Hi,
After wearing my Road Champs in the rain/snow, the leather sole edge on certain spots seem to be oversaturated and leaves dark sports in the leather. What causes this and is there any way to prevent this from happening again. any info/ suggestions would be amazing. Thanks in advance.
Hi J,
What you’re experiencing is fairly typical of leather boots used in regions where inclement weather is common. Rain/snow can and will destroy the suppleness of the leather - it will erode your boots and your hard-earned shoe budget. Because leather is comprised of fat and proteins, it can only retain a certain amount of exposure to moisture after being cured and tanned at the factory. The fibers give leather its unique strength, but are also very susceptible to drying out and cracking if not properly treated. At this point, I recommend allowing your boots to thoroughly dry (I'm sure it's dry by now) and then clean.
Rain/snow will certainly expose footwear road salt. If left untreated, prolonged exposure to this type of inclement weather will allow the salt to discolor and weaken the finish of your boots and leave what I call, “salt stain.” Believe it or not, I use basic Barbasol shaving cream and a toothbrush to clean my leather boots. Once dry, apply a layer of dressing like Pecard Antique Leather Dressing - it repels water, snow and dew; prevents hardening and cracking; resists most acids; removes most stains, and allows the leather to breath.
Be sure to treat your boots regularly with a weatherproofing product of your choice depending on the environment and frequency of wear.
For the heel cap, I recommend having a Cobbler repair them.
I hope this helps.
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