Leather Boots in Winter

[BrentD22]

I've heard applying water proofer to boots isn't good...

I heard that the waterproofing takes away any kind of breathability. I'm not sure if it really is true. Does anyone know?

 

[Gris]

Dr. Wu, can't hike Chocorua this weekend 'cause i'm back in Fla. - likley 'til March - psyching myself up for shoulder surgery. But i'll agree leather boots w/o ANY liner, Gore-Tex, insulation or otherwise is pushing it on the snow and ice!

As far as the WP boots issue, the way i always understood it is waterproofing and G-Tex liners, etc., are good in situations where you can in fact keep water out and are not worried about over-heating. They only seem to become a liability when dealing with long term exposure to or torrential rain and/or overheating issues like on a long-distance thru-hike or summer hiking (the theory being that once that stuff gets soaked it'll never dry). I don't think breathability is a big concern in winter footwear. How breathable can plastics be?

 

[dolladoj]

I heard that the waterproofing takes away any kind of breathability. I'm not sure if it really is true. Does anyone know?

I use Sno-Seal™ Original Beeswax on my 4-season leathers. And according to campmor the description of the product says: "Does not interfere with the natural breathability of leather."

Also, I came across this related article from Alaska Mountaineering Full Source :

The old cliché "what goes around comes around" sure applies to leather boots. Days of lore when leather ruled the hiking, climbing and altitude game passed to double plastic boots in the 1980's but leather has resurfaced with a vengeance. Today’s high-end-game leather boots are lighter, slighter-built and have a better fit over their cousins of yesteryear.

When compared to plastic boots for climbing, leather mountaineering boots offer a trimmer profile, and greater sensitivity and control. Their semi-rigid sole offers enough support under foot for long stretches of front pointing yet have a soft ankle cuff that promotes both fore and aft, and side to side articulation which excels on both moderate and steep terrain that plastic boots cannot rival.