General Boot Care

Cleaning & Conditioning

Make sure you clean and condition your boots periodically. You can use a leather cleaner that cleans boots just as well as saddle soap or any other method. We recommend Fiebing's All Purpose Boot Cleaner & Conditioner, which is complete with an oil base ideal for leather.

Leather conditioning is a lot like skin conditioning: oils and conditioners are applied to replace those that have dried up during the tanning process. Some leathers will need more conditioning than others. For example, conditioning needs to be done more often in dry climates, or when the leather is subjected to repeated dryings. However, if you shine your boots regularly, you don't need to use conditioner every time you shine them. We recommend you condition the boots every other time instead.

Apply the conditioner right after you clean your boots while they are still damp. Moist leather absorbs more conditioner. Keep in mind, though, that the leather can only absorb so much: if you put too much on, the leather will get sticky and dull.

Polishing

Polishing your boots will help bring the original shine back to replicate how the boots looked when you first purchased them. The polish used should match the color of the boots. To apply, polish should be rubbed into the leather. Give the cream a few moments to dry and then brush or buff the boots to a shine. Skip's Boots offers creams in a variety of colors.

Dust

Remember that any skin will react the way human skin does, so the most important thing you can do in caring for any piece of leather footwear is to keep it free of dust. Dust will settle into the creases of boots and shoes. It acts like sandpaper, cutting at the finish with every step you take. Sooner or later, it will cut through not only the finish but the fiber itself and the leather will split.

Wipe your boots

Wipe your boots often - not just before you shine them, but also each time you take them off. With leather boots, you do not need anything in particular to wipe the boots off with; just make sure they are wiped off. When it comes to any exotic skin, you are going to want to be a little more gentle, so we recommend that you get in the habit of wiping them off with a smooth cloth. For snake skin boots, make sure you wipe them off with the skin, not against the skin.

Other Helpful Tips

Be sure and check a small area with each treatment suggested before you proceed to clean and condition your boots.
Many spots and marks on leather can be cleaned off with an ordinary pencil eraser. This is true, especially on white leather.
Oil and grease can be cleaned off the leather with a spray-on spot remover.
Never put wet boots near heat to dry them.
Unless you sit at a desk in an air-conditioned office, never wear the same pair of boots every day. They need to rest and air out.
For boots that are constantly going between wet and dry, spray a water protector on them to help maintain their water-resistant properties.

General Boot CareUpdated a year ago