Nikwax Fabric and Leather Proof Waterproofing

Before I tell you about Nikwax, please note that I also use Scotchgard from 3M. If you use a solvent based water proofing spray (think 3M), be prepared for strong odors and solvents. 3M waterproofing is great for nubuck and suede as it doesn't darken fabric or natural hide. The down side is that it does require an aerosol can that contains a rapidly evaporating solvent. It dries quickly and should be applied outdoors. Nikwax is water based and has no solvent. It does not smell good and sprays onto fabric and leather with a milky white consistency. No solvents and safe to use indoors. Nikwax takes a while to dry - but in the end, it is excellent for maintaining water repellency. It is extremely effective and keeps fabric and leather cleaner for longer duration. It does tend to darken leather and fabric more than the aerosol (3M) stain repellants. I would not recommend Nikwax for use on suede or on nubuck as it will change the texture if you use too much. Breathability is maintained. For smooth leather and fabric it does seem to work as long as you know that the darkened color change is a strong possibility.

I put a couple of coats on a straw hat over a month ago. Today I was buying eggs and I opened a carton to check. Several were broken with yolk and whites spattered and dripping. My hat was in the cart close to the handle and got yolk on the hat in a number of places. I found some paper towels and the egg wiped right off. It didn't soak in at all . I'd say the spray works well because straw material is normally porous and I expected the worse.

This was easy to use and online videos about application methods were very helpful - particularly in emphasizing the importance of not missing anywhere. I had s relatively dry backpacking trip but the few times that I did step in water my feet stayed dry. But on the last day of my six-day trip I noticed that the boot uppers were starting to separate from the soles. This could have been caused by something else, but I’d been wearing these boots for a couple of years with no sign of boot/sole separation before applying this waterproofing treatment.

Easy to use and very effective. I sprayed new hiking shoes before a trip and after 3 weeks they were still like new. Hikes on stone, dirt and muddy trails. Dusty roads too.

This did not leave the cotton fabric stiff or hard. It really does repel water!

Can’t comment on its ability to waterproof shoes yet, but I didn’t like the sprayer. Didn’t work that well. May have been just the one I got.

I bought this for water repellent. I work outside in all types of weather so when it rains or snows I spray my sneakers, baseball hat, etc. I think it’s intended more for tents and camping gear. Scotchgard works better for my needs. I gave it 5 stars because it worked well on my backpack and winter work boots. I should have researched the product’s intended use before buying. It smells strong- don’t use it indoors- and dries quickly.

Seriously, what's the point of this stuff? The only redeeming quality I can think of is that it gives your finger a little exercise when you repeatedly press down the sprayer to get your shoes covered properly. Then you wear them out in the damp grass and they're soaked through all the way to your feet again. So you get to get more exercise on that finger, thinking maybe you did it wrong. Followed all the directions. Made sure shoes were clean and wet. Spray, spray, spray. Then you wear them again thinking now they're SURELY waterproof. And it rains on you. And your feet are the first thing to soak through. Not your pants, that only claimed to be water repellent. The pants are perfectly dry. But you're standing under a tree with a disc golf pro, trying to get some good lessons, but you can't really leave the shelter of the tree, because you're feet are so wet.This stuff is not even worth the one star I allowed. There's just no way to rate zero stars. But when a product does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING that it promises, is it even worth one star? My say is no. Steer clear of this crap. It may be that there is a product out there that actually works, but now I'm too afraid to try it, since this has given all the others a bad name. Instead, I bought some waterproof socks. They just came in, and I stepped on the tanning ledge of my pool to test them. They work. So I'll be pouring this junk out and throwing the bottle away so I never have to think of the money I wasted again.