In the late 1990’s, soft shell (also spelled “softshell”) outerwear hit the marketplace with a bang. Almost overnight, the stretchy fabric became the telltale mark of “serious” outdoorspeople. Soft shells continue to excel as a go-to piece for outdoor play. Today we present: everything you’ve always wanted to know about
Tips for keeping kids’ uniforms clean
Your kid may be good at science, but that doesn’t mean you want to participate in a microbiology experiment in your home this summer. Yep, we’re talking about uniforms—the baseball/soccer/swim/lacrosse/all-around active gear that gets hammered on a regular basis. If you’re a parent, you know how quickly kids sports gear
Dear Professor Nikwax: How do I care for my footwear?
Dear Professor Nikwax, My summer plans have me climbing several peaks, riding my bike along the California coast, and wearing my sandals to the Farmer’s Market. Of course I’ll also be logging a lot of time in the office. I’ve invested in some good shoes for the different sports, but
End of Season Care for Winter Gear
The days are getting longer and the powder days are soon going to fade into memories. As winter winds down, we here at Nikwax urge you to take advantage of the remaining snowy days. Make turns while you can! Skip work for a snowy backcountry adventure! And then, when you’re
A Four-Stage Plan for Preventing Cold Hands
How can we put this delicately? Cold hands suck. If our subjective analysis isn’t persuasive enough, check out the medical proof. The ulnar and radial arteries deliver warmed blood to the hands. As ambient temperature drops, vessels constrict and blood flow slows overall. With less blood going to the extremities,
Why white shoes? Why?
Not too long ago I acquired a pair of super cool 5.10 approach/ parkour shoes. Now I’m no parkour aficionado, but I do get out to climb a bit, so I was psyched for some new kicks. The downside was that these shoes were white, meaning they would stay white
Reuse again and again and again! Nikwax for the whole family
We at Nikwax know that outdoor adventurers come in all ages and sizes AND that keeping all those little fast-growing trail-monsters outfitted can be both a logistical and an economic challenge. Then there’s the environmental impact of discarding all those tiny boots and mittens! Not to worry, parents, Nikwax can
You probably don’t need those new boots! How to care for your shoes to make them last.
Footwear, as we all know, takes a lot of abuse. Even so, it has always broken my heart a little to see even my most worn-out (yet beloved) shoes relegated to the trash bin. But, what else can you do? They’re toast, right? Wrong. A boot or shoe is made
Get DOWN with yo’ bad self! (Or how to clean your down jacket).
As I was looking through online reviews of Nikwax products, one review really caught my eye. It simply stated, “Don’t ever wash down. The benefit is never worth the cost.” Now, I couldn’t disagree more, but it got me thinking about how nerve-wracking cleaning expensive outdoor gear can be. I