Sunset tripper wrote:I have a pair of Meindl Burma leather boots about 2 years old. I use Grangers g wax to protect the leather and it also helps waterproof the boot. I find that goretex boots starts to leak eventually after sustained heavy use. When I went in to an outdoor store to get a new tin of wax the guy said I shouldn't be using Grangers wax on my Meindls because it damages the goretex. I wish I had asked at the time but how is this possible? I bought it anyway because I have always found it to be a good product. He also said if my boots were leaking I should take them back as goretex has a lifetime guarantee........................... I know how that works though, they send them away to be examined by a specialist and you end up with no boots for a couple of months.
I cant see them fixing the goretex lining in 2 year old battered boots.
I think he's in error. Numerous leather footwear companies use Gore-Tex linings behind the leather, but still recommend treating the leather with things like G-Wax. I can see that it might theoretically work through the leather and block some of the micro-pores in the Gore-Tex lining, but I've never heard of it "damaging the Gore-Tex".
As far as I understood it, the Gore-TEx warranty on footwear, like on other Gore-Tex is one of those "guaranteed to be waterproof and breathable" type things which only really applies when brand new as wear and tear then applies. So its a "what is reasonable" question when applying the warranty. Their website says:
"Is it a lifetime guarantee?
No: It applies to waterproofness, windproofness and breathability for the useful life of the product"
There's then a follow up about useful life, which basically explains it doesn't apply to "normal wear and tear".
On a leather boot, personally I would trust G-Wax or equivalent applied regularly to keep the water out far better than any Gore-Tex lining. Tiny particles of grit get into your boot and ultimately they get into the fabric protecting the lining and with the pressure of your feet moving in the boot eventually they will work into the lining and cause tiny holes.