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Nikwax has a full line of products designed to clean and protect outdoor textiles and leathers. Nikwax Waterproofing Wax for Leather Liquid product is a waterproofing liquid that can be applied to any leather to protect it from the elements during normal wear. I gave this product 4 stars out of 5 because I found application a bit difficult.

Product Description

Nikwax Waterproofing Wax for Leather Liquid is a waterproofing liquid wax for protecting your leather footwear as well as Gore-Tex, SympaTex, eVENT textiles.


It comes in a ** oz, squeeze bottle. It is not recommended for rough-out or suede. It comes in three different colors: neutral, which I tried, black and brown. Unlike spray protectors, you can use this product indoors without worry about fumes.

How Nikwax Waterproofing Wax for Leather Liquid Works

Leather should be cleaned, and Nikwax recommends their leather cleaning gel. Use on a protected surface (newspaper, plastic table cloth) and protect your hands. Apply to damp leather and buff to remove excess product and bring the leather to a soft glow. It does not actually soften leather, but maintains it’s original texture and hand. Nikwax Waterproofing Wax for Leather Liquid is water based, environmentally safe, biodegradable, non flammable, non hazardous and has no lingering odor.

My Impressions

I gave the Nikwax Waterproofing Wax for Leather Liquid a try on one of the most abused piece of equipment I own—my paddock boots. My boots get worn for riding and quite often, for barn chores--from lugging water buckets to mucking out stalls.

They are scratched, worn and frequently get damp. I figured they were a fit challenge for the Waterproofing Wax.

I first cleaned my boots. It was tough getting the arena dust out of all the crevices and although they looked better, they looked dried out and dull. I applied the Waterproofing as directed. The leather does not need to by perfectly dry before application, which means you can get the job done in one go.

I found the application a little tricky. I wasn't sure if I should have squeezed the bottle to get the product out, or just pressed the applicator against the leather. Either way, I found getting the product out of the bottle a bit difficult. I also disliked the tiny scratch pad at the end of the applicator. This isn't a cleaning product, so I'm not sure why a scrubber is necessary—and it did pull dirt out of cracks and crannies I didn't get at with the cleaner. I was also unsure as to how much product to layer on the leather—and was two layers better than one? I found myself using a stomp, squeeze, stomp, squeeze to get the product out.

The product dried quickly, (I was outside on a hot day) and it buffed up to a soft shine with a flannelette cloth. I liked it wasn't high gloss—that wouldn't be appropriate for most of my leather wear. I tested the water repellancy by dribbling water from a glass onto the toe of my boot. I was impressed at how the water beaded off, without any sign of soaking in—by boots are old enough and the finish on the leather worn enough that they wet through easily.

A few days later I was wearing my boots as I filled the horses’ troughs and carried buckets of water. Inevitably, I poured water over my foot—both from the hose and as I carried the buckets. As I felt the water hit my foot I thought—oh, oh. But, the Waterproofing worked very well. The water beaded away, pulling the dust off as it went.

Overall, I was impressed by this product. The fact that the water continues to bead off my boots a few weeks past my trial is impressive. Nikwax Waterproofing Wax for Leather Liquid may actually help prolong the life of my boots. My winter paddock boots will benefit from a treatment as well. Because it is safe to use with boots with breathable linings, the linings will be unaffected, while the leather is protected.

Manufacturer's Site

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.