January: the crucial moment to extend the life of your leather boots

January is a pivotal month for your leather boots and shoes. After several weeks of exposure to salt, slush and constant humidity, the first signs of deterioration appear - often in subtle ways.

For Chez Gerry 1958 , January is one of the months when you can still avoid the worst . It's the time when a simple intervention can extend the life of your boots by several years.

What Quebec winters really do to leather

Leather is a living material. In winter, it is subjected to repeated stresses:

• Salt dries out the leather fibers, making it stiff and promoting cracking.
• Moisture weakens the seams and penetrates the internal structure
• Cold reduces the natural suppleness of leather
• Abrasion accelerates the wear and tear on heels and soles.

The problem is that this damage continues to progress even when the boots are not being worn.

Why January is more important than February or March

Many people wait until the end of winter before taking action. In workshops, we often see the consequences of this delay.

In January:

• The leather can still be thoroughly cleaned
• Fibers can be nourished before they break.
• The seams can be reinforced.
• Preventive resoling protects the structure

By March or April, it is sometimes too late: the leather is cracked, the welt is damaged, and repairs become more difficult — and more expensive.

Signs that intervention is needed now

Here's what we recommend monitoring right now:

• White salt stains that reappear after cleaning
• Dry, dull or stiff leather to the touch
• Sloping or unstable heel
• Slippery or too thin sole
• Seams that are starting to open

These signs don't mean your boots are ruined—quite the opposite. They indicate that quick action can still make all the difference.

Repair now or wait: the real difference

Preventive maintenance or repair in January almost always costs less than a full restoration in the spring.

In many cases, simply restoring the leather and correcting the heel is enough to:

• Avoid permanent cracks
• Extend the lifespan by several winters
• Preserve comfort and fit

Our approach at Chez Gerry 1958

Our philosophy is simple: repair before it becomes irreversible .

Whether in our workshop in Gatineau or via our postal service throughout Quebec, we evaluate each pair to determine the most logical intervention — not the most drastic.

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