Boots: do expensive products ie Nikwax, actually work?

I've written about waterproof boots (and the impossibility of finding such a thing) many times.

(*quavering old-lady voice*)

Many, many times.....

*grins*

But here's a variation on a theme: if you accept that I have given up on finding any product that will make my leather work-boots waterproof, then is is still worth treating the leather, to keep it supple and lovely?

I started a new pair of work boots a couple of months back, and I made a resolution that I would keep the leather in tip-top condition, and see if that helped with the whole "lack of water proof ness" problem. This was due to several comments I'd received on other articles, stating that it was vital to keep the leather in good condition, otherwise no so-called waterproofing product would work, anyway.

So I started out using Nikwax on the left boot, and cheap old handcream on the right boot.

This was because I had bought some Nikwax to try to waterproof an earlier pair - I don't know why I keep on buying it, I've tried Nikwax over the years on horsey gear, on walking gear, and now on working gear, and it has never worked in the past. But heyho, always willing to try... I'd bought a new tube of the stuff, it failed... but I thought I would give it one more try, as a leather conditioner.

The other one was treated in literally any old hand cream which I happened to have to hand. I think it was Atrixo, but frankly they are all pretty much the same stuff.

So, at least 2-3 times a week, the left boot received some Nikwax, and the right boot received an equal amount of Atrixo, rubbed in for the same amount of time.

And here's the result: both boots have sogged up equal amounts of water.

There is no discernible difference between them, at all.

To remind you, the left boot (that's the one with my left foot inside it, so it's the one on the right, in the photo) had expensive Nikwax rubbed into it.

The other had cheap hand-cream.

By the end of the day, the water had soaked right the way up the boots - right - and there was no difference at all between one boot and the other.

There was a slight difference when applying the product: Nikwax tended to have a very inconsistent consistency, if you see what I mean: sometimes it would be thick and toothpasty, other times it would run off the boot and trickle onto the newspaper.  (Yes, I clean and treat my boots on newspaper, to prevent damage to my carpets. Aren't I good?! )  And yes, I did shake the tube beforehand, it just seemed to be quite hard to mix. The handcream, on the other hand, was super-easy to use, being the same texture all the way through.

They were both absorbed equally well: possibly the hand cream was a little easier to work in properly, as it had a creamier texture.

And the handcream had the added advantage that if I'd applied too much, I could just rub the excess into my hands, ha! ha!  I would not be doing that with the Nikwax....

So, dear readers, I can assure you that if you want to apply any conditioning product to your leather boots, you might as well treat them as though they are your hands, and just use your normal hand cream on them.

In fact, this is the perfect use for all those over-perfumed fancy hand creams which well-meaning people give as gifts, especially at the Christmas end of the year!

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