Waterproof Canvas Shoes With Beeswax

While canvas is a water-resistant fabric, it's not completely waterproof. If you have canvas shoes like Tom's, Vans, or Chuck Taylor All Stars, you can apply a coating of beeswax to prevent water or any other liquids from being absorbed into them.

One caveat is that this may permanently change the color of your shoes, so if you're considering this for your Van's checkered slip-ons, the colors may smudge in the process. It's probably better to only use this method on canvas shoes with a solid color. Let's get started!

Beeswax or cera alba, is an organic wax produced by honey bees. It never spoils and is a great choice for making lotions, balms, creams, deodorants and even waterproofing canvas shoes!

Step 1. Apply Beeswax To Your Canvas Shoes

To begin, you will need to buy a bar of beeswax. Next, liberally apply a coat of the beeswax on your shoes.

Step 2. Dry The Beeswax

After applying the beeswax liberally onto your canvas shoes, find a hair dryer and turn it up to the highest heat setting to completely melt the wax into the fabric.

Step 3. Wait For The Beeswax To Set

As Tom Petty once said "the waiting is the hardest part"; the last step in the process is exactly that!

Wait for 12 hours so that the wax has completely dried and absorbed into your shoes. For best results, place the shoes outside in the sun for the day.

Once your shoes have "cured", gently drip some water on your shoes. If the water droplets begin to bead off (hydrophobicity), then you've successfully waterproofed your canvas shoes! If not, then repeat the steps above until you've achieve the desired result.