Hiking is undoubtedly one of the best activities to rejuvenate your mind that gets jaded due to the mundane mores of daily routine. Unarguably, ecstasy fills your mind when your hiking shoes aid you to climb rugged terrains with ease. But, definitely, it is highly vexing if you need frequent replacement of your hiking footwear. Such frequent alteration nullifies the chances of enjoying the benefits of your for a prolonged period.
One can get a wide variety of hiking shoes available in the market for all ages catered to the needs of the modern man with well equipped features. Buying a good pair of footwear is not at all enough but you should also take adequate care to maintain their quality. Care and cleaning of this footwear encompasses mainly four aspects; cleaning, drying, conditioning and waterproofing.
Cleaning
Whenever you return from your trip, never forget to remove the dirt and mud that remain stuck to the bottom of your foot. First try to wash them with soap and water. If the mud is not fully removed, scrub the shoes with a soft brush.
Drying
You should always dry the hiking shoes immediately after you completed washing them, as wet footwear will be heavy in weight and thus makes your trip difficult. Never dry them near a heat source (even if you want to dry the shoes quickly) as it will substantially damage their quality. Dry them naturally by storing them in a warm, dry area. To increase the speed of drying, you can use newspaper. Replace the newspapers frequently to obtain best results.
Conditioning
It is necessary to condition your shoes to prevent leather from becoming dry and stiff. Conditioning is even idle to prevent cracking of leather. It is best to use conditioners that are available in paste form. You should apply paste with your fingers and make sure that the paste soaks into the leather.
Waterproofing Treatment
To maintain water repellent nature of your hiking shoes, it is highly essential to use waterproofing treatment for them. For leather footwear, use wax based waterproofing product while for synthetic footwear, use of silicon based waterproofing product is recommended. Always apply two layers of waterproofing product instead of one thick layer to get best results. Never use oil (like mink oil) to waterproof your leather hiking shoes as it softens the leather and reduces its longevity.
Try to avoid using defective Hiking Shoes, replace them immediately. They should be replaced when soles are damaged and no longer provide good grip. You can also replace them when the lining becomes worn out and the seams begin to split. To avoid shoe odor, you can use baking soda. Finally, do not store the footwear in an extremely cold or hot place for a prolonged period. Store them in a place where the temperature is moderate. Following all these steps will definitely enable you to increase the lifespan of your hiking shoes.
