Leather boots don’t come cheap so you need to take care of them so that they’ll continue to look good and feel good on your feet every time you want to wear them. Boots can really take a lot of punishment from the pavement to the dance floor, outdoor concerts and even from use of a boot stretcher. You need to take care of your leather boots so they will look as good as they did the first time you wore them.
As leather ages, it becomes even more beautiful as it develops its own deep patina. Leather boots fit so well because leather is organically like a second skin, stretching and shaping itself to your own contours. Without proper care though, leather will become as dull and lifeless as your own skin when you ignore the care it requires to remain beautiful.
Leather, like skin, needs plenty of tender loving care to be properly maintained. regular polishing is one of the easiest and most common ways to keep boots looking amazing. Polishing has a dual purpose: it makes your boots look better and helps to erase scuff marks, and it also weatherproofs the leather so that it can be protected from harsh weather.
For added water-resistant protection, you should purchase a tin of dubbin to use on your boots to give them an extra layer of weatherproofing care. Dubbin is what is known as a leather “feed” that is made from natural oils, wax and tallow that professionals use to waterproof, condition and soften leather products.
There is no pigment in dubbin as there is in shoe polish, so you will still need to purchase the appropriate color of shoe polish to buff your boots with if you need to restore the color and beauty of the leather itself, and use the dubbin as an added protective layer. If you use this combination of dubbin and shoe polish with your boots on a regular basis, you will help your leather to stay healthy – and your feet will stay dry and protected even in heavy rain storms.
Another element that can damage leather is direct heat, so be sure to never ever dry out wet boots with a hairdryer or other type of direct heat source. Direct heat can cause the surface of the leather to shrink away from the inner hide, causing permanent damage and cracking on the outer surface.
At the same time, extreme cold can also result in long-term damage to your boots, leaving the leather brittle and cracked. So if you want to preserve your boots for years to come, don’t expose them to extreme changes in temperature.
Now, Miron has written other articles on boots. Be sure to check out either boot shapers or boot vamp stretcher!