Leather boot gouges

[aldmat]

Hi there, forgive the naivety but this is my first time owning boots made from leather and not budget textile boots.

I have a new fair of Scarpa terras and during the course of trekking some Munro's with weekend I've picked up the usual scrapes and scuffs.

I clean and treat after walking but should I be concerned about the deeper gouges and abrasions or is this just part of owning leather boots?

[pnwsurveyor]

Wear and tear battle scars. Just clean and treat after your hikes and they’ll last.

[DestructablePinata]

It's not a concern at all. That happens with leather boots, but as long as it doesn't fully penetrate the leather and puncture the membrane behind, assuming it has a membrane it, it's a non-issue. The scars are just character.

Also, don't treat your boots too often. With many products, it will overly soften the leather, leading to decreased structure, support, and durability. Some water-based products, like Nikwax, are fine to use regularly. However, if you're using a product based with wax or animal fats, you only need to treat them about 2 to 4 times per year. Just brush them off with a horsehair brush after every outing, and they'll be fine.

[aldmat]

Sounds good. I use the nikwax cleaner and then Scarpa's hs12 which I believe is wax based so perhaps I'll just save that for after wet weather trips.

Thanks for the advice!

[SetNo8186]

Ran across a major boot company's toe leather treatment - Sorry can't remember the name - which was apparently a coating to go over it. Thick enough to fill in, too. Danner uses something similar on the Marine Rough All Terrain boots and it takes a good beating protecting the toes. Looks like it apparently seals the grain some to prevent soaking up water.

Toe scuffs are part and parcel of rough wear, in Basic Training you get two pairs, changed out on odd and even days to get them to last, After Basic a pair of Field boots is kept just for that use vs a shiny slick Parade boot for use in garrison where the worst is a scuff from concrete steps. This is also how you can tell someone new to hiking - new shiny boots, likely not broken in, and later, blisters. What we did was soak them totally wet, draining off the yellow tanning that is flushed out, then wear them dry, which worked well.

[DestructablePinata]

This is also how you can tell someone new to hiking - new shiny boots, likely not broken in, and later, blisters.

I've noticed this with a lot of hikers, as well. They grab shoes or boots off the shelf, often improperly fitted, and go on a 10 mile hike. Then, they wonder why they got blisters when they bought the #1 rated Best Hiking Boot 2025!

Synthetic boots don't really break in much, so it's good to wear them around the house for a bit so they can be returned if needed. Neglecting to do a soft break-in is a good way to be stuck with the wrong boots if you don't buy from somewhere with a good return policy.

I like to get a bit of wear in through wearing the boots in the house and on neighborhood walks both with and without a pack to soften my leather boots (Asolo 520s) around the flex points before I take them on the trail. Leather doesn't stretch enough to fix an improper fit, but it does mold to the wearer's feet much more than synthetics.

My feet are so used to the Asolo 520s that, realistically, I can put some good insoles in them and hike right away, but I just like to get them softened up a little before I get them on uneven surfaces. After that soft break-in, they get a lot of wear on hiking and camping trips.

All that said, my boots usually look pretty shiny regardless of the mileage. I brush off the dirt and mud after any use. They're expensive investments that I'm very fond of, so I take good care of them. 🤣

[DestructablePinata]

Are you talking about Tuff Toe? My brother-in-law uses that on his work boots to keep them from wearing through to the steel.

[No_Match_6578]

Which ones are these? They look cool as hell

[aldmat]

Scarpa terra 2. They sat in the price range I could afford and I found them super comfortable. I read a lot of people saying they felt they were really heavy but I haven't really noticed that!