Comfortable shoes using GORE-TEX technology. Shoe care with GoreTex Gore-tex shoe care

Leather shoes

New leather shoes Before wearing, you need to soak it in cream and then polish it thoroughly with a brush, velvet or woolen rag.

Wet leather shoes are dried at room temperature. Drying near heating devices or in the sun is not recommended.

Any shoes from genuine leather needs rest. Shoes should be worn for one day and rested for two days. This is necessary so that the skin has time to dry and retains the ability to “breathe”.

Faux leather

Shoes from artificial leather Can be cleaned with a damp cloth. The use of brushes and shoe polish is not recommended.

Suede

Suede. Warm, soft and comfortable, ideal for severe frosts. However, during dressing, the front side is treated with abrasive materials, due to which it acquires a “fluffy” appearance, but loses the strength of natural leather. New suede shoes, should also be treated with a product that protects against moisture, dirt and salt. This will get rid of wet spots, slow down contamination and make cleaning easier.

Primary treatment is carried out three times, each time moistening the suede, then allowing it to dry completely. The procedure must be repeated during periods of active precipitation.

Before each treatment, dust and light dirt are removed with a clean shoe brush, and for shiny areas, a special brush with rubber “fingers” on one side and metal bristles on the other is used. After this, the shoes are treated with a suede care product, allowed to dry again and cleaned with a brush (in one direction only).. From time to time, to refresh the color, suede shoes should be wiped with a napkin, and after drying, brushed with a brush with stiff synthetic bristles.

Patent leather shoes

Patent leather shoes are not for winter: in cold weather the varnish bursts and becomes covered with a network of small cracks. Patent leather shoes should not be cleaned with a brush, but should be wiped with a special polish from time to time.

Nubuck

Nubuck leather is fleecy and resembles suede, but is less susceptible to moisture. But if you do not care for it properly, it will quickly lose its original appearance, acquiring an unpleasant gloss.

Nubuck needs to be treated with moisture-protective agents more often than natural leather, and when cleaning from dirt you should not use water. It is better to use special foams for cleaning nubuck. Before cleaning, the shoes must be dried; only then can you remove dust and dirt with the same brush that is used to clean suede. You can also use a sponge or nubuck eraser.

Gore-Tex (Gortex), membrane:

To get the maximum effect from GORE-TEX ® (Gortex) shoes, they must be properly and regularly cared for.

Surface contamination

Shoes made of genuine leather with a Gore-Tex membrane are best cleaned with a brush and warm water, shoes made of textile fabric - with warm water and a sponge. To protect shoes, we recommend using impregnation after cleaning.

Impregnation

The impregnation is not intended for the Gore-Tex membrane, which is already waterproof, but to protect the top layer of the material:

- Better immunity to dirt

- Prevention of swelling of the external material due to moisture accumulation

- Optimal heat retention inside shoes

- In addition, impregnation prevents the penetration of water from outside

Shoe care products

The Gore-Tex membrane is not harmed by any care product. However, we do not recommend using products containing a high percentage of fat or oil as they clog the pores of the skin and thus significantly reduce its ability to breathe. These products are marked accordingly on the label (for example, Fettercreme, Leder)

For different materials there are usually different care instructions. Here you will find, for each material, 3 simple steps for prolonged enjoyment of your shoes.

Smooth leather

1. Removal of surface dirt with a soft brush or damp cloth
2. Apply special shoe cream in a matching color or neutral tone
3. After the cream has been absorbed gently buff (with a soft cloth or brush)

Nubuk leather/Suede leather

1. Remove dust and dirt with a brush and if necessary bring up the nap with a copper wire brush.
2. It is essential to treat the shoes with a waterproof spray, as these types of leather are most susceptible to moisture.
3. Use color matched or neutral tone care sprays.

Special suede cleaning rubbers are available for stubborn stains, sweat bands and bare spots. The cleaning effect is based on tiny abrasive particles mixed in with the rubber that remove a small layer of leather together with the dirt sticking to it. Caution should be taken to avoid applying strong pressure and damaging the leather!

Patent Leather

1. Clean with a damp cloth or sponge
2. Apply a patent leather care product to preserve the elasticity
3. Polish gently

Textiles

1. Remove light stains with a special fabric brush
2. Remove heavy stains with a fabric-foam cleaner
3. Waterproof

Nylon or high-tech materials can be simply wiped clean with a damp cloth or sponge.

GORE-TEX® Footwear

General maintenance advice for footwear with GORE-TEX®membrane. This short routine will enhance the performance of your footwear and it adds to the durability:

• Clean the upper material with a soft brush or cloth and lukewarm water. Rinse of any sand, gravel or dirt - even the inside of the boot. Remove the inlay sole.
• Let dry in room temperature. Please avoid direct heat. No tumble dry. If needed convection style boot dryers can be used.
• Water repellant spray can be applied when footwear is dry - please also apply on shoe laces. This is only necessary when the original finish has been worn off or due to heavy use.

GORE-TEX® Clothes

Before laundering your garment, zip the front closure, pockets and pit zips completely, and fasten all flaps and straps. Be sure to follow the garment manufacturer’s instructions to ensure high performance.

Wash

Machine wash on a warm permanent press cycle (105º F/40º C) using a small amount of liquid detergent. Rinse twice, minimize spinning to reduce creasing. Do not use powder detergents or any products that contain fabric softeners, conditioners, stain removers or bleach as they will affect garment performance. Do not wash with heavily soiled clothing.

Bleach

Do not use chlorine bleach.

Dry

Line dry your garment, or tumble dry it on a warm, gentle cycle. Once it is dry, tumble dry your garment for 20 minutes to reactivate the durable water-repellent (DWR) treatment on the outer fabric.

Iron

If unable to tumble dry, iron the dry garment on gentle setting (warm, no steam) by placing a towel or cloth between the garment and the iron. This will help reactivate the DWR treatment on your garment’s outer fabric.

Dry Clean

Gore recommends home laundering. If professional dry cleaning is necessary, request that the cleaner use clear distilled hydrocarbon solvent for rinsing and then spray DWR on the garment’s outer fabric before drying. Follow the garment manufacturer's instructions.

Water Repellent Treatment

When the factory applied treatment can no longer be reactivated, apply a new water-repellent treatment (available at local outdoor retailers) to the garment’s outer fabric.
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1. Cleaning

After returning from a hike, the first thing to do is wash your shoes and remove any dirt. This is done under running lukewarm water using a brush (you can use a synthetic brush from a hardware store or just your old toothbrush). At the same time, you don’t need to be particularly stingy with water or be afraid of getting your shoes wet. On the contrary, the more completely its outer material gets wet, the more effective the subsequent treatment with water-repellent impregnation will be.

Unlike the usual shoe rag, the bristles of the brush are much better at removing dirt near the seams and from wrinkles on the folds of the shoe. This thoroughness is important for two reasons. Firstly, solid mineral particles, stuck in the pores of the skin or on the surface of the fabric, from constant flexion and extension when walking, gradually grind the material, leading to accelerated wear in the folded areas. And secondly, the dirt remaining on the shoe is perfectly wetted by water and can negate the entire effect of DWR impregnation (see below).

If your boots are very dirty, you can use them to clean them. special means(GRANGER’S Footwear Cleaner and NIKWAX Footwear Cleaning Gel are most often found in Russian travel stores). In addition to being a mild, neutral soap, it forces the skin's pores to open wide, allowing all dirt to be removed from them. But do not forget that after using it, the boot must be treated with water-repellent impregnation, which “closes” the leather back. Otherwise, on the next trip, she will absorb water like a sponge.

2. Treatment with water-repellent impregnation

The surface of any trekking shoes, both synthetic and leather, is treated with a special DWR (Durable Water Repellent) impregnation before leaving the factory. Its purpose is to take the first blow, holding back the main material of the boot from getting wet for some time, preventing water from spreading over its surface. You've probably seen more than once how water rolls off the surface of an awning or a new jacket in the form of beautiful round drops, similar to balls of mercury - this is the effect of DWR impregnation. Unfortunately, the factory impregnation gradually wears off due to friction, exposure to ultraviolet radiation and dirt. The surface of the shoe begins to become well-wetted again, and the material of the shoes begins to get wet as soon as the first drops fall on it. To prevent this from happening, any shoes need regular updating of DWR impregnation.

There is a special type of product for this – “waterproofers” (GRANGER’S Footwear Repel, NIKWAX Liquid Waterproofing Wax). As a rule, these are sprays or a type of shaving foam that is applied with a small sponge. Those products that are made on a water basis (the ones listed above refer specifically to them) are best applied immediately after the shoes are washed, onto water-soaked leather or fabric. This way the impregnation penetrates deeper into the material and lasts longer.

After the boots are washed and treated with DWR impregnation, they are set out to dry. At home, this usually takes from 24 to 48 hours. Fortunately, there is usually nowhere to rush here.

Attention! It is strictly not recommended to dry shoes near radiators, heaters, on sunny windowsills, and in any places where the shoes will heat up to a temperature above room temperature. This leads to dry shoe leather, peeling soles and other troubles. Only shade, coolness and a slight draft.

3. Treatment with skin cream

In addition to treating with DWR impregnations, leather boots must be periodically lubricated with shoe polish. It also imparts water-repellent properties, but its main task is to maintain the elasticity of the leather, preventing it from drying out and cracking at the folds. If you wear trekking shoes almost every day, then this should be done 3-4 times a year. And especially after those outings where the boots got very wet and saturated with moisture. If you rarely use hiking shoes, then it is enough to treat them with cream at the end of each season, before putting them away for storage.

To lubricate trekking boots, relatively thick ointments or pastes are most often used (GRANGER'S G-Wax, NIKWAX Waterproofing Wax). Products for treating smooth and rough leather (nubuck, suede) may vary slightly. However, this largely concerns the appearance of the boots. So, after treatment with a wax-based ointment, nubuck can darken and take on a more glossy appearance. To restore it to its previous roughness, you can beat the pile with a stiff brush. But it is worth keeping in mind that the color will most often still be darker than before.

When processing, it is advisable to rub the cream in with a piece of cloth or a shoe brush. The small amount of heat generated from friction causes the pores of the skin to open slightly, causing the cream to penetrate deeper into the material.

If the leather of the boots is very dry and is completely deplorable condition, then for deeper penetration of the cream you can use a hairdryer, gently warming the surface of the pre-lubricated boot with it. But here you shouldn’t overdo it, trying to push as much cream inside as possible. This can impair the skin's ability to breathe. Here it is better to be guided by the principle - less, but more often.

It is strictly not recommended to lubricate trekking shoes with Vaseline, lard, goose or any other fat (which is often practiced in all kinds of folk recipes). This makes the leather of the boots too soft, depriving them of the necessary rigidity and ankle support. In addition, this makes the boots not only waterproof, but also completely airtight, essentially turning them into an analogue of rubber boots.

Caring for membrane shoes (Gore-Tex)

In terms of care, membrane boots are almost no different from regular ones. At their core, these are the same boots, only inside they also have a waterproof sock-shaped lining. They absolutely also need regular treatment with cream and DWR impregnation. Moreover, key manufacturers such as Gore-Tex ® and eVent ® specifically emphasize to users that all their products must be regularly re-treated with water-repellent agents to maintain full membrane performance. If the outer material of the boot gets wet and saturated with water, the membrane liner will not allow this moisture to pass further towards the foot. But at the same time, on the outside of the membrane there will already be conditions with 100% humidity, and it will not be able to remove from the shoe the moisture that is formed when the foot sweats. That is, over time, the shoe will become more and more damp from the inside. So it is extremely important to update the DWR impregnation on membrane shoes.

When treating boots with cream or spray, do not be afraid to harm the membrane. All products are applied to the outer surface of the shoe and do not cause any damage to the membrane lining. The membrane liner itself usually does not require any special care. The only exception is if sand or dirt gets inside the boots. To prevent them from abrading the fabric and mechanically damaging the membrane, you need to remove the insoles from the shoes and rinse them from the inside with a stream of ordinary warm water (without detergents). The boots are washed until clean water begins to flow out of them. After which they are dried in exactly the same way at room temperature.

Note. If you have never heard of Gore-Tex before, we recommend that you read the brief description of the material in the mini-article “”.

How to Protect Gore-Tex from Getting Wet

We recommend using water-repellent impregnation for shoes Tarrago Nano Protector for these purposes. This product from the well-known Spanish brand can provide high-quality innovative product protection based on revolutionary nanotechnology. This hydrophobic liquid for shoes contains “smart” fluorocarbon polymers, which form a special film on the product that does not clog the pores of the material. Once on the surface treated with the spray, water, grease or dirt curls into balls and rolls off it (“lotus effect”). Thanks to this feature, 100% protection of Gore-Tex is ensured even from the most severe climatic influences.

How to use Tarrago Nano Protector to protect Gore-Tex products

1. Shake the bottle of impregnation vigorously.
2. Apply the spray liberally to the previously cleaned and dried surface of the product from a 30-centimeter distance.
3. Wait for the product to dry.

Gore-Tex Waterproofing Alternative #1

Another protective product for Gore-Tex shoes, which is also designed to impart water-repellent properties, is Tarrago Trekking Oil Protector spray. This unique product, made from natural fats, not only protects Gore-Tex boots from getting wet, but also makes the material soft, elastic and moisturized, which significantly extends the life of the product.

Before applying impregnation for shoes Tarrago Trekking Oil Protector, it is necessary to clean the shoes from surface contaminants, then shake the can vigorously and spray the spray onto the goretext product from a 20-centimeter distance. You can use a product coated with Tarrago Trekking Oil Protector anti-water and mud shoe spray within 10 minutes. Yes, yes, this is not a typo, it is after such a short period of time that the protection of shoes from water will become maximum.

Alternate Gore-Tex Waterproofing Option #2

Especially for hiking, mountain and hunting shoes made of gore-tex, as well as for clothing made from such material, the Tarrago company produces universal water-repellent impregnation Trekking Water Protector. It effectively protects not only from rain and moisture, but also from dirt, as well as all kinds of oils and fats. How to use Trekking Water Protector? Just like the previously mentioned Tarrago Trekking Oil Protector.

How to Restore the Color of Gore-Tex Products

This is very easy to do if you have Tarrago Nano Nubuck Renovator repair spray on hand. This product refreshes the original color of shoes or clothing, eliminates lightened areas and provides reliable protection from getting wet.

How to use Tarrago Nano Nubuck Renovator Spray to restore the color of Gore-Tex clothing or shoes

1. Clean the product from dust and dried dirt using a brush.
2. Shake the container with the product.
3. Apply the reducer to clothing or shoes with a Gore-Tex membrane from a distance of 20 cm.
4. Wait for it to dry.

Alternative color restoration option for Gore-Tex products

If for some reason you do not want to use Tarrago Nano Nubuck Renovator or such a product is not sold in your city, we recommend using Nano Leather Refresh. This product restores the original color of Gore-Tex products, protects them from getting wet and extends their service life due to the presence of natural lanolin. For maximum effect, we strongly recommend using this restorer regularly! The product should be used using the same technology as Tarrago Nano Protector.

How to Extend the Life of Gore-Tex Shoes

Use Tarrago Nano Cream nourishing balm for these purposes. The uniqueness of this tool lies in the fact that it performs three functions at once, such as:

• material saturation useful components, extending its service life;
• reliable protection against water and moisture, based on revolutionary nanotechnology;
• protection from dirt.

Tarrago Nano Cream balm consists of 31% natural beeswax - a product known for its softening, regenerating and nourishing properties. Regular use of the product is a guarantee that the treated product will retain its “store-bought” appearance and the structure of the material from which it is made for many years.

How to Use Tarrago Nano Cream to Extend the Life of Gore-Tex Shoes

1. Apply the product to the product with a dry and clean cloth.
2. Distribute the product over the entire surface of the shoe with strong pressure.
3. Wait for the balm to dry completely (~ 4 minutes).
4. Polish your shoes with a brush or soft cloth.

An alternative option for extending the life of Gore-Tex shoes

Another product from the Spanish brand, which is designed to increase the service life of Gore-Tex products, is Tarrago Nano Leather Wax, a wax-containing shoe polish. This shoe cosmetics nourishes the material with useful components that reduce the risk of its destruction, restores the original color of the product and protects it from getting wet.

Before applying the cream wax, you must thoroughly clean the surface of the shoe from dust and dirt, after which you should press the tube until a small amount of product appears from the hole in the applicator. Spread this product over the surface of the shoes, wait until dry and polish the shoes.

As you can see, the Gore-Tex membrane is a completely unpretentious material in terms of care and protection. By spending a maximum of an hour, you can easily restore Gore-Tex shoes and give them dirt- and water-repellent properties.

Comprehensive care for Gore-Tex products was last modified: August 8th, 2018 by Pro Boot Black

GunsRu_User_2012 12-08-2013 12:31

Good day everyone! Dear forum members and experts on this problem, help me choose socks for shoes with a membrane, such as Belek 700. The problem is this: with ordinary cotton socks, after using the shoes for a short time, the socks are slightly damp and the lining in the shoe, accordingly, too. Whatever is good and quite uncomfortable. Maybe, of course, this is the case for everyone, but they often write “dry feet.” I understand that cotton socks are not very friendly with shoes with a membrane, I have seen an opinion that socks with a high synthetic content are suitable. Tell us who uses what socks, and if possible, provide a link to the store (or at least the full name of the socks). Many thanks to everyone who responded and gave good advice.

GunsRu_User_2012 12-08-2013 22:41

There are Coolmaxes, but to be honest, I didn’t notice the effect of “dry feet”. Feels like cotton. I don't even know what's wrong...

Vladimir Parkov 13-08-2013 01:35

Rafa16rus 13-08-2013 12:58

quote: Originally posted by Vladimir Parkov:

Take socks with coolmax from normal companies. You took good shoes, not Slavovsk ones)))
And now I’m hustling, otherwise they’ll throw me for rafting)))

No, we won’t throw it. But socks from "Splav" with coolmax, yes, they are a thing!

monitor lizard 13-08-2013 15:23

Alloy socks are normal. I recommend ridge, vertx or slope. I didn't really like the cascades. But the seamless trekking ones from the second message are cotton, so I don’t recommend wearing membrane shoes, although the socks themselves are excellent.
Foggy: Do you have experience using streams? You can do it in PM or by mail.

Foggy 13-08-2013 16:11

quote: Originally posted by monitor lizard:

Foggy: Do you have experience using streams? You can do it in PM or by mail.

my staple socks since October last year. what I walked - everything is in them.
no complaints.

GunsRu_User_2012 22-08-2013 12:02

Thanks everyone for the advice. The vector of movement is clear. Then just try =))

DiEgoXXX 22-08-2013 05:19

If finances allow, then such http://www.startfitness.co.uk/...chStartRecord=1 no complaints, except that the right one is different from the left one, in the dark you can’t put on the first one you come across

doropey 27-08-2013 09:49

These are just socks - take any you like appearance and price. Any socks will keep your feet slightly damp. The main thing is that your feet don’t get too full and calluses don’t appear.
PS: Soon it will come to choosing tactical toilet paper.

Balamooth 27-08-2013 15:00

quote: Originally posted by doropey:
Soon it will come to choosing tactical toilet paper.

That's a long time ago.

MishanovMM 01-09-2013 14:59

x-socks brand socks

uochnik 04-09-2013 18:47

I took one pair at the beginning of last year before another business trip to the mountains. After six months of wearing socks together with ankle boots, there are no complaints. The socks have successfully survived several more trips, and between them I wear them every day. I now constantly wear the Slope model (the same pair) with trekking sneakers (with a membrane) in one republic with a very hot climate (at least by Moscow standards), I’m happy with the socks.