Save your sole: 5 tips to keep your winter footwear in top shape
The winter season is so unforgiving that we need a whole other set of footwear for it. Even then your winter boots can't withstand the snow, slush, salt and hail without some extra precautions. Add these steps to your winter routine to keep your seasonal kicks looking as fresh as the air feels.
S.O.S.: Spray your soles!
A waterproofer is more than just the upsell that ends every boot purchase—it's also the bare minimum you can do to make sure you get out of winter with your boots intact. While the prevailing wisdom is to apply the spray every three weeks, Barb Neilans, the President of the Western Canadian Shoe Association, says to spray them every other week if you wear them every day in awful weather.
Pass on the salt
If you live in one of the areas of Canada where there's more salt on the road than on the poutine, be diligent about washing those lingering white stains off. A cup of cold water with a tablespoon of vinegar makes for a solution that will stick it to salt stains.
"The most damage will happen to your boots with that salt," cautions Neilans. "The more efficient you are at taking care of your shoes, cleaning them and wiping them, the fresher they're going to look and the longer they're going to last."
Aldo Benis in Cognac, $150, aldoshoes.com
Fight moisture with moisture
A leather moisturizer is another key to your leather winter boots' longevity, especially if road salt is regularly sapping out the hide's natural moisture. "It conditions it just like your skin and will make it last longer and look nicer," says Neilans.
The more things change, the more they stay the same
It's hard to let your boots recuperate from the elements if you're just going to trot them back out into the show before they've had the chance to dry. "Don't wear the same pair of shoes every day because they won't get a chance to rest," says Neilans. "Especially if they're in the elements and they're wet you don't want to put on wet boots again."
Red Wing Six-Inch Round Toe Leather Boots, $300, thebay.com
Shelve the sneakers
For those so hooked on the look of sneakers they wear them in the snow, Toronto-based sneaker vlogger Christian Cantelon of the YouTube channel Sneaker Talk recommends an upgrade: the sneaker boot. Brands like Converse, Adidas and Nike have created boots that follow the design of their sneakers, but with winterized technology.
For example, the leather Chuck II boot (see Cantelon's review here) has a suped-up sole for winter and an interior similar to the material used by Speedo to trap heat and block water. "Running shoes are not practical at all for wearing in winter," Cantelon says. "But you can always bet that one of those brands that you really like has a sneaker boot alternative on the market."
