Caring for your LOWA Boots
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Dirt and moisture have little effect on LOWA boots if they are properly cared for...
The right kind of care can significantly lengthen the lifespan of your boots.
Leather is a natural raw material which needs to be cared for. Real
leather is like a second skin. In order to maintain leather‘s
exceptional qualities, proper care is vital. The photograph
shows LOWA boots after hard use in open country. The
boots are wet and the leather is covered in dirt.
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First, remove the in-sole and laces
The boots should be allowed to air properly and dry out
after each and every use. It is good to remove the in-soles
and laces to open them up fully and allow them to dry. The
in-sole absorbs a lot of moisture, which will dissipate and
dry much quicker outside of the boot. This is important to
remember on multi-day trips. In an ideal world, leather
boots should be dried out for 24 hours before they are
worn again.
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Removing dirt from leather boots
Once the in-soles and laces have been removed, the dirt
must be removed from the leather. For heavily soiled
boots, a specialist shoe cleaning product that will also
remove the toughest dirt, is advised. For normal levels of
dirt, brushing it off under lukewarm running water will
suffice. When using cleaning products, make sure you
impregnate them thoroughly afterwards (Cleaning products
open the leather “pores” and impregnation closes them
again).
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Remove the dirt from the leather with lukewarm water
Brush the boots thoroughly so that the leather can breathe
again and its properties are revived. Lukewarm soap suds
are usually a good substitute for specialist cleaning
products and can also be used to clean the in-soles. You
will see how the water is instantly absorbed by the leather.
The leather is now in an unprotected state.
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To protect the leather from water, it must be waterproofed.
The cleaned boots are still very “open-pored” and will soak
up water even more due to the application of cleaning
products. In order to “close” the leather again, an
impregnating spray should first be used when they are still
damp. Impregnating the leather prevents water absorption. The
leather still keeps its breathing properties. Smooth or
waxed leathers are easier to care for than nubuk or suede
and more resistant to water and dirt.
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The leather should regularly have cream applied to it to maintain and protect it
Once your boots have been water-proofed they should
also regularly have a wax-cream or wax-emulsion rubbed
or polished into them (with a brush), especially when they
have had a soaking. Water together with dirt, washes away
some of the leather’s properties. If these substances are
not replaced in the form of a care-cream, the leather will
dry out and eventually break up. The leather boot would
then be irreparably damaged. Hard leather is also not
flexible and pulls against the seams.
Using a hairdryer for some light heat will improve the
absorption of the cream into the leather. Real leather only
keeps its shape and stays flexible and hardy, when
additional care products are used.
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After the cream has been applied, the boots need to be given ample time to dry.
Never place boots to dry on a radiator, too near to the
oven, in a car windscreen or in the trunk. Wet leather
“burns” very easily (it becomes brittle and shrinks). This
often results in irreparable rips in the leather where it
creases when walking. Hooks and rivets also get pulled to
bad effect.
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Using care creams on nubuk and suede
Boots in nubuk and suede, which have had ample use,
also need to be treated with water so that they do not dry
out. Here, we also recommend using a wax-based cream,
which can be applied with a sponge. These kinds of
creams are more liquid and are less likely to clog up the
leather than creams with a high wax content.
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Using fats and oils
Fat, and especially oil, make the leather very supple and
virtually water-proof, but the boots’ support structure is
compromised and the leather pores close up, meaning it is
no longer breathable (the gumboot effect).
Please take into consideration that the surface of nubuk
and suede leathers becomes smoother and more shiny
when cream is used. Use a soft brush to rub in the wax
cream thoroughly. Brushing also generates warmth, which
helps with the absorption of the cream into the leather.
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Maintaining the look of nubuk and suede
The surface of nubuk and suede leather becomes
smoother and more shiny (darker) after the application of
wax-cream. A wire suede brush can be used to lift the pile
again but it will never have the exact same look as when it
was new.
Gentle brushing with a wire brush can freshen up the
nubuk and suede that has been clogged by the wax
application. This not necessary on smooth leather.
The picture clearly shows the difference between the
brushed area and the un-brushed area.
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Once the wax has been absorbed into the leather, the
boots should again be treated with a water-proofing agent.
The water-proofing agent will only take full effect 24 hours
after it has been applied. 2-3 weeks later, the waterproofing
also loses some of its effect. Ideally you should
treat your boots again one day before you use them.
Impregnating the leather maintains its breathing properties.
The leather does not soak up water and is also less prone
to dirt sticking to it. Furthermore, the layer of wax also
prevents sharp stones or rock faces from damaging the
leather. Dry leather on the other hand is more easily
scuffed and damage is quicker.
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Testing the care procedure of real leather
If your boots are properly waxed and treated, water will
form droplets as shown in the photograph. This means that
the leather is perfectly protected.
If your boots are successful in this test, then you can
congratulate yourself on looking after the leather properly.
The right kind of care can significantly lengthen the lifespan
of your boots.
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Storing your Lowa boots
The best place to store leather boots is in a shoe bag or
box, in a dry, well-aired place. A wooden boot tree will help
keep their shape. Never store wet boots in damp rooms or
in the car. They will get mouldy! Wooden boot trees will
help them keep their shape and prevent any creases in the
leather.
If your boots are still damp, we recommend you stuff some
newspaper into the toe box. The newspaper will absorb
them moisture and also helps keep the shape. The
newspaper should then be changed every day until the
boots have dried out.
If you regularly care for your leather boots in this way, then
they should give you many years of joy. We wish you all
the very best in your outdoor pursuits.
Your LOWA Service Team
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