Before going any further, it’s necessary to understand the limitations of modern membrane boots which although a remarkable technical innovation, can still allow water ingress under certain conditions. These can include:
- Situations where the boot upper (leather or otherwise) has become completely saturated by foul conditions which can lead to repeated flexing forcing water through the membrane under pressure.
- Excessive wear and tear that has compromised the footwear.
- The genre of the boot itself. Many lightweight or summer boots are backed with a membrane such as GoreTex or Sympatex to add protection against water ingress but are in no way as capable as a heavier, 3 to 4 season boot built specifically for foul UK conditions.
- Damage to the internal lining of the boot. This can be caused by a variety of reasons, the most likely being grit that has entered the boot from the ankle opening. The next most likely cause are overlong or jagged toe nails so we recommend inspecting the footwear regularly for foreign objects under the footbeds and keeping nails well trimmed. Certain types of prescription orthotics are not compatible with membrane linings due to their shape, type or the materials they’re made from.
- A lack of care to the boot uppers. If the manufacturers recommendations haven’t been followed with regard to regular care and cleaning then premature wear and cracking of the upper and a consequent failure of the membrane is likely to occur and will not be covered by the warranty.
- Customers often forget that water can ingress from above in wet conditions. The way to prevent this is to wear gaiters that cover the boots and to overlay these with waterproof over trousers which will give a protective effect similar to the way roof slates work. In no circumstances should gaiters be worn OVER the bottom of waterproof trousers as water will simply run down and into the boots!
Making a warranty return
If you’re sure none of the above apply and have had water ingress which you feel is a warranty issue then most manufacturers provide a 2 year guarantee against leakage due to a manufacturing fault. In this case, please contact the retailer first (ie Mountainfeet) so that they can arrange for the boots to be inspected by the manufacturer and a solution found. If the boots are new, then a manufacturing fault would be suspected and a replacement offered. Bear in mind that just because your footwear is less than two years old doesn’t automatically render it covered by such a warranty – if the boots are physically worn out or abused then responsibility rests with the customer.
We’d usually suggest that if a one off incidence of ingress is experienced in foul conditions that the footwear is dried and then used again before returning. Then, if the issue persists, the matter can be taken further. This will assist in making sure a fault actually exists and prevents your time being wasted in the case of the ingress being accidental.
Warranty returns during COVID19 lock down
During lock down periods where our shop is physically closed for visits, we will either ask you to return your clean boots to the UK distributor or manufacturer direct or arrange to have them collected after supplying you with a returns number. In certain cases, to facilitate as quick a solution as possible, we may ask you to take digital photos and email them to us.
If you send your footwear back then a reasonably priced signed for courier service should be used and if a fault is found, you will be credited for the amount spent.
Please bear in mind that if you return footwear for a warranty consideration, it MUST be clean and dry. If this is not the case, our staff and those of the distributor or manufacturer will not process it further.