What to use on leather boots?

I want to make my new boots a bit more resistant to water and spills (already managed to get oil on them from cooking)

I’ve been looking at mink oil, neatsfoot oil, silicon creams, waxes,saddle soap. Looked at a few reviews and all of them have information on why they are bad for leather. Saddle soap contains lye, the oils break down the fibres of the leather, silicon drys the leather out…

Anyone know what is actually good for leather?

G-Wax (it’s bees wax)

Dubbin innit?

What sort of leather, and what sort of boots?

Anyone know what is actually good for leather?

Back when I had to wear proper shoes for a living, and shoes/boots were new, I used a clear polish, rubbed in with a slightly damp cloth. Allow to dry. Then, literally, spit and polish (with one of those yellow dusting rags). As they got older, I used a polish matching the shoe colour – nothing fancy to be honest, Kiwi was good enough.

I think basically, you just gotta feed the leather and it’ll pay you back with longevity.

Some days when I’m dragging on shitty boots for work, I miss those days. But mostly I don’t.

DUBBIN.

They are red wing boots, I’m not sure what they are treated with, but they look fairly matt

I’m hoping for this

Don’t disappoint me!

Back when I had to wear proper shoes for a living

You were a shoe model, cool job. What’s the pay like ? 🙂

A tongue?

Ko-cho-line

Ordinary polish, Kiwi is great for proper grained leather, and the colour ensures the scuffs get covered up. Use a rag or duster with spit or water to rub the polish generously into the leather…it’s better than brushing it on, unless they’re welted. Make sure you get polish into all the creases, especially the ones across your toe joints, and along the rands. Make sure there’s some along any stitched seams. Once you’ve got a decent covering rubbed into the leather, use more spit/water and a small amount of polish on the cloth with two fingers behind it, rubbing reasonably gently in small circles to burnish the finish. If you want a shine, use Kiwi Parade Gloss and learn to “bull” them.

If they’re matt or napped like nubuck, you have the choice of using a suede brush to get rid of any dirt and dust, then using a proper nubuck creme, then lifting the nap again with a proper brush. Life’s too short I reckon.

You were a shoe model, cool job. What’s the pay like ?

That’s not what he meant.

If they are Red Wings, then something from here? Red Wing Stuff

dunno if this helps, i’m guessing it’s probably these boots you have?

G-Wax is made by Graingers – its the modern Dubbin – something to do with Dubbin weakening modern stitching or something so they developed a very similar replacement

Polish is OK but its more for show rather than protecting the leather and making the shoes waterproof etc.

That’s not what he meant.

It’s ok, he knew that. 🙂

Been using this on my motorbike boots for the last 14+ years. Same pair of boots – Altberg make great boots btw :
http://www.altberg.co.uk/leder-gris/product/leder-gris-original/

I use this every so often to keep things supple.

This http://www.theholdingcompany.co.uk/wheelers-leather-balm-prodpf_lea01/ very good.

I use Scarpa HS12 Cream which is a silicon based treatment. I find it a lot better than the Nikwax and Graingers stuff, it goes on better, seems to be absorbed more by the leather and lasts longer between treatments.

As CFH asked – what sort of boot and for what sort of use. On my jodpur style boots worn everyday I just use polish (Kiwi as above), for boots which have to take some more abuse then I used to use G-Wax but to be honest now for such footwear I buy modern synthetics / gortex. I have some Dubarry’s and they need very little doing to them, marks are character building anyway just like scars on us blokes 🙂

I’ve got two different pairs of Red Wings and I use Dr Martens Wonder Balm. Does the job perfectly. In fact I use that stuff on my leather cycling gloves too.

I use gliptone liquid leather and dubbin.

I have no idea what’s in them but the gliptone keeps the leather soft and supple and the dubbin keeps it weatherproof.

I use Pecards on my Red Wings (and most other leather stuff), it’s very good. It’s a leather conditioner to help keep the leather supple and adds a little water resistance and protects against stains etc. I believe Red Wings themselves recommend Mink Oil.

My wife uses saddle oil as she has loads of the stuff for tack and riding boots. I’ve always used dubbin. I’m not convinced about the stitch rotting as my meindl boots are still fine and I’ve had them for 14 years and they’ve been walked everywhere from boggy moorland to arid deserts.

Oil does tend to darken things and change the colours.

What are these red boots…. googles…. ah work boots. Red work boots? I had red kicker boots but that was in the 70s. I used red polish. Sorry as I appreciate that hasn’t helped.