be your best bet.

I had a problem with some Zamberlan boots and talked to their CS, they recommended a spray waterproofing and I went with their suggestion.

My dad always said “ there are two kinds of people that work on watches, jewelers and idiots” the same thing applies to all manner of men related topics. Look for a jeweler when you want your watch fixed…

Silicone on nylon and Sno proof on leather.

Exactly. Call Danner.

When the topic of boot dressings come up all sorts of recipes will get thrown out that will stretch from cougar piss to wax toilet rings. Who would have ever guessed that greasing a boot would be so complex?

I guess I will go against the grain (yet again) and somewhat support getting info off this forum vs Danner Customer Service. I just called Danner and got the ultra annoying, though usual automated response, to which I then pushed a few buttons and was on hold for a few minutes just to get the normal "we are experiencing longer than normal wait time" spiel.

One never knows and a person could get the same uninformed person at Danner's CS that they could get here or any other forum. A lot of CS representatives no nothing about the product they're working for, just like with any other company. The difference is here if a poster is someone who has traditionally given decent advice, one could presume it is again decent advice.

For me, many, many spray waterproofing brands haven't worked at all. It may last a day or so in mildly moist conditions. I have gone to rubbing a leather conditioner on any leather part at first, then waxing the hell out of every seam. Half way through the season I will unlace the boot, scrub the heck out of every nook and cranny with a brush, then rewax the hell out of it. It is the only thing I have found to work well and yes, the crapper wax ring is what I use, as opposed to a wax made (or should I say: labeled) specifically for boot waterproofing.

I'd cut out the CS person and check their website as a first step. Manufacturers have written recommendations for different boots depending on materials. You can get a CS person who thinks they know more than they do, but usually what's in writing is accurate.

I've used the toilet wax ring deal on many work boots and hunting boots over the last 15 - 20 yrs.

Heat up and melt the wax with a paint stripper heat gun, slobber it onto the boot and apply the gun to the boot to drive in the wax. It's amazing how much wax some boots will soak up. It's cheap and works very well. No need to change it up for me.

Gore-Tex here

My hunting boots are gore-tex. I wax the leather over that.

First, I agree with others in using/considering what the maker recommends. Outside of that, I've had good success with Montana Pitch and Obenauf's, but I just use Obenauf's now.

Been using SnoSeal 45-50 years on leather. No complaints.

flexseal......

as a pole climber for 35 years in dry , wet, hot , cold conditions i always climbed with tall leather expensive climbing boots " we called snake boots " i treated these boots heavy with Neats foot oil once a year i could get about 2 - 3 years out of a pair of boots, this brand oil on my boots kept my boots from roting the leather and all the sewing tread too. another important thing is drying your boots every nite from your all day sweat too.never had much problem with wet boots .

I use two pairs of work boots and alternate one day to the next. Always have dry boots the next day and no more stinky boots.

that`s great to be able to have two pair of boots , but when i was young with a young family and wearing the best boot for climbing pole work i could only afford in those days one good pair of West Coast climbing boots for a while, then after a while i was able to have the old pair of boots rebuilt by West Coast. this type of boot is expensive but they fit and feel great for the long days on climbers we called hooks ,i shot many deer with a bow wearing my climbing boots after work in my homemade deer stands up in the air 15-20 feet.

Obenaufs LP is what I use and it works very well

I have used Pecard's shoe and boot oil for years with great results.
https://pecard.com/shop/classic/leather-boot-shoe-care/