# Why don't marines boots get ruined by water? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 4, 2013, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-marines-boots-get-ruined-by-water/662672 "2013-07-04T22:57:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-marines-boots-get-ruined-by-water/662672/21 "2013-07-08T16:34:40Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > If I was a boot, I’d just hope my parents didn’t send me to Boot Camp, it doesn’t sound fun at all. Good place to meet your solemate. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-marines-boots-get-ruined-by-water/662672/22 "2013-07-08T17:19:25Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Good place to meet your solemate. what a heel. ---
**Author:** ![matt357](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@matt357](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt357)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-marines-boots-get-ruined-by-water/662672/23 "2013-07-09T05:03:02Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Getting soaked doesn’t ruin any good quality leather boots. Why do you think it would? Because it has done so to me and they weren’t cheap boots. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-marines-boots-get-ruined-by-water/662672/24 "2013-07-09T12:03:17Z")
> [@matt357](#): > > Because it has done so to me and they weren’t cheap boots. In what way were they ruined? If you just mean they got really dry and hard, then that is normal and is easily fixed with some boot polish or oil. If you mean that the boots actually fell apart, then you were wearing cheap boots. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-marines-boots-get-ruined-by-water/662672/25 "2013-07-09T12:42:49Z")
> [@matt357](#): > > Because it has done so to me and they weren’t cheap boots. It hasn’t done so for me, and I’ve done so with a combination of cheap, medium priced, and expensive boots. Did you try to dry them quickly with heat? If so, that could be your problem. Otherwise you’ve just had lousy luck with boots because most boots are designed to get completely soaked. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-marines-boots-get-ruined-by-water/662672/26 "2013-07-09T17:28:46Z")
I’ve worn either [White’s smokejumpers](http://www.whitesboots.com/index.php?dispatch=categories.view&category_id=444)or [Hoffman caulk boots](http://www.hoffmanboots.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=16C) every work day for the past decade. I work in a rain forest, every day I use them they get soaking wet. I treat them every 2 to 14 days with a combination of White’s boot oil and White’s boot preservative. In that time, I have had the White’s rebuilt once and I’m in only my second pair of Hoffman’s and in neither was case was this due to the leather wearing out. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-marines-boots-get-ruined-by-water/662672/27 "2013-07-09T17:49:01Z")
> [@matt357](#): > > Because it has done so to me and they weren’t cheap boots. I don’t mean this to be condescending, but you may have just gotten ripped off or unlucky; it happens. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-marines-boots-get-ruined-by-water/662672.md?page=1)