Salomon Quest 4D 2 GTX boot maintenance advice

[Borderhugh]

I have had mixed experience of using Nikwash and Grangers products when proofing fabric boots. Are there any other products that you would recommend I try? thks in advance.

[roytheboy]

In what way 'mixed experiences'? I find Nikwax Nubuck & Suede Proofer to be brilliant on my Quests. It doesn't stop water for ever, but it keeps them dry for light showers and puddles. Are you applying it when the boot is wet, and are you lightly scrubbing off the old coat before applying a new coat?

[TheFox]

I have stopped waterproofing my boots with any sprays, and not felt any difference. They have a Gore-Tex membrane, so they are waterproof anyway, and as the suede part (which makes up more than half of the surface area) is covered in wax to protect the leather anyway, that little extra breathability that a beading spray could give to the other bits is minuscule.

Maybe just try going without the spray for a couple of months to see whether you feel any difference, if not just ditch the stuff.

[basscadet]

Aye, thats my tactic too - I look after them for the first while but as the years go by, I start to fancy a new pair so stop looking after them but will the boots die? No they won't - some bits have fallen off the sole, but still waterproof so no justification to buy a new pair

[roytheboy]

Well, as I understand it - and it's logical too - when the suede gets soaked it no longer breaths. Thus if you can keep the water off the suede for a while with a DWR-type spray such as Nikwax, your feet stay drier because they are breathing better through the boot. I realise that the membrane cuts down the breathability a little, but I can also tell the difference in the dampness of my feet after walking with or without suede that is soaking wet. So I use Nikwax because I believe that it keeps my feet drier than when not using it, in non-downpour conditions such as wet grass or summer showers.

[TheFox]

Aye, thats my tactic too - I look after them for the first while but as the years go by, I start to fancy a new pair so stop looking after them but will the boots die? No they won't - some bits have fallen off the sole, but still waterproof so no justification to buy a new pair

You misunderstood me there - I only stopped using waterproofing spray, I don't stop looking after them. They get cleaned after every walk, they get waxed regularly, and occasionally I fill them up to the brim with warm water for a couple of hours to get rid of all the salts that accumulate from sweating and can damage the Gore-Tex membrane.

Well, as I understand it - and it's logical too - when the suede gets soaked it no longer breaths.

But does the spray keep the suede itself in good shape? I use wax so the suede doesn't dry out and get brittle, and with the wax on top the suede beads off water anyway (but the breathability is probably close to nil). In any case, I've just never noticed a difference in feet dampness depending on what I did to my boots. Wax or not, spray or not, no difference.

[roytheboy]

But does the spray keep the suede itself in good shape? I use wax so the suede doesn't dry out and get brittle, and with the wax on top the suede beads off water anyway (but the breathability is probably close to nil). In any case, I've just never noticed a difference in feet dampness depending on what I did to my boots. Wax or not, spray or not, no difference.

Actually, I used the word 'spray' in error - I use the sponge-on bottle which soaks into the wet suede. I would hope that given Nikwax's mega reputation for leather care, that it does keep the boot in good shape. An interesting topic

[teaandpies]

http://www.salomon.com/uk/care.html