There’s nothing worse than stepping into an icy puddle and getting your shoes wet and soggy—especially in cold weather! Before you venture out into that rain and sleet, waterproof them the easy and CHEAP way, with a candle! Yup, you heard that right, a candle! Here’s how you do it.

LittleThings shows us that waterproofing your shoes doesn’t mean that you need to go out and buy that messy and smelly spray-on bottled chemical. To maintain your favorite pair of shoes all winter long, just follow these three super simple steps:

1. Ready your materials

   Grab an ordinary tall taper candle along with the shoes that you plan to waterproof. Canvas shoes are used as an example for this hack, but most materials will be protected. Just stay away from using the wax on leather or suede.

2. Coat the shoes in wax

   It may feel strange to do at first, but this is the first step in getting your footwear ready for that wet weather! Simply rub the tapered candle on the outside material so that the wax residue is visible on all areas of the fabric. Don’t worry about the color or consistency—this will melt down in the next step.

3. Just add heat

   Grab a hairdryer and center it so that it is blowing hot air directly on the spots that you covered in wax in the previous step. After a bit, you should notice that the wax coat transforms to a clear coat. Those white, crusty areas should have melted right into the material, thus acting as a protective barrier between the liquid and the shoe.

Voila! Your shoes are now ready to endure some serious rain and sludge. Just take a look at the before and after. The shoes that have been waterproofed just can’t stay wet—the water beads right off, while the shoes that haven’t been treated look like they need to be dried in an oven.

Of course, there are some other useful DIY hacks for waterproofing your favorite pair of kicks. If you are a leather lover, then consider using a seed-based oil on the outside material of the shoe. You can also complete the task with good old petroleum jelly, though this may end up darkening the leather a bit. To prevent color transfer, simply wipe the excess away with a rag.

If you don’t want to take any chances, there is a variety of spray-on options on the market. You can also use Scotchgard, which also works great for keeping water off of your upholstered furniture.

Watch Little Things video below to see just how easy it can be to waterproof your shoes with candle wax!

What do you think of this waterproofing hack? Have you tried the beeswax method, and if so, were you happy with your results? Do you have any other ways that you prepare your shoes for the winter? Tell us all about your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below!