Cleaning and Oiling Kids’ Combat Boots

Kids are notoriously rough on footwear, and they’re even more notorious for not properly taking care of what’s theirs.

The next time they come back from a foray out in the mud, sit them down and show them how to properly clean and condition kids’ combat boots.

It’s a good learning experience and an even better lesson in responsibility. Here’s what you need to know, and what you can pass along to them.

Get Them Dry

Before you can really clean and oil kids’ combat boots, you need to get them dry. For jungle boots, this is no issue since they’re vented and made with quick drying uppers for that very purpose.  

For leather boots that are waterlogged, get some newspapers and stuff the boots, then place them somewhere warm and dry - near, but not too close to a heat source is a good place.  

If it’s hot and dry outside, place them outside to dry. The newspaper will wick away excess moisture and help with drying, and the air circulation will help as well.  

The only thing you need to be cautious about is placing them too close to a heat source. Don’t place them too close to a furnace or fire as this will dry them out too quickly and will do more harm than good.

Cleaning the Soles  

Once the boots are dry, you will want to get any mud, dirt, sand, or other debris out of the soles. This will take a little extra elbow grease if the kids’ combat boots in question have lug soles.

There are two indispensable tools for cleaning boot soles. One is a stiff brush, and the other is a pick of some sort. Honestly, you could just use a stick that was narrow enough to fit between the soles’ lugs.

Start by brushing everything that’s loose out, then come back in with the pick and get any dried muck out of the soles. Then give the thing a once-over again with the brush and you’re good to start cleaning the uppers.

Cleaning the Uppers 

For nylon or mesh uppers, all you really need to do is use the same brush or a damp rag to wipe off the uppers. It is important to make sure that there is no dirt or other material caked onto the uppers.

If the uppers are leather, you will need to take a little extra care and attention to clean them before you condition them, as you don’t want to condition them with an underlying coating of dust or mud.  

Use a brush or a damp rag to wipe off any dust, mud or sand, then let the uppers dry. Play close attention to the tongue and the area around the welt, which are two areas which dust and mud will tend to accumulate.

In fact, it’s a good idea to unlace the boots before you start cleaning them, as this will ensure there are no recesses wherein mud and dust can hide. 

Once the uppers have been cleaned of any loose material, you can condition them.

Conditioning Leather

Leather uppers will periodically need treatment from a leather oil or conditioner in order to prevent the leather from warping or cracking.

There are lots of commercial leather conditioners you can use, although you can also mix your own with a combination of mink oil, neatsfoot oil and beeswax, in varying proportions.

Take some of this conditioner and apply it to a clean rag or sponge, then work it into the leather upper. Don’t overapply; leather is greedy and will absorb most of what you give it. In most instances, a light coating is more than adequate.

Make sure that you treat all panels of the upper, including the toe, vamp and shaft. Then make sure to get the tongue and the area around the welt. The most stressed area of most boot uppers is the area where the crease forms at the ball of the foot where the boot flexes most.  

You can apply a little more leather conditioner to this area as it is highly stressed. Also make sure to get in where the upper meets the welt, as this area will crack if not properly treated and conditioned.

Making Patches Where Necessary

Lastly, there will be times where parts of the boot become unstitched or crack, and you will need to face a serious question: do you patch the issue or just get a new pair of kids’ combat boots?  

Ultimately that depends on the overall condition of the boots, and whether or not your kid will need new boots soon anyway.  

If the boots are relatively new and otherwise in good condition, but they have started to leak because the area between the sole and the welt has been compromised, there are treatments you can apply that will restore the waterproofing of the boot.

Two good ones are Shoe Goo and Aquaseal. Both are strong compounds that are fully waterproof when appropriately applied. Simply apply in the manner prescribed by the manufacturer and allow them to cure appropriately.  

If the boots were made with a DWR coating but that coating has started to wear off, there are special treatment sprays you can buy that will restore some measure of water-repellency to the boots uppers.

Periodically re-treat any combat boots that are starting to leak a bit in order to restore the waterproof coating.

Pick Up a New Pair of Kids’ Combat Boots Here

At a certain point, in spite of your fastidious maintenance of your kids’ combat boots, you will need a new pair. Kids are tough on what they own and boots are no exception - plus the little ones grow fast too.  

If you’re in the market for a new pair of kids’ combat boots, you’re in the right place. Check out our collection of combat boots, which includes jungle boots, then get everything else you need for all sorts of outdoor sports and pursuits, all in one place.