Suggestions please for stopping my boots from squeaking - it is really
embarrassing!
I bought a pair of Scarpa SL M3's a couple of months ago (silicone treated
HS12 "Sherpa" leather uppers): they squeaked from day 1, but I thought this
would wear off with time - it has not faded in the slightest. And last night
I waterproofed them for the first time (aqueous nikwax) - and now they
squeak MUCH worse! The squeaking seems to be coming from friction between
the tongue and the inside of the boot, where the (brown) leather at the top
of the outside of the tongue contacts the inner side of the softer black
leather around the padding round the top of the boot.
Someone suggested treating them with vinegar, their thinking being that the
leather needed softening to solve the problem and that vinegar would help
this, but I'd like second opinions before I treat them with anything unusual
as I'm not sure how this might affect the silicone-treated leather (vinegar
is an old trick for army boots apparently, but these don't have specially
treated leather).
(The boots get worn most days for walking around town, but have not been
heavily "muddied" yet, in case cleanliness is part of the problem.)
Please help - I'm going to have to buy a new pair of boots if I can't fix
this. (Had a similar pair of Scarpa boots before these, with no such
problems).
cheers
AlexD