Best way to waterproof boots

I put seem sealer on the stitch and welt gap. Then wax upper afterward. I put mink oil on the leather heel stack to prevent it from shrinking.

I just do this on black boots tho. On other color the seem sealer will look very obvious.

My boots never leak unless the water goes above the gusset.

I also found after doing my feet feel a tad warmer.

Mink oil on dark colors, aussie wax/oil on more medium colors (it will still darken things a little, but it's very little)

I heat my boots with a heat gun for a few minutes, until the leather is warm to touch, and rub in sno seal. Then I do another pass with the heat gun.

To waterproof the stitching, I melt a little snow seal in a beaker and pour it into the welt stitching (particularly the area under the arch). At this point, I'm well protected from incidental river crossings and the like, but I'll also do a few coats of waterproofing spray if I know I'll be in water for longer

For walking a kilometer in a stream regularly you need rubber boots not leather boots.

At the end of the day there is no way to fully waterproof leather boots. I work in forestry on Vancouver Island and no matter what I do, if it’s raining all day or if I’m in and out of streams all day, my boots will soak through.

The best thing I’ve done to slow it down is put silicone seam sealer on the stitching and welt (as somebody else mentioned) and grease on the leather.

That being said I still wear boots with a goretex lining during the rainy months.

The thing about using a long lasting sealant on leather boots is that it will severely reduce the breathability. This means that your feet will sweat more than usual and the leather will absorb an undue amount of salt and water from the inside. It’s really not great for the leather and will also keep your socks wet which is uncomfortable. I think the best solution, which a previous commenter mentioned, is aussie conditioner. I use Fiebings Aussie conditioner if I think it might rain or im trecking over wetland areas. The aussie conditioner will wash off the boots after a number of hours depending upon how much you apply. If you dont know wether or not you will encounter water, put some of the conditioner in a small container or ziplock and bring it along with you in the event you need it or in the event the previously applied layer is wearing down. For thicker leather boots such as most Nicks, i would apply a thick base layer and allow it to absorb into the leather and then come back in a few hours and apply another layer. This 2nd layer will be the layer that you replace once it washes off. This method might be less effective for boots that dont have a 360 stitchdown/welt.

Nick's recommends Sno Seal for that kind of use.

You can do all kinds of stuff to improve it but at the end of the day it’s leather. I would recommend some waterproof socks over wool socks maybe, or rubber boots.

Doesn’t look like anyone answered your question about drying boots out. I recommend avoiding heat, it will shorten the life of the leather. Repeatedly stuff absorbent towel and paper towel to get as much out as you can.

Put a big box fan on them and move them around to get different parts, including straight into the shaft with the laces off and tongue as open as possible.

After that repeatedly stuff newspaper or something similar for a few days and let then sit.

You might get mold growing before it dries out. This is not an emergency as long as you treat it. You can take a phone pic in your boot to check. A lysol wipe or a 50/50 vinegar and water in a towel will take care of it. Keep checking until it doesn’t come back.

Hair-dryer and Sno seal is the best I've tried.

If you really want dry feet, even if your boots do leak, get these:

https://www.sealskinz.com/collections/socks

I've had plenty different brands, those are the best.