How to Take Care of Men’s Hiking Shoes

When thinking of men’s hiking shoes certain images come to mind. One imagines rugged, swarthy men tramping over hill and over dale, unwashed, unshaven, and very happy. Those images are somewhat iconic because they are of the truth. Hiking is great fun and great for the health but those poor hiking shoes tend to get neglected.

The last thing that a hiker should neglect is their footwear. They are the foundation of the whole enterprise. If you take care of the shoes then the shoes will take care of you. After all, they will be your boon companions over the upcoming miles.

The fist step in the proper care of your boots is to begin with purchasing the right ones for your feet and for your terrain. So many types and styles can make shopping for men’s hiking boots confusing. You will do well to go to a trusted dealer to get more personal and professional help. You need them to fit correctly and be suited for the type of hiking you will be doing. This step cannot be stressed enough.

Once you have the proper footwear you must take the steps to break them in properly before taking them out on the trail. You may well save yourself some serious misery, if not injury, by doing so. Ill-fitting new shoes have been know to cause crippling blisters far from home, and this is not a desirable position to be in. Wear them around the house and in the neighborhood for a long enough time that they will not chafe from stiffness later.

When you are on the trail there are going to be two major steps to take to insure the care and life of your boots. The first step is to try and keep them as dry as possible. Even men’s waterproof hiking shoes, made out of slick water resistent materials, need to be dried out properly after getting wet. On the trail it may be difficult to do so but when you get back home it is easy. Simply stuff them loosely with newspaper, and keep them in a warm airy space for a few days.

Speaking of heated areas, you never want to get your shoes near excessive heat. This means you do not dry your footwear by the fire in the evenings, period. Heat destroys the materials that are used in the construction of the boots, and can shrink and warp them out of shape quickly. If they get distorted they will no longer fit properly and then you could find yourself in trouble. While hiking, do your best to keep them warm and dry, but use the natural sunlight and air, and keep them away from open flames.

Finally, you simply want to keep your best men’s hiking shoes clean. Remove as much mud and grime as you can while hiking. When you get home, you can clean them easily enough with a stiff scrub brush. Do not use water or cleaners; just scrub them with a stiff brush and they will be fine. By treating your boots accordingly they will last much longer and retain their value to you then if you allowed them to remain dirty, wet, and overheated. Take care of your men’s hiking shoe so it can take care of you.