Leather and Boot Care
I got to bring these side zip Bates back to life via some conditioning with Venetian Shoe Cream and a high shine with layers, and layers, of Lincoln wax polish. How do you get a high (glossy) shine? It’s all about the layers… A. Spread a LIGHT coat of wax polish over the toe area of the boot. (It’s usually just […]
Read more
I bought a brand new leather wrist cuff at a #PrideMonth event last week. It’s a deep brown with buckles and rings and stuff and ooh, I love it! The first thing I did when I got it home though was clean it. WHY CLEAN SOMETHING THAT’S BRAND NEW? Just because leather shoes, cuffs, belts, and what have you are […]
Read more
I got to revive a couple of nice Bass tassel loafers this past weekend. They’re identical pairs except one is black and the other burgundy. Since they’re made of smooth leather I gave them a bit of a shine after the standard cleaning and conditioning. BEFORE STEPS Clean with Saddle soap Condition – I’m trying a different product this time: […]
Read moreDon’t think conditioner is just for your shoes and boots. Belts, bags, watch bands, and many other leather items you own can benefit from routine leather cleaning and conditioning. You don’t have to go crazy and condition your stuff every two weeks or anything… but if you see that your watch band is drying out or your bag is looking […]
Read more
These are lightly worn, eight year old smooth leather combat boots. They’ve been polished all over with a wax polish but have never been conditioned. That’s two mistakes that makes these boots goners. Note the peeled-away leather in the first picture and the significant cracking in the second. These boots would probably still look good if: They were periodically cleaned […]
Read more
Here’s a pair of 5+ year old Johnston and Murphy men’s black oxfords. They’re very well kept, right down to the wood shoe stretcher inside each shoe. All these oxfords needed was a quick clean-condition-shine to remove some scuffs and dust. The black and white image helps show the scuffs a bit better than a color image… Here’s a detail […]
Read moreA friend on my personal FB page asked if a DIY method–combining Olive Oil, Vinegar, and Essential Oils–can be used as a leather conditioner. Olive Oil as a conditioner is controversial at best, and outright damaging at worst. Fibrenew says: When oil first saturates leather, it seeps to the back—to the part you can’t see. Eventually, the oil ends up […]
Read moreWant to get rid of scuffs without putting a heavy shine on your boots? You can reduce the appearance of scuffs and scrapes in smooth leather boots–like the ones in picture (1)–without creating a deep shine by applying a shoe polish paste instead of a wax. Apply a paste such as *Meltonian […]
Read more
If you condition and waterproof your leather jackets with a spray make sure you get the spray into the nooks and crannies of the jacket. Spray under folds on under zippers, etc. so the leather in those areas doesn’t stain or dry out. If the leather area is hard to reach or comes into contact with another material that you […]
Read more
This is all you’ll need to get going cleaning, conditioning, and polishing your boots yourself. Basic Cleaning Saddle Soap Dauber to apply soap Toothbrush – to get soap out of grooves Container of water – to mix with soap to get frothy mix on dauber Rag, such as an old washcloth, to remove soap after cleaning Conditioning Conditioner, such as […]
Read more
An old, dirty pair of work boots, like these: …can be brought back to life in 3 steps: Wash off most of the dirt with a mild soap (Dawn) and water Remove the laces and clean well with saddle soap Condition with a conditioner such as Huberd’s or a Cream Polish such as Meltonian OPTIONAL The rest of the steps […]
Read more