5 rules for choosing shoes that do not get wet in slush

Rubber shoes do not get wet in the rain and slush, but it is only suitable for walks in the park and trips to the country. In everyday life you have to wear ordinary boots, boots and shoes, which in most cases begin to make champing sounds after 10-15 minutes of being outdoors in inclement weather. To avoid such situations, you need to choose the right shoes and provide them with suitable care.

How to choose shoes that don't get wet?

Most often, cheap shoes let water pass. This is due to the quality of the materials used in its manufacture: in fact, the leather substitute turns out to be paper covered with a thin layer of polyurethane, and the glue with which the top is attached to the sole is similar to PVA. At the same time, moisture seeps in from all sides and is almost lightning fast.

Rule number 1 - to buy only expensive shoes or from an average price category in stores that issue a check and are responsible for warranty obligations.

However, expensive boots or shoes made of genuine leather can also leak. This happens when they are intended for the market of those countries where dry weather is almost all year round. Manufacturers simply do not expect their products to be operated in harsh climatic conditions, so they do not care about good waterproofing.

Rule number 2 - always ask about the availability of a certificate (for children) or a declaration of conformity with technical regulations (for adult shoes).

The lower the height of the platform, the easier it is to wet your feet, since the place where the sole and the top meet is the most vulnerable to water. Shoes with thin soles - from 0.5 to 2 cm - in rainy weather it is better to leave home or wear special protective shoe covers over it.

Rule number 3 - shoes should be not only beautiful, but also functional.

It is worth paying attention to the method of attaching the sole to the top:

• Glue-piercing is categorically not suitable for walking through puddles. The holes through which the thread passes are not sealed, so they easily pass water.
• Glue is often used in cheap shoes, as well as in one that is designed for walking on dry asphalt. Such boots or shoes gain water more slowly than those made in the previous way, but they are also not recommended for use in rain and slush.
• Glue-molding (also called liquid formation) is an ideal option in wet weather, as it provides complete protection against moisture.

By the way, domestic GOSTs are allowed to produce winter shoes exclusively with fixing the sole according to the glue-injection method.

Rule number 4 - it is important to pay attention to how shoes are made.

Although most of the water penetrates the junction, the material from which the top is sewn also matters. Cloth boots, boots and shoes are not designed to be worn outdoors during rainfall, although they are impregnated with special water-repellent compounds. Natural suede is more stable and does not get wet immediately. But the skin shows the best results - if it is thick enough and properly processed, in such shoes you can stay in the rain for a long time or walk in the wet snow.

Rule number 5 - the top of the shoe should be made of the most waterproof material.

Shoe care in the rainy season

When it’s wet and dirty outside, the shoes need extra attention.If in dry weather it is enough to wipe the dusty places with a damp cloth and apply cream on the leather sections of the top, then after returning home to the rain, you should adhere to the following algorithm:

1. Wash and dry boots or shoes immediately and dry - this applies not only to the shafts, but also to the soles.
2. Check if the shoes are wet inside. If such a nuisance happened, you need to do drying. This can be done in two ways - push crumpled newspapers into the toe and heel (do not overdo it - it is important to keep in shape) or use a special electric dryer. It is strictly forbidden to put shoes near the battery.
3. When the shoe dries, it must be treated with moisture protective agents.

It is advisable to have several pairs of shoes to wear them alternately, every other day.

How to handle shoes to protect against moisture?

In order not to get your feet wet, it’s not enough to choose high-quality shoes - without proper care, even the best shoes and boots will begin to leak water.

Shop Facilities

On the shelves of stores there are three main types of protective equipment:

• Waxes and creams for leather shoes. At the same time, you need to choose an organic cream - it is he who, in contrast to emulsion, is able to provide a waterproof material.
• Sprays for suede and nubuck. Only those that contain photocarboxylic resins will be effective.

None of these remedies last forever, so treatments should be regular.

Folk ways

Even before the advent of industrial products, people came up with many recipes for treating shoes from moisture. All of them are quite effective, but they can not be called sparing. Therefore, before applying the cream prepared by our own hands on the entire surface, it is better to test its effect in a small area, choosing the most inconspicuous place for this.

For genuine leather, the following recipe is suitable:

• 0.5 teaspoon pharmacy turpentine;
• 4 teaspoons of fish oil;
• 4 teaspoons of flaxseed oil.

For artificial leather, it is better to use the following ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons of castor oil;
• 2 teaspoons of flaxseed oil;
• 1 teaspoon of grated paraffin (you can take a candle).

In both cases, you will need a steam bath. A container is placed on a bowl or pot of boiling water in which the moisture protective cream will be prepared. All components are mixed in it in the indicated proportions and heated to boiling. 2-3 minutes after the mixture begins to boil, the stove is turned off and the finished product is allowed to cool, then transferred to a clean glass jar with a lid. The shelf life of such a cream is about a month or more.

Without the use of a water bath, you can cook a universal product that is suitable for both genuine leather and a substitute. Required:

• 100 g odorless refined gasoline;
• 1 teaspoon of grated paraffin.

Both components must be mixed in a glass jar and wait for the complete dissolution of paraffin.

Any of these funds should be rubbed shoes in the evening, so that during the night it has time to soak.

Finding boots and boots that do not get wet at all in the rain and slush is not easy - but possible if you follow the rules mentioned above. In addition, it is important not to neglect the means of creating a waterproof layer on the surface of the shoe.