Experience with waterproofing spray for cloth walking shoes?

Stephan the Painter · Dec 21, 2023

I’m considering using a spray waterproofer for the cloth trail runners I’ll taking with me to walk in Spain this spring. Has anybody tried this?

Normally, I wouldn’t consider waterproof shoes because of the perspiration and drying times, but I live in a bit of a wet place, and even walking through some wet grass was soaking my feet. So I tried some spray on the cloth walking shoes I have, and was happy with the results.

In an ideal world, the spray would just make the shoes water resistant as opposed to waterproof, so I wouldn’t lose the breathability? What say ye, hive mind?

EDIT:
I think after reading these good comments below, the real question for me is whether:
If you use a spray waterproofing on fabric shoes, does it change the drying time of the shoes if they get really soaked?

Rick of Rick and Peg · Dec 21, 2023

Stephan the Painter said:
What say ye, hive mind?

"DWR"

That's an easily searchable abbreviation for Durable Water Repellent. It is not waterproofing. It can be applied by washing or spraying. Fairly effective on jackets because it causes water to bead and then gravity causes the bead to roll off instead of seeping into the fabric and weave.

I'm skeptical about how well DWR would work on shoes. First the fabric should be clean for the application and shoes get dirtier than jackets. Second, I wonder about how well the beads of water would run off the flatter part of the shoes, the tongue and the area above the toes. Third, there will be more abrasion to the DWR applied to shoes than to jackets, think of grass and dust (you're wearing shoes on dry days too).

Oh, the good part of DWR is that it should leave your shoes breathable.

I'm giving you more information than any kind of report about how DWR has worked for me; I haven't used it on shoes. I've decided that I can handle wet feet as long as the weather is warm enough.

I ran a Google search for

how DWR works shoes

and got pretty good information.

Stephan the Painter · Dec 21, 2023

Rick of Rick and Peg said:
"DWR"

That's an easily searchable abbreviation for Durable Water Repellent. It is not waterproofing. It can be applied by washing or spraying. Fairly effective on jackets because it causes water to bead and then gravity causes the bead to roll off instead of seeping into the fabric and weave.

I'm skeptical about how well DWR would work on shoes. First the fabric should be clean for the application and shoes get dirtier than jackets. Second, I wonder about how well the beads of water would run off the flatter part of the shoes, the tongue and the area above the toes. Third, there will be more abrasion to the DWR applied to shoes than to jackets, think of grass and dust (you're wearing shoes on dry days too).

Oh, the good part of DWR is that it should leave your shoes breathable.

I'm giving you more information than any kind of report about how DWR has worked for me; I haven't used it on shoes. I've decided that I can handle wet feet as long as the weather is warm enough.

I ran a Google search for

how DWR works shoes
and got pretty good information.

Good points. I did try it on some Hoka shoes I am using to walk locally. And it did work well for wet grass and drizzle. I did thoroughly clean them beforehand. But what I haven’t done is walk 15-20 km in them or seen how they dried off after they are soaked with water.

And good advice on your search terms, I’ll take a look.

StephenBurnett · Dec 21, 2023

I’ve used the spray from shoe shops many times , each time we get a new pair of runners and it works well on light rain for a good time. (Nearly all day) I do recoat every year. I also spray leather hiking shoes especially around the laces and on top. Generally works well . I’ve no problem with feet getting too hot.

This time walking in April, I’m thinking of getting a pair of sock protectors and sewing some fabric on to cover the tops of my shoes and really waterproofing that . I like to walk in shorts and not pants so I’m looking at stopping lots of rain getting on top of the shoes. I’ll be trying this out over the next few months .

Rick of Rick and Peg · Dec 21, 2023

Stephen's post puts two thoughts into my head.

One or more webpages from my search said to apply DWR or waterproofing with the shoe's lacing off (and I say be sure to do the entire tongue).

Sock protectors made me think of gaiters. Waterproof but removable for breathability after the dew dries.

StephenBurnett · Dec 22, 2023

Rick of Rick and Peg said:
Stephen's post puts two thoughts into my head.

One or more webpages from my search said to apply DWR or waterproofing with the shoe's lacing off (and I say be sure to do the entire tongue).

Sock protectors made me think of gaiters. Waterproof but removable for breathability after the dew dries.

Certainly I always loosen the laces and give the tongue.

I’ve worn gaiters when hiking but find them too heavy. Especially if I have to carry them when not needed, but for this long walk, I’m looking fo lighter weight. I currently use the sick protectors while mowing etc and you can hardly feel they are there. The sick protectors will help with water running down the socks and into the shoes.

I just reminded myself of an old saying 45 odd years ago, when I started hiking o was told that a pound on the feet is equivalent to 5 pounds I. The backpack. I don’t really know if it’s true but rings well with me to keep the footwear light. Also it also shows it’s pre decimal conversion here in Australia.

MikeJS · Dec 22, 2023

Never found any DWR that works for my golf shoes so never bothered for my walking shoes. I never worry about my feet getting wet, they dry out soon enough and even on the occasionally very wet days (rain and rivers) it has not been an issue.

Introibo · Dec 22, 2023

If only my dear mother, whose memory I cherish across the vale of years, were still alive she could have contributed to this thread. Having bought her first pair of fabric walking boots she was kindly given a tin of water repellent spray to proof them with. The following morning, after showering and without the benefit of her glasses, she mistook it for hairspray! I can't say how it performed on the boots but it held her hair impressively static for several days.
Hope this helps in some way.

Tandem Graham · Dec 22, 2023

I have experimented with DWR sprays on running shoes. The spray is effective at keeping out moisture on fabric with a tight weave, but less so on fabric with a more open weave. Of course the open weave is more breathable, which is an important reason for choosing fabric shoes (rather than leather).
This is the dichotomy which Goretex and the like are attempting to overcome. Personally I find that once Goretex gets dirty it's much less breathable, and on a dusty 800 km hike, it gets dirty quickly and stays dirty!
With regard to walking through wet grass, I find that waterproof socks (over thin wool liners) inside highly breathable shoes allow the shoes to get wet, but not the feet. The shoes quickly dry - another advantage of their breathability - as the sun comes out or hot asphalt, gravel or concrete heats them up. Once the threat of more wet grass recedes, I remove the waterproof socks.
Like Stephen Burnett, I usually walk in shorts and find that heavy rain results in water running down my calves and into the shoes, which no amount of spraying the fabric will fix! As long as waterproof socks and liner form a substantial barrier to the resulting stream, that combo helps in this scenario too.

Camineiro · Dec 22, 2023

Introibo said:
If only my dear mother, whose memory I cherish across the vale of years, were still alive she could have contributed to this thread. Having bought her first pair of fabric walking boots she was kindly given a tin of water repellent spray to proof them with. The following morning, after showering and without the benefit of her glasses, she mistook it for hairspray! I can't say how it performed on the boots but it held her hair impressively static for several days.
Hope this helps in some way.

I can hear you laughing ... to match your profile picture

Rick of Rick and Peg · Dec 22, 2023

If I were to try waterproof socks or the GoreTex and similar versions I would experiment by trying them out with a triple layer sandwich with the waterproof in the middle so the coating would be protected. This likely would prove to be too warm though.

LindaGRobert · Dec 22, 2023

Stephan the Painter said:
I’m considering using a spray waterproofer for the cloth trail runners I’ll taking with me to walk in Spain this spring. Has anybody tried this?

Normally, I wouldn’t consider waterproof shoes because of the perspiration and drying times, but I live in a bit of a wet place, and even walking through some wet grass was soaking my feet. So I tried some spray on the cloth walking shoes I have, and was happy with the results.

In an ideal world, the spray would just make the shoes water resistant as opposed to waterproof, so I wouldn’t lose the breathability? What say ye, hive mind?

I think it's a great idea ! I tried, vaseline, - don't laugh. I needed to figure out something when I was there. My favorite pair of shoes were drying and was stuck wearing by 'not so favorite', so I thought putting Vaseline on my good pair, would make them more water resistant, ... and it worked for the misty rain, but not for the heavy rain. So if you have an extra pair ready to go (sprayed and all) you should be good to go.

benny aumala · Dec 22, 2023

Light or heavy rubbing this?

dfox · Dec 22, 2023

Even though "stuff" made of Gore-tex is a little bit pricy, it saves me not to carry spray-can and time to re-spray. A quality Gore-tex material is waterproof, breathable, and windproof.

Stephan the Painter · Dec 22, 2023

I think after reading these good comments, the real question for me is whether:
If you use a spray waterproofing on fabric shoes, does it change the drying time of the shoes if they get really soaked?

I think if it’s pouring rain, no matter what you do your feet are going to get soaked. My desire was more to get rid of nuisance wetness, like walking through wet grass or a light drizzle. But if they do get soaked, and then it takes an extra day for them to dry, that would be defeating the purpose.

Perhaps looking to do it is to run a test and one treated you and one untreated she’ll come out unless somebody else can chime in about that?

I actually used Nikwax on my shoes at home which worked well. Nikwax makes a nontoxic spray created expressly for this purpose. Hoka recommended melted wax or the Nikwax spray if you wanted to waterproof your shoes.

JerryStroebele · Dec 22, 2023

Extremely light calf-high gaiters are available but pricey. But worth it to keep rain from draining into your shoes or boots. Mine are from Zpacks. Buen Camino

Rick of Rick and Peg · Dec 22, 2023

Wearing shorts is a good idea in the rain but if you do wear trousers and gaiters wear the gaiters underneath the trousers to help prevent rainwater from working its way into your shoes.

Optimistic Traveler · Dec 22, 2023

StephenBurnett said:
Certainly I always loosen the laces and give the tongue.

I’ve worn gaiters when hiking but find them too heavy. Especially if I have to carry them when not needed, but for this long walk, I’m looking fo lighter weight. I currently use the sick protectors while mowing etc and you can hardly feel they are there. The sick protectors will help with water running down the socks and into the shoes.

I just reminded myself of an old saying 45 odd years ago, when I started hiking o was told that a pound on the feet is equivalent to 5 pounds I. The backpack. I don’t really know if it’s true but rings well with me to keep the footwear light. Also it also shows it’s pre decimal conversion here in Australia.

These Dirty Girl Gaiters are very lightweight - might be something to consider. They even have a camino pattern! It looks like REI also has other, similarly lightweight gaiters.

Stephan the Painter · Dec 22, 2023

StephenBurnett said:
I’ve used the spray from shoe shops many times , each time we get a new pair of runners and it works well on light rain for a good time. (Nearly all day) I do recoat every year. I also spray leather hiking shoes especially around the laces and on top. Generally works well . I’ve no problem with feet getting too hot.

Did you notice if the cloth shoes took longer to dry once they got very wet, say after a torrential rain storm when nothing stays dry? I'd like to use the spray, my only hesitation is that I might unnecessarily walk around in damp shoes for a day or two when I'm on the trail....?

StephenBurnett · Dec 23, 2023

Stephan the Painter said:
Did you notice if the cloth shoes took longer to dry once they got very wet, say after a torrential rain storm when nothing stays dry? I'd like to use the spray, my only hesitation is that I might unnecessarily walk around in damp shoes for a day or two when I'm on the trail....?

Stephan, it’s hard to compare. As the sprayed shoes haven’t ever become as wet as the unsprayed. The sprayed shoes don’t appear to take any longer to dry. It depends on the weave of the fabric, really. How open the weave is. Water vapour when drying is smaller molecule than water droplets getting in, so theoretically they should dry ok and also dry from the inside surface of the shoe as well.

Sorry I can’t be of much a help I don’t remember ever having a really soaking pair of treated fabric shoes.

David61 · Dec 23, 2023

Stephan the Painter said:
I’m considering using a spray waterproofer for the cloth trail runners I’ll taking with me to walk in Spain this spring. Has anybody tried this?

Normally, I wouldn’t consider waterproof shoes because of the perspiration and drying times, but I live in a bit of a wet place, and even walking through some wet grass was soaking my feet. So I tried some spray on the cloth walking shoes I have, and was happy with the results.

In an ideal world, the spray would just make the shoes water resistant as opposed to waterproof, so I wouldn’t lose the breathability? What say ye, hive mind?

EDIT:
I think after reading these good comments below, the real question for me is whether:
If you use a spray waterproofing on fabric shoes, does it change the drying time of the shoes if they get really soaked?

You wish to make your shoes water resistant? Such resistance is futile

C clearly · Dec 25, 2023

Stephan the Painter said:
the cloth trail runners

Stephan the Painter said:
Did you notice if the cloth shoes took longer to dry once they got very wet,

I am not sure what kind of "cloth" you are talking about. It makes me think of the old canvas shoes we used to wear, which might take some time to dry. Nowadays, most sports shoes are a more open weave of synthetic fibers that don't hold much water, so the drying time would be minimal except maybe for the inner soles. And those inner shoes won't be affected by the waterproofing spray.

I don't see any harm in spraying the shoes. Maybe you would get the benefit of some beading of water when you pass through wet grass, but I doubt that they would be more waterproof than that. Personally, I have found that Gortex shoes help with wet grass and mild rain, but not much in serious rain.

Stephan the Painter · Dec 25, 2023

C clearly said:
I am not sure what kind of "cloth" you are talking about. It makes me think of the old canvas shoes we used to wear, which might take some time to dry. Nowadays, most sports shoes are a more open weave of synthetic fibers that don't hold much water, so the drying time would be minimal except maybe for the inner soles. And those inner shoes won't be affected by the waterproofing spray.

I don't see any harm in spraying the shoes. Maybe you would get the benefit of some beading of water when you pass through wet grass, but I doubt that they would be more waterproof than that. Personally, I have found that Gortex shoes help with wet grass and mild rain, but not much in serious rain.

Yes, I was talking about the synthetic cloth that are used to make most running or trail running shoes. They might be different materials, but they appear pretty similar when I stand in the shoe store.

I’ve already done this, and spraying my at home HOKAS does solve the wet grass problem. My socks don’t get wet, which was happening before I sprayed them. And the shoes seem to dry by the next day or earlier once they’re inside without doing anything.

Whether it changes the drying time if they get soaked is still the question. Probably not, I think. But perhaps the only way for me to find out for myself, is to run an experiment.…

Stephan the Painter · Jan 8, 2024

Just as a follow-up, I tried the Nikwax shoe spray on some of my cloth Hoka trail runners, and it seems to work fine. They never got really soaked to see about drying times, but it seems to do a good job of preventing wetness from drizzle or wet grass.

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Experience with waterproofing spray for cloth walking shoes?

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