Photo shows LOWA Z-8 GTX® boots after hard use in open country – the split leather uppers are wet and covered with dirt.

Dirt and moisture have little effect on LOWA Boots if they are properly taken care of. Your boots lifespan can be significantly extended with  proper care. Leather is a natural, raw material and in order to maintain its exceptional qualities, proper care is essential.

NEW boots, right out of the box that have just been purchased, DO NOT need to be waterproofed. The leather already has been pre-treated.  We recommend applying Water Stop to your boots based on usage.  Heavily worn boots need to be waterproofed more often. You will notice that the water is not beading/rolling off any longer.  3/4 months would be our first recommendation, again based on use. 

Air dry wet or dirty boots in a well-ventilated room. Do not place boots near any heat source. This can cause leather to shrink and crack. Remove the laces, which will help the leather care products reach the recessed areas of the boots, and remove the insole. Removing the insole is very important, particularly after a multi-day hike, since moisture tends to collect under the insole.

Thoroughly brush your boots, using a LOWA Polishing Brush. This helps make the leather breathable once again. Clean boots with warm water. If boots are very dirty, use a lukewarm soap solution like LOWA Shoe Clean, this opens the pores of the leather, Thoroughly rinse the boots. The leather is now in an unprotected condition: It will absorb any water that comes in contact with it. Do not dry boots in the sun, in a bathroom, next to a heating unit, in an oven or in a hot car. Damp leather can become brittle and prone to shrinking and cracking. Boots can develop mildew if you store them in a damp area.

Your boots should be slightly damp when you apply waterproofing spray (e.g.LOWA Water Stop PRO). The pores of damp leather are wide open, enabling the waterproofing spray to penetrate deeply into the material. The spray reaches its greatest level of effectiveness after 24 hours – at that point, your boots will then be water and dirt-repellent once again. Regular waterproofing treatments will repel water and dirt. The breathability of the leather will be maintained, but the leather will not absorb water and it will be water repellent, making the boots completely protected. You should treat your boots once again before you set off on your next outing. (The spray’s effect begins to wear off after about three weeks.)

If you wear your boots frequently and often get them wet, regularly treat your boots including GORE-TEX footwear. Poorly main­tained leather dries out, becomes brittle and cracks, and ulti­mately, the boots will become irre­parably damaged. Apply LOWA Active Cream with a LOWA Shoe Care Brush, allowing enough time to dry out. Treat your boots prior to your next trip. Do not use any pure oils or fats on your boots. These treatments close the pores of the leather, causing boots to lose their breath­ability. Oils or fats can loosen the adhesives used to bond the boots’ soles to the uppers. Use of this kind of products will null and void your warranty. 

Nubuck and split (suede) leather footwear will become smoother, shinier and darker when LOWA Active Cream is applied. Polish the suede leather with the. LOWA Triangle Brush. Please note: the original look will change to a certain degree.

Store your shoes in a shoe bag or box in a dry, well-vent­ilated place. Use a wooden shoe tree to maintain your boots’ form. It will preserve the boots’ shape and prevent creases from forming. As an alternative, you can stuff crumpled newspaper in the toe of the boots. The paper will absorb moisture and help preserve the shape of the boot. Change the paper every day until the boots are dry.