How to clean Hiking Boots: the right treatment for every Zamberlan model

16. Juni 2020

For trekking enthusiasts, gear and boots are important not just from a technical standpoint, but from an emotional one as well. Clothing, backpacks, footwear, and everything that makes up our equipment help make the journey more comfortable and accompany our memories of treks, mountain getaways, or adventures. That’s why parting with the footwear that wrote indelible memories in our lives is often a difficult feat. It is better, then, to take the right precautions through proper boot maintenance to give them the care they need to cover many more kilometers and face any challenge.

Boot Maintenance: How to Wash, Treat, and Store Them Best

Boot maintenance varies according to the type of construction materials and the conditions in which they are used. This can range from a light cleaning to remove dirt and debris and revitalize the leather upper, to a deeper intervention after multi-day treks in critical environmental conditions. Indeed, rain, mud, and snow tend to accelerate material wear and strip away water-repellent treatments; therefore, it is necessary to implement the correct procedures to restore your boots to their prime and ready them for new challenges.

How to Clean Hiking Boots

It must be noted that boots should be cleaned after every single hike. Leaving them in the trunk of your car or locking them in a closet waiting for your next outing creates the perfect conditions for your shoes to develop mold and encrustations that will be difficult to clean later.

Proper maintenance starts with cleaning using a soft brush, which will remove dust and debris from the surface of both the upper and the outsole. If the boots are very dirty, you can wash them under running water after removing the laces and taking out the insoles. Use mild soap (laundry soap or body wash) with caution to give them a thorough cleaning.

To dry them, find a well-ventilated area that is sufficiently far away from direct heat sources like stoves or radiators, which tend to dry out and shrink materials, causing them to lose elasticity and strength—or worse, causing rubber parts (the outsole, rubber rands, toe caps, and other details) to delaminate. We recommend inserting newspaper inside the footwear to absorb excess moisture and preserve its shape.

Waterproofing Mountaineering Shoes

It is best practice to renew the water-repellent treatment of your hiking boots after every wash.

Depending on the models and their specific construction materials, we recommend the most appropriate procedure and treatment to maintain the waterproof performance of the shoes. In fact, different types of leather can be used in footwear construction, primarily these three:

Full-grain leather: Smooth and glossy to the touch;
Nubuck leather: More velvety to the touch compared to full-grain;
Split leather or Suede: Featuring an irregular surface, it feels rougher than Nubuck.

It should be specified that the leather receives a water-repellent treatment at the beginning of the production process, which should then be repeated over time. To grant the product longer durability and for warranty purposes, we recommend applying Zamberlan® Hydrobloc® products to your boots, which you can find at our retailers and in our online shop; these consist of the exact same substance used in the original factory treatment.

Waterproofing Treatment for Full-Grain Leather Boots

Even though the full-grain leather we use boasts excellent durability, it must still be washed and treated to preserve its characteristic elasticity and breathability for as long as possible. The most suitable product for waterproofing this material is the Zamberlan® Hydrobloc® Cream, which should be applied with a soft brush across the entire upper. Simply apply a thin layer of cream and massage it into the leather, then let it dry. We recommend this treatment for the following models:

Waterproofing Treatment for Nubuck Boots

Nubuck leather shares the same origin as full-grain leather, but a different processing method gives it a velvety appearance. This type of leather is made water-repellent through the application of a spray. In this case, using a cream will not only fail to achieve the desired result, but it will also permanently stain the footwear. The models made of Nubuck are:

The treatment must be performed after proper washing and once the shoe is completely dry. Proceed by applying a layer of Zamberlan® Hydrobloc® Spray to both the leather and fabric parts. Repeat the treatment after 5 minutes. The leather absorbs the spray slowly, so it is best practice to use the boots a few hours after application.

Waterproofing Treatment for Split Leather Boots (Also Known as Suede)

Split leather, known to most as suede, can look very similar to Nubuck. Both types feature a velvety appearance and receive the same brushing and sanding treatments. However, what seem to be two identical materials can have substantial differences. Nubuck is a more premium and durable material, but split leather/suede is less prone to damage when subjected to scratches and abrasion. For this reason, Zamberlan often uses suede, carefully selected to guarantee excellent quality, in models destined for activities in contact with rock and scree.

The procedure for waterproofing split leather is identical to that for Nubuck. The treatment must be carried out on a washed and dry shoe. Apply a layer of Zamberlan® Hydrobloc® Spray to both the leather and fabric parts. Reapply the treatment after 5 minutes. The leather absorbs the spray slowly, so it is a good rule of thumb to wait a few hours after applying the treatment before using the boots.

The Zamberlan products made of split leather/suede are:

Not Just Leather: Waterproofing Treatment for Hiking Boots and Approach Shoes Made of Other Materials

Although leather is the main material used in Zamberlan production, it is not the only one. To bring innovation to the collection and offer customers an alternative, the company has created new models in microfiber. In this case, of course, water repellency is naturally guaranteed by the technical nature of the chosen material itself.

Now that you have all the information required to take care of your hiking shoes, do not forget that maintenance does not stop at the surface. Laces should be replaced often; finding yourself in the middle of a trek with a broken lace can become a serious issue if you don't have spare parts or makeshift tools to help you get back to base without major trouble.

Another chapter must be dedicated to the outsole. Over time, lugs can wear down and the boot can lose its grip. Among Zamberlan models, several allow for complete resoling—an optimal solution to ensure you never have to part with your boots while maintaining a travel companion that always performs at its best.