Proper care and maintenance are important for your ALFA boots to stay dry and neat over time. Real leather is like an extra layer of skin, a natural raw material that needs care to maintain quality. Here you will get a thorough introduction to how to take good care of your ALFA boots.
With ALFA's full grain leather maintenance kit you get all the products you need to maintain your shoes, so that you get good hiking experience regardless of the weather for many years to come.
How often you have to take care of your boots depends on how much you wear them. If you see that the boots begin to draw water (dark spots) at certain points, it is time to reimpregnate. Before longer trips or before hunting, it is important that the boots receive a full treatment. On boots that are properly impregnated and treated, the water will pearl off as droplets, meaning that the leather is protected. You can apply shoe polish as often as you would like. The right kind of care can significantly extend the lifespan of your boots.
The insoles absorb a lot of the moisture and dry faster when taken out of the boot. They should therefore be removed after each long trip so that the boots are allowed to air out properly and dry up well. This is especially important to keep in mind for multi-day hikes. In an ideal world, a leather boot should be allowed to dry for at least 24 hours before being used again.
Never put away dirty boots. If you are going to wash, brush or impregnate the boots, you should also remove the laces so that you can get to the material underneath them. When the insoles and laces are removed, clean off the dirt.
Generally, brushing with the Alfa Leather Brush and cleaning under lukewarm running water with a little dish soap will be enough. For particularly dirty boots use the Alfa Clean & Refresh shoe cleaning spray to effectively remove stains and dirt.
Instructions:
1. Remove the majority of the dirt with a damp cloth.
2. Shake the bottle and spray evenly on the shoes or boots.
3. Use a damp cloth to remove the remaining dirt.
4. If necessary, rinse under the tap and dry your shoes or boots off with a cloth.
5. Repeat the steps if necessary and then impregnate the shoes afterwards.
The outer material of the cleaned shoes has more open pores and will absorb water more easily. Thus, your shoes or boots need to be impregnated to keep your feet dry.
If you cleaned your shoes with water, they need to dry well before any further treatment. It's best to leave them out at room temperature for 24 hours. If you washed the inside, you can fill your shoes with newspaper for 30 minutes first to absorb the majority of the moisture.
Your shoes do not withstand heat and we recommend not going above 37 degrees when drying your shoes. Never place your boots on a radiator, near the oven or any other heat source. Wet leather can easily be damaged by excessive drying; it becomes brittle and shrinks, often resulting in cracks in exposed areas.
Shoe polish nourishes, softens and moisturizes the material while giving back the colour to the leather, thus extending the lifespan of your boots. The ALFA Shoe Cream comes in black and brown, is water-based and contains only natural ingredients.
Instructions:
1. Apply the shoe polish with a cloth.
2. Let it dry and then brush over the boots with a cloth or brush.
Thats it!
Our care products will maintain the breathability of the shoes. The ALFA Leather Wax is a natural wax that impregnates and protects against water and dirt.
For easier impregnation, the ALFA Protection and Waterproofing Spray can be used.
Instructions:
1. Apply the wax with a cloth.
2. Wait for about 10 minutes before polishing the boots with a cloth or brush.
A good wax layer protects against dirt, tears and damage to the leather.
Store your shoes in a dry and well-aired place, where it's not too hot. Never keep your wet shoes in damp rooms or in the car, to prevent mold, discolouration and, not least, bad odours. Do not store your boots on heated floors with underheating, as this dries out the rubber and shortens the lifespan of the sole, as well as making the soles lose their grip.
