How to Care for Hiking Boots

Boots are one of the most important pieces of gear you’ll take on the trail. A worn-out pair can make you miserable. So take care of your footwear, and it’ll take care of you.

• Always clean your boots after every hike. If you have leather hiking boots, apply a leather treatment like Nikwax every once in a while to keep them waterproof and prevent cracking and drying out.
• Never dry wet boots by the campfire. The heat will damage the soles and weaken the glue that holds them together. To dry them out, just remove the insoles and stuff your boots with newspaper.
• It’s OK to fill your shoes with water and rinse them out. This will get rid of salts from your body’s sweat.