I went through a phase where I only wore different styles of cowboy boots for months. And I had to face a lot of rain at that time.
When it rained occasionally, I didn’t bother myself with saving my cowboy boots from rain as I dried them through and through before wearing them again.
But when it began to rain regularly, I knew I had to do something about it before I found myself with cowboy boots with water damage.
So what did I do? I researched the heck out of it!
Now, if you ask me, “can you wear cowboy boots in the rain?” this is my answer:
You can wear cowboy boots in the rain as long as you take proper precautions. First, you need to use the right products to waterproof your cowboy boots if they aren’t already made with waterproof material. Then you need to dry your cowboy boots out and out every time you get them soaking wet.
Is It Okay to Wear Cowboy Boots in the Rain?
Cowboys wear cowboy boots in the rain without any problem, so why can’t you?
We often forget how tough good leather can be! Getting wet in the rain once will never hurt leather cowboy boots.
So even though cowboy boots are not made for rain, it’s possible that the leather of your cowboy boots can handle the rain.
However, if you were to wear your cowboy boots on a regular basis in the rain, they can face some water damage in the long run.
What damage, you ask?
Well, if you expose your cowboy boots to water for an indefinitely long period, the leather will become damaged, showing these signs:
- Stretched leather
- Discoloration
- Become cracked
- Get wrinkled
- Start to dry out
- Grow mold
So when any of these happen, the leather of your cowboy boots will get degenerated, which can’t be reversed and brought back to its original shape.
What then?
You make your cowboy boots waterproof all on your own!
Yes! If your cowboy boots are not made of waterproof material, you can just use specific products to make sure that rainwater cannot harm your boots.
So you can wear cowboy boots in the rain as long as you play it safe, making them waterproof by using the right commodities beforehand.
How to Waterproof Cowboy Boots for Wearing in the Rain
You can use a few different kinds of products to waterproof your leather cowboy boots. I will suggest using beeswax, waterproofing sprays, mink oil, or conditioner to save your cowboy boots from water damage.
Let me explain why and how you can use each of these products for waterproofing.
Conditioner
You know that conditioner for leather shoes is used to clean the leather property. But did you know that it could also protect and waterproof your boots as well?
Conditioners can not only moisturize your cowboy boots and prevent damage, but when used right, they can also create a shiny layer that will make your boots water-resistant.
And using these conditioners to clean and protect your cowboy boots is no big deal! Just take a look at what you need to do with them:
- First, properly clean your boots so that when you use the conditioner, the dirt doesn’t get dragged, scarring the leather.
- To get the best results and properly clean your shoes, use water and soap to take off the dirt lightly.
- Wipe off the soap and pat your leather cowboy boots dry so that no soap residue gets left behind.
- Apply your desired leather conditioner following the instructions on the box and shine the boots.
- The most important part is to make sure you add an extra layer of conditioner to help make the boots water-resistant.
- Dry the boots without heat, or else the leather might crack.
Waterproofing Sprays
You can find a lot of these sprays that are great at waterproofing cowboy boots. But here’s the thing, they are not great for leather.
Most of these waterproofing sprays have silicone in them, which can seep into the pore of the leather of your cowboy boot and not come off easily.
A build-up of silicone over time can hurt your leather cowboy boots!
So unless you need a quick fix, you should avoid using these sprays on a daily basis. However, if you can find one without silicone, it’s the easiest waterproofing method.
Why?
Because you can just spray a few coats on your boots and go on about your day in the rain without any worries.
Mink Oil
You have no idea how good mink oil is at waterproofing your leather cowboy boots!
Mink oil creates a protective layer from any kind of liquid wherever you apply it, which doesn’t let the leather absorb water into the pores.
When water doesn’t get to the pores of the leather, it can’t cause much damage in the long run, which is exactly what you need.
What causes this?
As you know, water and oil don’t tend to mix. So when mink oil gets into the pores of the leather, which it does really well, it prevents water from getting into the pore, as it’s a type of oil.
Thus your cowboy boots will stay waterproof and prevent the glue from eroding and the stitch from welting, which will help your boots last longer.
Waterproofing with mink oil:
- Use a clean cloth and put some mink oil on it.
- Take the mink oil-covered cloth and gently rub it onto the heel, pegging, and leather sole of your cowboy boots.
- Don’t put the mink oil on the entirety of your cowboy boots if you want to keep the boots breathable. But if you need the totality of the boots to be waterproof, then go ahead.
- Now finish off by buffing your cowboy boots using a microfiber cloth.
Beeswax
Among other kinds of conditioners, beeswax is one of the best for leather cowboy boots, which is great for keeping the leather nourished, rejuvenated, and, most importantly, water-resistant.
Beeswax basically works the same way mink oil does at the core level. The one reason it helps waterproof leather is that it doesn’t dissolve in water.
If you use good-quality beeswax on your cowboy boots, it will soak deep into the pores of the leather of your boots.
This, eventually, will stop water from seeping into the pores and harming the integrity of the leather because it won’t ever mix with water.
If the pores of your cowboy boots aren’t blocked by something like beeswax, water will cause immense damage in the long run.
So how do you use beeswax? Let’s look into it:
- Remove all the dirt from your cowboy boots so that the pores aren’t blocked. You can just wipe them clean with a towel, but I recommend wiping them with soapy water.
- Pat the boots dry before you start applying beeswax so that water doesn’t get locked into the pores. You can leave your boots to air dry for a bit to make sure every bit of moisture evaporates.
- Meanwhile, start melting your beeswax in a pan over a flame, as you can’t get the best results without melting it.
- Get a small amount of beeswax on a clean towel and rub it on the parts of your cowboy boots that you want to make water-resistant. Don’t get alarmed when it leaves a white cast on your boots, as it will not stay that way.
- Use a hair dryer or any other kind of heat source to seal the beeswax into the leather of the boots. Just apply the heat from a bit further away so that it doesn’t end up ruining the leather with heat damage.
- Now rub the residue away and enjoy your water-resistant cowboy boots.
Final Verdict
Can you wear cowboy boots in the rain? Yes, you can wear cowboy boots in the rain because it’s made of leather, which can handle water.
However, continuous rainwater can harm cowboy boots in the long run, which is why you should take measures to make your boots waterproof.