Got my leather brasher walking boots out of the garage for first use in many years and the top of one of them, which should be supple spongly leather where you ankle goes, have set as hard as concrete and are going to cause a world of pain if used again.

Boots are about 10 years old but have only had light use although also minimal TLC. Should I chuck them or can they be restored somehow?

Thanks

give em a good coating of dubbin or some such stuff and leave over night i had same with some old scarpa ones and they were lovely and soft in the morning 😉

Caswell & Co – Chelsea Leather Food

Nikwax or Grangers are also good options – see Blacks, Nevissport, Tiso etc

They can be rescued with dubbin, liquid nikwax and suchlike.

Thanks guys I’ll give it a go and see if I can resurrect them from the dead

Use a pure soap cleaner (nikwax sponge applicator) to remove any grime, dirt, gunk etc etc. Dont artificially dry them using a hair-dryer or next to a radiator. will dry out leather even more. let them dry naturally in a utility room/airing cupboard. then get hold of a brown tinted brasher leather conditioner (not only does it condition the leather it also waterproofs it. made using the same stuff as grangers leather conditioner). preferably use you hand and work a small amount into the leather as the heat from your hand makes the cream penetrate deeper into the leather. leave over night and apply a little more. i would suggest wearing them around the house to stretch out and flex the leather again (especially after such a long time). the leather should hopefully be ok after this…..

p.s. dont use dubbing. its bad for the stitching.

Thanks Finners for the comprehensive advice – ordered the Brasher conditioner and Nikwax online ready for the restoration

I’ve reconditioned a number of pairs of boots I’ve inherited in the past by using saddle oil (visit a horsey type shop) on scrupulously clean leather and then warming them in a drying cabinet set to 60 degrees, then applying more oil or nikwax until the leather is saturated.

Has worked a treat every time.

before you do the treatment put the boots on and walk up a stream or brook to get em really wet then walk em dry. Next day treat em with what ever.

p.s. dont use dubbing. its bad for the stitching.

The logic behind Finners advice also goes for any creasing of the leather where the boots flex. I think dubbing and all the other treatments are ok, but what you need to do is wipe off any residue before you go for a walk in them. In the case of Dubbing (the worst offender), you often end up with an oily/waxy residue on the boot, which people tend to leave on thinking it makes the boot even more waterproof. Actually what happens is mud/sand/dust and everything else collects in the waxy residue and that is very abrasive to the boots. The oily/waxy residue especially collects in creases and over time you get excessive wear from that wax/dirt combo. A difficult one to explain but you get my drift?