Napoleon said an army marches on its stomach, but we know better than any pint-sized dictator. Heck, he rode a horse—what does he know about marching? We bird-chasing soldiers march on our feet, and know our boots are the critical link between rough, ugly ground and our bodies. If our feet aren’t working well, our hunt is over.
Besides our shotgun and dog , our hunting boots may be the biggest financial investment we make in our favorite pastime. And just like those first two, taking good care of our footwear is crucial to a successful hunt or hunting season. It’s like not changing the oil in our truck … pay now or pay later as the old TV commercial said. It doesn’t take much, but done right, your entire body will say “thank you.” You might even shoot better and get one more season out of your boots.
Think of boots as a suit of armor for our feet, keeping them protected, supported, dry, warm, and functioning. To do that, we’ll need to keep our boots supple, waterproof, clean, and dry—conditions we seldom find in the field. Our job is to combat field conditions with a simple boot-care regimen to minimize the number of times we shiver, slip, slide, twist, and roll down a snake-infested slope.
Synthetic, rubber, or other materials will need their own article. For most leather boots, I’ve settled on a routine that has served me and my dozens of pairs for decades. So put on some earbuds, cue up a great bird hunting podcast, line ‘em up, and grit your teeth for this thankless but critical chore.
Clean large chunks of mud off your boots everyday after you hunt. (Photo courtesy of Scott Linden) Daily Boot Care During Hunting Season Every day after the hunt, brush, wipe, or hose off the big chunks of mud and dirt from uppers, soles, and in the nooks between tongue and boot. Dry with a towel to get the process started, then leave the boots in a warm room, or use a boot dryer for a couple hours max. Avoid open fires or warmer heat sources unless you prefer your footwear extra-crispy in the morning.
Less Frequent Boot Care Needs Every few weeks in a “good season” with a lot of mileage—monthly if you’re kinder to your footwear—it’s time for a deeper cleaning of your boots. You’ll need: gentle soft-bristle brush (a fingernail cleaning brush works great), kitchen sponge, dish pan or sink, rags, water, saddle soap, and a conditioner or waterproofing product.
Outside: Remove laces and soak the soles in an inch or so of water if there is caked-on mud in the crevices. A few minutes later, you can usually brush it off. (Judicious gouging with the corner of the brush speeds the process.) Brushing off dirt on the uppers is next, then a quick spray of water. Apply saddle soap with a wetted sponge, gently rubbing all leather parts. On a real saddle, cowboys use very little moisture and don’t rinse. On my boots, I work up a good lather, then rinse well.
Give the tongue and gussets some love, as grit in there abrades the more delicate leather often used on those parts. Do one boot at a time, and after a gentle rinse, towel it off and set to dry in a warm place.
Inside: Working up close, you’ll become well acquainted with the odiferous interior. Your feet ooze a half-pint of sweat in a hard day of hunting. A wipe-down with a damp cloth is well appreciated when you pull them off next time in camp. If there’s a removable insole, do the same, and if your nose hair curls when you handle it, wash with a gentle soap, rinse, and set to dry.
Making Repairs to Your Boots Scrutinize clean, dry boots carefully. Check seams, especially joining sole to upper. Frayed threads can be touched up with a little cement (use a toothpick to apply). Loose or broken threads need a visit to a shoe repair shop. The “rand” (that rubber band along the sole that reaches up an inch or two on the boot’s upper) can come apart from the leather and may need a dab of cement. I like Barge All-Purpose Cement as it’s specifically formulated to join rubber to leather, usually soles to uppers.
Don’t be a cheapskate, replace the laces. You’ll thank me when you’re taking a bead on that rising pheasant instead of salvaging your old ones with yet another square knot. There are Kevlar-reinforced laces that you’ll hand down to an heir. Make the investment.
Properly taking care of your boots helps them stay waterproof in wet conditions. (Photo courtesy of Scott Linden) Conditioning and Waterproofing Boots The days of wax or oil-based waterproof coatings are long gone except for use on old-school unlined leather boots. If you’re an O.G. still wearing those, rub your preferred wax thoroughly into a warm boot without leaving excess caked in the eyelets or seams. Keep boots warm until the wax is well-absorbed.
Most boots with liners also have a waterproof membrane between leather and liner, so our goal is ensuring the leather stays supple while the liner isn’t choked off. The membrane needs to vent moisture through the leather to keep our feet dry and comfortable, and many coatings prevent that. Happy leather is much like a green leaf—resilient, breathable, flexible, and averse to cracking or stiffening. A supple boot allows our toes and ankles to flex correctly, helping our entire body function naturally, especially eight miles into a South Dakota sharptail hunt.
Boot manufacturers may have a recommended conditioner, and if so, use it. If not, I’ve never had a problem with Lexol, a lotion that is easy to apply and absorbs quickly. Make sure you get the conditioner, not the all-in-one cleaner and conditioner. Squirt a quarter-sized dab on, rub it in with a soft cloth, then move on to the next part. Give special attention to crack-prone areas that bend a lot; go ahead and buff to a Marine Corps shine if you don’t mind the snide remarks from fellow hunters.
Among others from Ben Franklin to King Richard III, Napoleon is also credited with the story about a lost horseshoe nail leading to a doomed horse, and ultimate defeat in war. Maybe he did understand the importance of taking care of footwear, after all.
