After already worn or new leather shoes, in particular, ankle boots, which, according to all the rules, are quickly and painlessly broken in, it is necessary to immediately begin the second no less important process in relation to them.
This procedure is to make leather shoes absolutely waterproof, because the need for them appears, as a rule, on spring days, when the snow begins to melt with might and main, or in autumn with its incessant autumn rains, which often turn into real snowfall.
How and with what to treat ankle boots to make them waterproof
To do this, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the leather boots from dust and dirt, and carefully, slowly, dry them so that the shoes do not lose their original shape. You also need to prepare ordinary Vaseline, a household hair dryer and clean paper napkins.
We start by carefully applying Vaseline from a tube to the shoes one at a time, paying special attention to all seams, places where the lace loops are attached and the line where the sole is attached to the bottom of the shoe. Next, thoroughly rub the applied Vaseline over the entire surface of the leather boots. This can be done simply with your fingers or, for example, with a cotton pad, soft brush or brush.
Having finished the process of lubricating leather shoes with Vaseline, we immediately proceed to the second stage: we warm them up with a household hairdryer so that the melted Vaseline better and more completely saturates all the seams, seam threads and fills the pores on the leather. We leave the leather boots lubricated and partially soaked with molten Vaseline for at least one night in a warm room for the final impregnation of the leather shoes and the penetration of the Vaseline into the depths of the leather.
Remains of unabsorbed Vaseline after overnight exposure at above-zero temperatures are removed from leather boots with cloth or paper napkins. Now, after carefully carried out procedures, leather shoes will not get wet in any bad weather and, at the same time, keep your feet warm.
How often is it necessary to carry out measures to ensure the waterproofing of leather shoes? It is, of course, impossible to give a definite answer. Everything will depend on the climatic region of residence, the frequency and duration of wear, as well as operational features. But if you begin to notice that the moisture on the outer surface of leather shoes does not form separate drops and does not roll down it, but covers it with a continuous layer, then such shoes probably already require a second process of impregnation with Vaseline.
