Cleaning ***-tex boots

[sp00ky]

Hello all,

Quick question. I have a pair of boots coated in sympatex (knock-off gore-tes) and they got really soaked and covered in mud.

Water was above my knees, so soaked through the top. Is there anything special I need to do to them, or can I just brush off the dried mud, and off I go?

Is there a possibility that the water proofing is damaged in some way?

Thanks,

Scott

[Alligator]

A suggestion is that if they are leather/suede(most boots are), then you should not allow the mud to dry on the boots, as this will wick out oils and such from the leather. I say this but am totally guilty of the same :o . If the leather/suede is particulary dried out, there are some conditioners to alleviate this. I have some but they are not handy at the moment. You don't want the leather to get too dry as it becomes brittle and will crack.

If it I am reading you correctly, you have a sympatex liner instead of a Gore-tex one? I wouldn't think that the liner would be damaged by getting wet. You would want them to air dry quickly to avoid mildew and such, preferably by taking out the foot inserts and allowing air to get inside.

[kythruhiker]

Not sure on the liners...I've been using Nor-V-Gen Shoe Paste from the Norwegian Leather Waterproofing Company on my old dried, cracked Sundowners with good success.

Ky Thru

[Pencil Pusher]

Water was above my knees,...

Is there a possibility that the water proofing is damaged in some way?

Think about that for a second.

Saddle soap works for reconditioning your leather. That was the demise of my Vasques, the leather dried out. Wasn't too bad except for the collar which eroded. A little care would've gone a long way.

[Big Oak]

I have a pair of leather boots, Vasques, and treat them with Nikwax before every trip. I don't think it hurts the waterproofing of leather just to wipe off the grim, as long as you clean the boot before applying waterproofing again.