It’s Spring. That means you’re likely swapping your skis for a mountain bike or paddleboard, but before you do, be sure to show your ski gear some love and clean it before you store it. If you’re like me, your ski touring boots may be a little ripe by now. After 45+ days of ski touring and a whole lotta foot sweat permeating the liners over the winter, it’s time to get the funk out. I’ve tried the baking soda marinate and the hot-soapy water scrub, with limited success. While my liners initially smelled ‘better’ (that’s a relative term), they quickly reverted to their former pungent state after a few more ski tours.
This spring I tried Nikwax’s new Footwear Refresh, which is a deodorizing cleaner designed to freshen and prevent odour build-up in all non-waterproof active footwear, insoles, and footbeds (this includes ski boot liners). After removing my footbeds and a quick rinse of my liners, I sprayed some of the Footwear Refresh into and onto my liners and vigorously scrubbed them with a small brush. I gave them a good rinse and set them in the sun to dry. A few hours later, my liners were like new. There was no foul odour or annoying flowery detergent smell either, just the nice neutral smell of clean.
I’ve since gone spring touring to get in some corn snow turns and on these hot sunny days, my feet got hot and clammy, but to my surprise, the smell didn’t return. Footwear Refresh worked so well, I’m going to use it on my running shoes and sandals as well. The bottle may be small, but it goes a long way, and I’ll likely get over a dozen uses out of it.
Do your resort and touring boot liners a favour and give them a nice clean this spring. Make it an annual event and then do the same for your summer footwear end of season or mid-season if you want to prolong the life of your favourite footwear.
Features:
Works on all non-waterproof footwear, including hiking boots, sandals, water shoes, trail shoes, and everyday shoes
Cleans effectively and eliminates persistent odours
Extends the life of your footwear
PFSAS-Free water-based formula cleans and removes contaminants
100% recycled Bottle
How to use:
Apply Nikwax Footwear Refresh by hand.
Shake the bottle before use.
Do not use on waterproof footwear.
Remove laces and insoles, if applicable.
Rinse footwear with clean water to remove excess dirt and dampen the surface.
Apply generously over the area to be cleaned.
Gently scrub using a clean brush.
Rinse well with clean water.
Allow to dry naturally before use.
Specs:
Price: $9.95CAN/US
Size: 125ml / 4.2fl oz
