Breaking in new leather boots

[SanJuanSam]

Lilcliffy, I've heard great things about the Zamberlan Hydrobloc - I'll be picking up some when I'm back in the States over the holidays. I have some other oil/wax based stuff that should soften the leather up for now, but I think using the Zamberlan stuff long term is the way to go.

SanJuanSam, I'm using this stuff right now - softens the leather nicely and actually smells really nice too.

Never heard of it but looks like a good product. I've used one called Montana Pitch Blend in the past. It smelled awesome.

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[Woodserson]

I would absolutely saturate the leather with a water-based "cream" leather treatment. The product I am in love with is Zamberlan's Hydrobloc.

For complete saturation you need to get the weather thoroughly wet. When the leather is wet- the water-based treatment will penetrate deeply into the leather and condition it. High-end leather backpacking boots are treated like this in the factory.

I wrap my leather boots in wet towels for hours in a utility sink- then apply copious amounts of treatment to all of the leather in the boot. (You will be shocked as to how much more absorption you will get than when the leather is dry).

IMPORTANT- this procedure will not work with an oil or wax based product (e.g. "Sno-Seal" is wax based).

What if the boots have already been treated with Sno-Seal? Impossible to use Hydrobloc, or must one wait for a season for it to wear off, etc?

Dropkneesnotbombs, if it makes you feel any better I just tossed on my Antarctics and they are stiff now than they were at the end of the last season. I'm wearing them around the house now. A little crushing on top of the big toe on my right side, a little bit on the left but higher up. They were new last year, but I used them for long days and found them more comfortable than other leather/faux leather/rubber hybrids over the long term. But they are definitely still breaking in!

[fisheater]

Hello Mr. Knee Dropper, and welcome. I also come to this from and alpine, than lift served telemarking. I also have a pair of Alico Ski Marches, my first non plastic boot, and your post made me nervous. I take a US 11, and I received a 10W. I am not a wide foot. My boots came with a felt insole, putting that in seemed to take care of the volume problem. I was planning on skiing them before inserting those insoles, but your post had me nix that idea. I didn't want to give the leather a chance to start breaking wrong.
I work in the construction industry, work has been hectic and tiring for the past couple of months. We will be shutting crews down Monday, so in the next couple weeks I will not be attempting to manage a rushed and chaotic schedule. I will start thinking about actually skiing.
To get back on point, we had snow the other day. It was only an inch, but since then I have been wearing my Ski Marches on my dog walks. We walk on the grassy shoulder on the ditch, so the boot is not on pavement. My average walk is about three miles. I usually run a few times along the route from 200 yards to 800 yards. I have a cold, and I have been worn out this week so the runs are closer to 200 yards. I have gotten a minor amount of heel lift on my right heel. I think it is more a matter of getting the boots tight.
I looked at the photo of your foot in the boot. You have much more space between the top of your foot and the boot. I found success with filling that space with an insole. If you boot did not come with an insole, perhaps 3 or 4 cheap foam insoles would take up that volume. The other point is they are difficult to lace tight. Perhaps some of our former hockey players have some tips for getting laces tight on stiff leather? I worked my laces one eyelet at a time and got them as tight as I could, but still need to work on that. As for my boot comfort, I have about nine miles of walking, double timing, and some short runs on my Ski Marches. My dog likes to move, and our walks are to get her exercise so I accommodate her, as best as I am able. So far my boots seem to fit. Thank you for posting. I hope you resolve your problem, and by posting you may have helped others be aware of the potential pitfalls of leather.

Thanks,
Bob

[MikeK]

Heel lift is not the end of the world. It's only an issue when it causes blistering. I get a little heel lift in some of my boots, but it's never caused an issue. If it does, try putting a pad right underneath the heel to bring your instep up a little higher. That's usually the issue is that your instep isn't clamped tightly. But for some, myself included, that can lead to cramping - there is a large pressure point right in your arch connects into your hamstrings. If you are naturally tight like I am, that area can be ultra-sensitive. At any rate, balance out the heel lift with that. I can usually adjust with lace tension.

FWIW if those march boots are working for you, I'd ditch those laces and get something thicker. Just from the pics they look a little thin and wimpy for such a stout boot. That may make all the difference in the world in getting them laced right.

Good luck!

[Rodbelan]

You might want to try pure neatsfoot oil... I tried that on a leather boots; if you put a lot, the leather is going to get really soft...

[lilcliffy]

What if the boots have already been treated with Sno-Seal? Impossible to use Hydrobloc, or must one wait for a season for it to wear off, etc?

Well- wax-based treatments are very effective at repelling water, so I would expect it to be difficult to get a water-based treatment to penetrate...

The good news- or the bad news- is that wax-based treatments don't penetrate deeply into the leather, so one should be able to apply a water-based product once you have put on some miles.

I tried using wax-based products on my logging boots back in the mid-90s while logging on the West Coast. I stopped because wax-based products may water-proof leather, but they don't condition and maintain leather- at all. Flex points, and points of wear, abrasion, will soon split and crack.

More bad news about wax-based treatments- they prevent glues from bonding. In 1995 I tried to resole a $500 pair of faller's boots in Vancouver- the cobbler told me that he could not as he would never be able to remove enough wax to get the glues to bond!

I have since gotten correspondence from a number of leather-boot manufacturers that have confirmed this issue with resoling boots (e.g. Scarpa, Andrew, Crispi)- if you think you are going to eventually resole your boots, don't use a wax-based leather treatment.

[lilcliffy]

I looked at the photo of your foot in the boot. You have much more space between the top of your foot and the boot. I found success with filling that space with an insole. If you boot did not come with an insole, perhaps 3 or 4 cheap foam insoles would take up that volume.

This is a very good observation- and good advice.

The other point is they are difficult to lace tight.

Surgeon's knots! Use em. Looking at those boots you definitely need at least two. One at the top of the lace loops/eyelets. Gather up all of the slack at the top of the eyelets and tie a surgeon's knot to retain the correct tension. (As an aside- many mountaineering boots- as well as a few leather ski boots (e.g. Alpina Alaska)- have cleats at this point.) Then tie a surgeon's knot at the very top before you tie them off. Sometimes I will add at least one surgeon's knot in between lace cleats as well of I need to- especially on a high boot.

Part of the problem with that boot may not be only volume- but also the lacing design may make it difficult to dial in a custom fit. If you are finding that they are almost impossible to ge tight in the toe box, you may need a sugeon's knot after the second or third lace eyelet, to keep it snug as you slide into the boot. (I adjust the laces on my Alaska into the cleats- before I put them on.)

So- I see a combination of the following:
1) condition and soften leather
2) reduce boot volume with insole(s)
3) surgeon's knots to adjust and customize lacing

[lilcliffy]

You might want to try pure neatsfoot oil... I tried that on a leather boots; if you put a lot, the leather is going to get really soft...

Oil-based products are amazing at conditioning leather- and it definitely will soften the leather. I have seen thick, rigid leather mountaineering/logging boots turned into slippers using oil-based products. This may or not be a good thing...

Another thing to consider is if a boot has an inner liner designed to insulate, breathe, and/or be waterproof. An oil-based product will saturate an inner liner and can easily reduce it's insulation value and completely destroy it waterproof/breathable properties.

[lilcliffy]

Previous discussion on treatment of leather boots:
http://www.telemarktalk.com/viewtopic.p ... ment#p8845

[Woodserson]

More bad news about wax-based treatments- they prevent glues from bonding. In 1995 I tried to resole a $500 pair of faller's boots in Vancouver- the cobbler told me that he could not as he would never be able to remove enough wax to get the glues to bond!

I have since gotten correspondence from a number of leather-boot manufacturers that have confirmed this issue with resoling boots (e.g. Scarpa, Andrew, Crispi)- if you think you are going to eventually resole your boots, don't use a wax-based leather treatment.

Well, goddammit.