basscadet wrote: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.
roytheboy wrote: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.