• The finish on the outside of the boot, the “Durable Water Repellency” or DWR, this is the first barrier that makes water bead up and run off the shoe. This can be boosted with Nanex Mist Protector https://www.revivo.com/accessories/nanex-mist-protector-170ml.
• The outer material: in this case a durable leather, leather is essentially a skin and so is by nature waterproof, but water can seep through after prolonged periods. The upper has sections of mesh which aren’t as naturally waterproof but have got the treatment and are made from a very tightly woven material.
• The stitching: is as tight as we can possibly get it. However the stitches themselves will absorb water and take it through the leather into the layer beneath.
• The membrane to protect: There is a membrane inside the shoe, it’s Hydrostatic head rating exceeds industry standards. The hydrostatic head rating tells you how much water the membrane can repel until it breaches. It will be about 10,000mm over a square inch of the membrane. (this is applied through a column in test). In extended exposure this can build beyond the 10,000mm of testing especially at flex points of the shoe, which can effectively act as a pump to push water through the membrane.
• The membrane to breath: the membrane is also designed to allow moisture out of the shoe. If you sweat in a plastic bag, although 100% waterproof, your sweat will build up and you’ll get wet feet. So our membrane is designed to breathe, however no membrane is as breathable as not having a membrane at all. So if you get sweaty feet or if you’re quite active while wearing the shoes, you can expect to get damp feet even if there’s no rain.
• The lining: the lining is made from our recycled plastic bottles and is designed to wick the moisture away from your foot, hold it to the membrane to draw it through and out of the shoe. Note: if the outer materials are saturated with moisture and water is being held against the membrane no water will escape out of the shoe.
• Entry Points: unless you are wearing full waterproof trousers, preferably with a Gaiter, water will be able to enter in through the hole in the top of your boot where your foot goes in. As mentioned, it’s quite difficult for the membrane to allow water out of the boot again.

It’s a very long answer, but there are lots of factors. For example, if you were to stand still in a puddle that went up to just below the point of entry (hole in the top) for about an hour, you would probably have dry feet. But if you were to walk through a field of wet grass, where the grass rubs away any of the DWR finish, then rubs water through the leather, then saturates the membrane, for 10 minutes, this could get through the membrane and into your shoe and wetting your feet.

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