Giving Your Boots Some Love After a Season of Beatdowns

Witten by Jon Willis

Helping our customers with warranty issues is one of my main roles here at Crispi, and in my time I have seen and heard just about everything you can imagine. Most of our customers are good folks, just looking for a solution to a problem. Sometimes it is a legitimate issue that we are happy to help with. Other times it’s an issue that doesn’t fit into our warranty policy but we can still provide some help and a solution, while sometimes it is something completely different.

A lot of the warranty claims we get here at Crispi have one key thing in common. Maintenance. Or more specifically a lack thereof. If a customer calls or emails with one of the following concerns, my boots squeak, my boots are leaking, the rand is separating or the leather has shrunk. Our first thought tends to be  “sounds like they need to or should have been cleaned and conditioned.” 

We guarantee Crispi boots for one year to be free from defects in materials and craftsmanship. Any issue that may arise during that time frame we are happy to make right, but at times we find the issues we are fixing are directly related to how well you maintain your boots. 

Caring For Your Boots

The way you care for and maintain your boots will directly influence 1 how long they last and 2 how well they perform in the field. Let me share with you some simple guidelines to follow when it comes to boot care and for the most part, if you take care of your boots they will take care of you. 

Some of these guidelines can seam basic, like the concept that you even have to condition your boots at all! I am always amazed at how many folks we talk to who say they have NEVER cleaned or conditioned their boots. Leather is skin and like your skin it is subject to the conditions it is in. Like your skin it can dry out and a good cleaning can help a lot trust me I know!  Now you may be one of those Rhino skinned, chapped elbow, real men who has never used lotion a day in your life, but trust me. Hear me out. It just may make your life a little bit better.

Thoroughly cleaning, drying and conditioning your boots will restore the natural waterproof properties of the leather. While at the same time help keep its pliability and maintain the oils in the boot which can preserve longevity.  When a few drops of water hit a properly conditioned leather boot they should bead right off. If you notice your boots absorbing moisture or the color of the leather turning lighter, that is a sure sign they are drying out and need to be conditioned. 

What Should I Use To Treat My Crispi Boots? 

This leads us to another question. What product do I put on which boot? You can go as deep down this rabbit hole as you would like to, but here is the simple answer. Models with uppers constructed primarily of full grain or nubuck leather like The Nevada, Guide, Hunter, Wild Rock and Wild Rock Plus need to be conditioned with our Crispi Waterproofing Cream. Boots that are constructed with a combination of suede leather and a synthetic material like cordura should be treated with our Crispi Waterproofing Spray. Examples of these models include The Summit, Thor, Wyoming and Idaho.

There are alot of companies who offer various different leather care products and those products will work great on some styles of leather, but not all leather is prepared, tanned or finished the same and those processes dictate which type of conditioner the leather will require. Stick with Crispi products for Crispi boots and you should be fine. You don’t want to be the guy who returns his synthetic and suede Idaho’s covered in a thick healthy coating of Mink Oil and Bee’s wax!

The Final Word

Lastly I would stress the importance of proper care and maintenance of your boots in between conditioning.  We have all been burned out on a long hunt and find ourselves dumping gear in the garage once we get home. But don’t be the guy who leaves his boots on the floor in the garage for six months!

Take a few minutes with a damp cloth or soft brush and get all the mud and dust off. Loosen or remove the laces to clean around the tongue of the boot and store them in a cool dry place. If your boots get wet during your hunt drying them out in camp can be a challenge. Please resist the urge to roast them over the fire like a boy scout with a hot dog. Excessive heat and quickly warming wet boots can damage the material and weaken the adhesive used to bind the sole and rand to the boot, and is not covered by warranty. 

We want you to have the best possible experience with your Crispi boots and believe a little bit of maintenance and care will lead to years of good use. If you have questions about boot care, warranty, boot fit or anything else we would like to hear from you so shoot us an e-mail or give us a call.