Why You Want Leather Boots

The other day a fellow called inquiring about the Lamilite boots and how they performed in water. I asked if he intended to walk into a stream or lake; he said no, his concern was (as is many outdoorsmen's) the effect of wet grass that he would be walking through.

Of course it is easy to say that you should not be concerned, but you also have to present some factual evidence supporting that position. We all know that the addition of a film such as Gore-Tex will, for the most part, keep the moisture out of the boots, and we also know that these films will keep the moisture emitted from the pores in your feet in the boots. So we have a stalemate, nothing much in and definitely nothing out. The answer to solving the problem is Lamilite. How does that work?

Keep in mind I am only speaking of leather boots. All of the boots made with fabrics such as Cordora are coated further inhibiting the moisture in or out working in concert with the Gore-Tex film or any other film.

If you take cotton towel and soak it in a bucket of water, when you remove it from the bucket all excess water will leave the towel because the cotton fiber the towel is made of can only hold so much water. Leather is the same, it will absorb water to a point and that is it. When you wear leather boots the moisture from your feet if allowed will migrate as a vapor into the leather exterior where it will condense and be absorbed. When the leather is completely saturated no more water even as a vapor will move into the leather unless evaporation has occurred. When you walk through a grassy area that is wet the moisture on the grasses will not move through the leather since it cannot displace the moisture already there. So the moisture from your feet just keeps building within the boots if they are Gore-Tex lined and when the moisture cools down you get cold feet.

When you wear Lamilite lined boots with Lamilite socks the moisture is maintained as a vapor because the heat from your feet does continue to drive the moisture out and into the leather. The end result as many have experienced is warm feet.

This is the problem that the boot manufacturers did not know how to correct for a 100 years and today they chose not to examine how to correct the problem. However, they all bought into the concept of a Gore-Tex membrane correcting the problem, which did not happen. In the early 1980’s when Gore-Tex was shown to them it did not work but they were enamored by the fact the boots were rendered water proof and they took for granted that the boots could let the foot produced moisture out that is the fact of their thinking today. I know this because I have yet to hear of one boot manufacturer walking from Gore-Tex. I guess they still believe the lie. The answer to their dilemma is Lamilite as explained above. Since the mid 1990’s when I worked with Herman Survivor Company (no longer in business) then the Wellco Company (no longer in business) and finally Belleville Boot Company; all of them made Lamilite lined boots for me that allowed the moisture out. Combined there were a little over 2000 pair of boots made. I never heard of a boot failing, but I did hear of good success from many of the buyers of these boots. Today I hear better comments about the new boots from men who had purchase one of the other brands, because they are better than the previous boots made for me.

Lining the boot with Lamilite was only three quarters of the fix. Using Lamilite socks is the icing on the cake. The use of Lamilite lined boots in concert with Lamilite socks completely solves the problem. We also know that using Lamilite socks with waterproof boots even though the water is stuck in the boots keeps feet warm even if they are wet. I also know that in mild conditions moisture will get out of Lamilite boots even if you happen to be wearing wool socks. The boot manufacturers never though that the socks could be a contributor to the problem! That said I made a very concerted effort to engage all of these manufacturers initially in making boots with the Lamilite lining but every last one of them turned me down. Deja vu all over again—as Yogi Berra would say, as I tried to convince all of the high priced down bag manufacturers who were using the original continuous filament fiber then called Polar Guard in their sleeping bags. That was in the late 1960’s when the company I worked form made the Polar Guard. They were quilting it versus heeding my advice to use it laminated. Where are they today with their sleeping bag programs nowhere! Their production is in Asia generally China and they use chopped staple fiber because they do not want to send the Climashield to Asia. They would be astounded to find out how many bags I produce, which I believe is greater than all of them combined.

As I get further into the boot business I expect that it will be so significant with the civilian market these boot companies may come to me to by Lamilite. I will sell it to them! I say the civilian market versus the military because while they know the problem exists they are matter of fact not about to change. About a year ago I was speaking with one of the product developers at Bates Shoe division of Wolverine who told me of a new development needed by the Marines using Gore-Tex and Thinsulate. When I asked about the moisture retention problem he agreed. When I told him that it was solved and what the solution was he said someone from purchasing would call and order a few yards, I am still waiting. This past week I read they were the low bidder on the project which has a value of $7,200,000.00 so they are investing $2,000,000.00 to expand their factory to make them. Must be enormously profitable don’t you think?

Now keep in mind that the Marine Corps spent 5 years in development of a shoe dryer which cost who knows how much of our tax dollars, only to have boots made with the same materials that have caused the foot problems in the first place.

The reality is that whenever there is a solicitation for the government there will be charlatans out there who will swear they can make the product they want; no problem. But when someone with knowledge comes along these people are skeptical and actually shun the person.

You have heard the expression “no brainer” well it is alive and well in the boot industry!

You now know one more reason as to why you want leather boots!

On a more pleasant note sometime this week I will have the ordering information posted on the Wiggy’s web site for the new Chukka boots—a shorter version of the Lamilite Boots.