Waterproof Clarks Desert Boots with Sno-Seal

I purchased a pair of the classic Clarks Desert boots in beeswax leather, and decided I better waterproof them.

I searched a few forums for the best leather waterproofing product, and Sno-Seal seemed to be mentioned the most with good reviews. It’s an all natural product made of beeswax, and doesn’t have a chemical smell, which is a big plus.

Here are some shots of the boots before the waterproofing:

One thing to keep in mind about the Sno-Seal is that it will darken the leather, but that wasn’t something I was concerned about.

The process was mostly straightforward. I preheated my oven to the lowest temperature, and put one boot in at a time for a few minutes. The heat allows the Sno-Seal to be absorbed into the leather. You could also use a hairdryer, or any other type of heat source. When I took one boot out of the oven to apply the Sno-Seal, I put the other one in. When applying the Sno-Seal make sure to use a lot around the seam of the boot- really apply it liberally. I ended up doing two coats. On the final coat it’s really important to wipe off all the excess beeswax with a soft rag. It may be necessary to heat the boots up a final time to get all the excess off.

Here are some shots of the boots after the waterproofing:

Overall, I’m happy with how they turned out. I think the darker color looks good, and the waterproofing definitely works, as you can see:

Bring on the water!