For winter dry feet & 100s of motorway miles I've never had any leather kit that was waterproof for more than a little drizzle unless it had a built in goretex liner (SIDI)..............sooo
If doing lots o miles day in day out - Replace with wellies = cheaper than leather waterproofer (aka snake oil Mk2 right up there with ciggies buy it , make it disappear and buy some more..now where's that pot of manufactures glee.........).
Buy goretex boot liners but wellies are even cheaper
Buy Goretex boots (not shite Dainese colanders tho = my EU summer boots) wellies are cheaper
Don't buy rigger wellies/safety wellies buy cheap cheap wellies available in a range of colours including manly black........wellies, like waterlogged leather boots, are not warm, so spend some of the savings on cashmere socks mmm toastie got mine on right now.......
Concur.
The only waterproof leather boots I have ever owned were Sidi Goretex. Two pairs. Pricey, but.. My current pair are almost soleless but I can still step into the margins of a stream for fly fishing wearing them and have dry feet. Unless I slip on a rock..
As a poor 365 day per year rider in Scotland I ended up using game keepers gaiters over my boots and under my troos. As effective as they were ugly.
Winter boots a 1/2 size to big, leaving room for good socks (x3) and air for insulation.
I've ridden in forestry wellies. Great boot, awful on a bike! Your bog standard, budget, wellie is the first thing to come off in a bin. (I have practiced.) Easy on, easy off.
Apart from that, yep. Dry and easy to keep your tootsies warm.
Then I moved to NZ.
Sidis as mentioned. I also have a pair of Gaerne Trials boots which I use the leder balsam / gris on. Obviously they are not being water blasted at motorway speeds on my 125 trials bike, but they do spend a lot of time caked in a kilo or 3 of clay and mud with regular dabs in quagmires. They are still dry right up to the top......
The leather grease must be pretty good because the Gaernes are cut and the smooth surface torn off in a lot of areas. They are also very wrinkled with my off road shenanigans. Better than nikwax? Dunno.
Edited by harvey krumpet, 13 December 2017 - 05:51 am.