Best waterproofing for leather?

[R3XXY]

Hi BCUK, can anyone advise on what is the best waterproofing treatment for leather?

I bought some of the Obenauf's Heavy Duty LP on the strength of its reviews but it doesn't seem to work at all, I applied enough to sink a battleship to my timberland boots and they still wet out, the water doesn't bead, and I've slapped a ton of it on some suede trainers that I use for mountain biking in, and it appears to have had no effect at all. Am I using the wrong product or am I missing something?

 

[Macaroon]

https://www.altberg.co.uk/leder-gris/

I don't know anything about the product you mention but I do know this stuff is great and has never let me down. Be aware though that suede requires it's own treatment, usually some kind of spray-on stuff from the likes of Nikwax.

 

[Mowmow]

Sude needs different treatment to full grain leather.
It may not be the treatment but the construction of your boots, i.e the way theyre made, some will be more suited to wet weather than others, things like bellowed tongues, etc help.
Also
Check for any loose stitching, splits in the sole and where the upper meets the sole, any ventilation or bits not constructed from the leather.

I use some beeswax leather grease mixed with tar pine resin, its the best stuff ive used for waterproofing boots that are gonna be used in some terrible weather and ground conditions so far, like weeks of sludge and mud above the ankles. The mixture is a tip i picked up off a finish army surplus website n used it on a pair of boots ive used for the last couple of years almost everyday for work outdoors and ive tried almost everything, spray ons, various waxes, polishes, dubbin, oil. Etc.

You can also buy cheap tins of dubbin which also works well for my dr martens that just get used for everyday wear around the village and in town. Keep the boots in good nick n shiny and feet dry.

Main thing is to clean your boots and reapply any treatments regularly aswell.

Pay particular attention to stitching, heels, toes, anywhere the leather flexes and where the sole meets the upper.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[Mowmow]

Also generally people will say leather isnt 100% waterproof.
Which it isn't but you can treat it to keep your feet dry even for extended periods of bad wet weather, just depends on your treatment and how you apply it, the construction of your boots, etc.

I worked in a job where your feet would get wet pretty much everyday but i never felt the need to wear sweaty wellies like some of the lads when weather was bad. My tall leather boots kept my feet dry well enough. Just required more maintenance than any wellies every couple of weeks or so if they got really caked up.

Also dont treat goretex or other membraned boots as it can ruin the effectiveness/breathability of the membrane.

Another tip is dont dry your boots on direct heat. A warm room and stuffed with newspaper is fine.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[Robson Valley]

Greb Kodiak hunting boots are leather, expensive, and they are 100% waterproof. . . . for a while.
Whatever the sealant is, it wears off after no more than a single hunting season, maybe a dozen days.
Next, I soaked the dried leather with a silicone spray = just about as effective.
Last, I use a softened beeswax product called SnoSeal. That works.

 

[Janne]

I used RedWing oil to soak into worn areas, then a waterproofing pinetar/wax mixture. Had to be rewaxed every few days, reoiled after the careful cleaning I did when I returned home.

You learn to avoid water logged areas if you wear leather boots.
I see leather, no matter of how well treated, as water resistant.
If you want water proof footwear, buy quality rubber boots.