When hiking boots are advertised as being waterproof, it does not mean that you can wade through rivers with them totally submerged, it simply means that they are capable of repelling external moisture (rain, sleet, snow) without damaging the boot’s construction. So, you’re probably asking, what’s the difference.

Hiking boots are typically waterproofed in one of two ways, either through their exterior construciton (waterproof leather with sealed seams) or with the inclusion of a breathable, waterproof  liner – such as Gore-Tex. The primary function of the waterproofing is to keep your feet dry. This is critical because as your skin gets wet, it softens and the longer you hike the more prone your feet will be to blistering.

When you wear your hiking boots to wade through rivers, the effectiveness of the exterior waterproofing decreases not only as the depth of the water you’re in increases (especially when the water is higher than you boots and they begin to fill) but also with the length of time that your boots remain submerged. Waterproof leather is only waterproofed on the outside surfaces, not the inside, so once your boots start to fill, they will simply become waterlogged. The same is true for the gore-tex liners. Although goretex is designed to keep liquid water out while letting perspiration pass through, once water gets inside it will remain trapped between your foot and the liner, again causing the skin on your feet to soften and blister.

Waterproof boots can be used for striding through puddles or a quick crossing of a shallow stream since the waterproofing is designed to bead droplets of water so they run off the boots surface, not penetrate it. This is why the duration of time that your boots spend submerged is critical to their ability to keep your feet dry. As soon as the waterproofing is compromised (via submersion) the leather components will begin to absorb water and swell. As leather swells it creates two problems for your boots. Initially, the swollen leather is softer, making it more susceptible to damage (scratches, cuts and tears) as you continue to hike. Then, as the leather dries out, it will begin to shrink, potentially leading to weakened seams and a decrease in your boot’s life. Also, if you should be careless enough to repeatedly wade through rivers because your boots are ‘waterproof’, the repeated swelling and drying of the leather will eventually cause the leather to crack, effectively ruining your boots.

So remember, just because your boots are advertised as being waterproof, this does not mean that they were designed to be submerged, rather that they are capable of repelling incident water, such as rain.