GEAR AID Revivex Nubuck Suede Protector and Fabric Water Repellent

Very effective and so much easier to apply than spray-can silicone type protectors. I've used about 5 bottles of ReviveX and just ordered two more. I used to always treat new or freshly cleaned shoes & boots with Scotchguard or similar aerosol can spray, but I switched to ReviveX last summer- more or less by accident. I bought the first bottle at a local sporting goods store just to get the sales guy off my back! Yes, I feel bad even saying that, but everyone who's been cornered by an over-zealous sales clerk knows exactly what I mean. I didn't see how a water-based sealer could work as well as silicone spray, but I thought I'd try it out on something old just to see how it did. The first thing that sold me was how much easier it is to apply. With Scotchguard, I used to wait for a clear (preferably warm with no wind) day and drag out some big cardboard sheets on the patio so I could go through the aerosol spray ordeal. Because of the paint-like fumes, you must have a place outdoors to let them dry overnight and hope for another clear day to do a second coat (sometimes a third as well). With ReviveX, I can do it in my garage- regardless of the weather and without all the overspray protection sheets and such. First, I remove the laces and insole. You need to put something inside the shoe and fill it completely to keep from getting a bunch of the liquid inside the shoe. Newspaper is an easy option. I like the air tubes used for packing material with a rag stretched over the top. I use a square plastic tub that I put in the sink in my garage. Shake the bottle thoroughly and continue to shake it as you use it so it stays compltely mixed. Hold the sprayer 3-4" away from the surface and just work your way around. I spray each shoe thoroughly and then prop them up "nose down" in the tub to let any excess run off for about five minutes. If the leather has soaked up so much that it already looks dry, I spray another coat right away and let them sit another 5-10 minutes. I use a damp cloth to dab off any visible pools or drops (check crevices that hold liquid) and set them on a clean towel to dry. After 3-5 hours, I give them another coat and then let them dry in the house for 24-48 hours in a well-ventilated area. You can tell when they are really dry and ready to replace the insole and laces. When I finish each round of spraying, I use a little funnel to reclaim the extra back into the bottle. Sometimes new shoes will release a little dye that darkens the extra liquid. I keep a separate bottle for discolored runoff and only use it on black or really dark color items. Sometimes I also treat the laces using a small paper cup and a plastic knife to stir them until completely covered. I fold them in a wet rag to remove any excess and then hang them up to dry. These are not exactly the specified directions, but it's the system I've worked out after a lot of practice. Once you get started, you'll begin to see that some leather and fabrics absorb more of the liquid than others and you just have to judge the point when you've got it completely saturated. Saturation is the key to a water based sealer. The aerasol sprays work by leaving a surface coating to repel water. Water based ones, like ReviveX, work by absorbing into the leather or fabric. So don't be sparing with it. It's better to have one or two items really protected than four with too little to provide any meaningful protection. I think that's the mistake that some people make which leaves them concluding that it doesn't work. I have yet to notice any discoloration of an item once it has completely dried, but if it's a critical issue for you, always test a little spot with a cotton swab to be sure.I can't say positively that it will last as long as Scotchguard, but I'm fairly confident. Even if it doesn't, the ease of application so far outweighs that factor that I don't mind if somthing needs a refreh coat. Also, there may be some folks who are more sensetive and shouldn't use it anywhere but outside, but I've yet to have anyone even notice any smell from freshly treated items drying in the house. The fact that it's water based removes many of the solvents that generate the fumes of aerosal can types.What could be better about it? The awful, cheap, unreliable, hard to use, easy to break pump head! I had one that was completely disfuntional from the first squeese. If I hadn't had the working pump from a previous bottle, I'd have really been frustrated. That's a silly and inexcusable reason for loosing customers. If a $2 bottle of window cleaner can have a consistantly reliable pump head, surely this can. Another thing: why can I only buy 4oz at a time? For someone who's sold on it's merits, let me invest in a 12, 16 or 20oz bottle and cut me a little slack in the price for doing it. That's not advanced business economics either. Both issues are obvious and easily addressed.Bottom line: Use it correctly and it works well with a lot less hassle than aerosal spray protector products. I hope this makes it easier for someone wanting to give it a try. Good Luck!

I used this product on a pair of dark brown, knee-high, faux suede wedge boots that have a zipper the length of the calf on one side and ruching on the other (I know, so cute right??).I had only worn the boots a couple of times, so I brushed them off with a clean rag and then used a lint roller to get any last bits of dust off. Then I sprayed one entire boot, concentrating on the toe in particular as instructed, and also around the bottom of the zipper. I decided to apply the product to the entire boot, including all the way up the shaft, because I was worried about the possibility of the fabric getting discolored, either by the product (resulting in a two-tone boot!) or by future raindrops leaving spots on the upper parts of the boots if they weren't waterproofed as well. In the end, it took pretty much the whole bottle to do both of the boots.The pump was easy to use and dispensed the product evenly. I was a little paranoid about getting it on my hands, so I wore rubber gloves and it was fine. The boots dried really quickly but I left them to dry overnight as instructed anyway, to be on the safe side. It might be an optical illusion, but I do think the fabric is about a half-shade darker, particularly around the toes where I might have used more product than necessary (even though I also blotted up the excess, as the instructions tell you to do.) It isn't enough to make me dislike the boots or regret the waterproofing though, like I said, it is barely noticeable but made me glad I did the whole boot.As for functionality (what, that's important?), it works great. I am still not going to wear these out in a rainstorm (that's what my Muck boots are for. And if you don't know what those are and live in a place that has real seasons including winter, a pair of those will change your life.) But if I get caught in a drizzle in my "nice" boots, I have nothing to worry about. The reason I waterproofed these is actually because of snow: I live in Michigan, and I hate, hate, hate how road salt soaks into fabrics and leaves ugly grey/white lines after drying out. Only vinegar gets it out, but then you smell like you wet yourself. This product totally did the trick: the shoes don't absorb any melted ice or snow (aka saltwater) and effectively repel the salt, preventing any stains. Unfortunately, I won't be testing this product by wading through any puddles. Whether or not it works, I'm not risking ruining my boots to find out!Bottom line: worked for me, but I was looking for a specific and pretty mild result. Look to other reviews if you want to know about heavy-duty protection!