Thread: Lowa boots waterproofing

Bought into the hunting show propaganda and bought a pair of Lowas. Very impressed with the comfort of them but i still seem to get wet feet on a rainy days hunting. Can't decide if the water is working it's way in or working it's way through the gaiters and wicking down my socks.
The leather doesn't seem to repel the water even after spraying on the fancy expensive lowa waterproofing spray.
Does everyone else use the recommend manufacturers spray?
I've used hubbards shoe grease on my bestards for years and that seemed pretty good, but lowa seem adamant that this is not recommend.
What's everyone else using? Would hate to wreck the new boots at the eye watering price if them.

I used hubberds and some other waterproofing on my lowas but it made the glue on the rand come undone and the rand fell off over a number of years. This exposes the stiching and the stichingwsars through.

What model lowa

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Camino gtx. Didn't need the full on tibets for the central north island

I've always just used the Active cream with no issues.
I would say the water runs down your legs

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A few points to note.

One is that the waterproofing of your Camino GTX and other similar boots works differently to the traditional leather + wax system. It's a membrane between the outer and liner, so it should keep the water out* even when the boot leather wets out completely. The spray is just a DWR (durable water repellency) designed to slow this down but not prevent it completely.

Secondly, the membrane is designed to be breathable (allowing moisture vapour to escape). This relies on the outer being porous, hence the nubuck finish. Applying a wax to this clogs the pores and kills the breathability.

Thirdly, Lowa advises against using natural products like beeswax, as they can dissolve the adhesives used on modern boots with rands etc. (as @stug found out). As well as waterproofing, traditional wax products keep the leather moist and supple, so that's what the Active Cream is for.

Fourthly, the GoreTex membrane is not bulletproof and will develop cracks over time, so there may come a point where your boots still have some physical life left in them but have lost some waterproofing properties. For this reason some people prefer a traditional approach without a membrane. I'd still be cautious about beeswax-based products though for the reason outlined above.

* There's a great big hole in the top of your boot that you can't do much about if you still want to be able to wear them though. Well-fitting gaiters can slow down water ingress. I can run through a shallow stream in my Lowas and stay totally dry if I don't give the water time to work its way between the gaiters and my legs & boots, but again it's only a matter of time before it gets in and wicks down your socks.

Hope that helps.

I'm just constantly disappointed by boots to be honest.

I'm yet to be convinced there is such thing as a waterproof boot. I'm also left wondering why I'd bother. It's one stream crossing away from being wet anyway.

I'm also yet to be convinced that any of the leather conditioning or waterproofing products will last more than a day in wet grass let alone a stream crossing or two. I've religiously applied numerous products and by the end of a day there's no sign of it being applied. I still get splitting and cracking evident in the flex zones.

I simply don't think there is any boot or product that is made to cope with the way we use boots in NZ which means they are frequently, if not constantly wet.

I'm going to try faster drying, lighter, and partially synthetic boots next time I buy as I've spent a lot of money on boots over the years and to be honest, all leather boots have the same issues no matter the price. They don't like being wet and then dried, and then wet, etc. etc. Doesn't matter if you treat them in between. I've also decided I've got better things to do as my boots are used several times a week and most weekends, and they appear to constantly need cleaning and treating.

I got crispi nevadas recently and finally have dry feet. I tried sealing the tongue of my lowas with silicone but still couldn’t stop water getting in.I think you just have to go heavy full leather for waterproofing and accept that if they do get wet they won’t dry out. Synthetic and gortex just won’t cut it in my experience, once it’s overwhelmed by water it’s all over.

A few of us just use low cut or trail shoes now for short trips or to supplement boots during river travel.

I liken it to finding gloves that are waterproof, warm, dexterous, wind proof and light. That combo just won’t ever exist.

Well...there you go. I thought that once I had the big dollar boots that my days of wet feet were over! But no.. still getting wet feet. Maybe I need to upgrade my gaiters to something a bit more water resistant

Find a pair of neoprene gaiters (or wetsuit off cut). Used them for ages with my meind island pros and as long as your socks don't protrude like a wick above the gaiters, and the gaiters seal around your calf and onto the boot, you have dry feet in river crossings all day long.

Originally Posted by Kimber 7mm-08

Find a pair of neoprene gaiters (or wetsuit off cut). Used them for ages with my meind island pros and as long as your socks don't protrude like a wick above the gaiters, and the gaiters seal around your calf and onto the boot, you have dry feet in river crossings all day long.

They do work well for that, but the flipside is they hold a lot more sweat in the boot in my experience.

Originally Posted by Ned

They do work well for that, but the flipside is they hold a lot more sweat in the boot in my experience.

Yes, that's true. I should have added that bit. A decent sock choice will help. Generally only wear the neoprene gaiters when I'm expecting frequent river crossings. Most times normal gaiters provide enough barrier for my meindl boots.

After 45 + years of hunting and working in boots all day I can confidently say waterproof boots are as rare as rocking horse shit. As stated in another thread, just suck it up and deal with it. Boots walk dry after a while if they can breathe.

I think Lowa's warranty is voided if you used any product on them other than a Lowa approved one.

Fancy boot lotion it is then....