Taking Care of Rugged Boots for Fall

(This is part two. To read part one on Obenauf's LP and leather protection in general, see this post.)

Just finished polishing off my boots with a hearty helping of Obenauf’s LP. My can arrived over the weekend, and as per the the sites I linked to, I left them wrapped in a plastic bag all day to absorb whatever heat they could (it’s amazing how fast that hot summer went away). I also put the sack in my car trunk for some added insulation. The idea is to warm up the leather to better absorb the leather preservative. Working the stuff in with your hands has the same effect.

Here you can see a before and after shot of my boots. The pair on the right has had an LP treatment, the pair on the left hasn't. The boots have benefited greatly from some liberal application of leather conditioner since last winter, but I'm afraid the effect of the Obenauf's was a bit lackluster at first. That's no knock on Obenauf's though, as these boots have seen years of hard use with little to no protective care. The leather was so dry and cracked initially, I was concerned whether the LP would have any effect. But the boots clearly look better, even if you can't tell in the picture, and at the least the LP will protect them from the elements this winter. I will probably give them another one or two treatments to see if I can't restore these things to their former glory. It's a work in progress.

I also gave my Sperry Topsider loafers an application of LP as well. They were in fair enough condition before treatment, but I figured the LP wouldn't hurt, and again protecting the leather is always a nice benefit. 

I worked on my shoes around 5:30 pm, and by writing this closer to 8:30, both the Sperrys (or is it Sperries?) and the boots have darkened in color. The boots are now a nice rich brown, while the loafers are more of a burnished brown, much like the color of a cigar. The color adds a nice character to both pairs, and I'm excited to see what they look like after a night of drying. All in all, I think this was a good investment, and a nice way to kill 30 minutes before dinner.

Side note - I included this picture to show how little of the LP I actually needed/used. I'm not sure how this compares to other users, but for me it was more than enough for a liberal application to my boots, and a standard application (at least in my mind) to the loafers. This jar of LP should last awhile (so again, a good value).

Thanks for reading,

MD

Proper Shoe Care- Winter Version

What do you know? It actually snowed this winter, although I thought it never would. As it turns out, I was finally able to trudge through the snow and slush in my boots (featured here), so I figured it’d be a good time for a post regarding proper shoe care.

First, prevention. Do your best to properly care for your shoes before they actually get dirty. A good prevention system not only protects those valuable shoes you invested so much in, but it also makes cleaning the inevitable mess that much easier. Start with a water-repellant. I have used silicone sprays in the past, and found them to work okay. Really it depends on the shoe and material that seems to determine their effectiveness. (This post is regarding more casual shoes, like ones you wouldn’t normally polish. For nicer leather shoes, I’d recommend talking to someone at the store you bought them. Leathers can require either wax or oil, depending on their exact material, and the process for upkeep is much more labor intensive).

Available on Amazon for $8

I have used this lately, and I'm not sure that I'd recommend it. I purchased it back in November, expecting a winter onslaught, and liberally applied coats to every pair of shoes I thought I would wear. It seems to do a pretty good job on leather shoes like these Nike sneakers.

Nike Vandal Low in Orange/Red

Nike ZOOM Stefan Janoski Boat Shoe

It does an okay job on canvas and suede, and seems to be least effective on my boots (which ironically, I’d need the most in crappy weather, and which the spray says it’s best suited for).

Nordstrom 1901 Carson Oxford in Charcoal

Urban Outfitters Slim Sole Suede Oxford

W.C. Russell Moccasin Co., vintage

Maybe it’s the age of my boots and the type of leather, but it seems to be absorbed, rather than to actually bond to the shoe and form a protective barrier. I’ve also found this product darkens your shoes when you spray it on them (the bottle says some marketing BS, but really it just makes them darker. This is a danger on many shoe sprays, so be warned before you use it).

The take away: find a good protective material to coat your shoes, weather a wax, oil, or synthetic spray. You want something that is water-repellant at least, but hopefully it can stand up to something stronger. It won’t just be snow and water you’ll be dealing with. There’s salt, sand, and that brown gunk you find in curbs. Spot-test it before applying a full coat to see how it affects the color of your shoe, the follow the directions as labeled.

Check out NeverWet silicone spray, expected to be available by the middle of this year. If this works as good as it seems in this video, I’ll be stocking up on cans as soon as it comes out.

After you get home, sopping wet from stomping through sludge all day, you next need to treat the problem. You want to dry shoes, especially leather, as soon as possible to prevent the material from shrinking. If it shrinks, it will stretch next time you wear it. Do I need to explain how this will ruin your shoes? Place them on their side (to evenly dry both the sole and the outers) in a warm (room temperature) area where air can circulate into the shoe. Don’t overheat the leather, it’s just as bad as leaving it wet. I find it’s best to lay them near a fan in a warm room, or a fan that’s near a vent. 

You’ll also want to severely invest in some shoe trees. Shoe trees (preferably cedar) serve several purposes: they soak up any moisture within the shoe, help the shoe maintain its shape, and leave it smelling nice and clean, like the lumber yard at Home Depot. Ideally you’d have shoe trees for every pair of nice shoes you own. If not, do your best to cycle them through your shoes until you can acquire more (more shoe trees, less real trees!). Slide them into your wet pair, and leave them in for at least 24 hours (sometimes they need a bit of massaging around the toes to make sure they’re all the way in). If your shoe trees are losing some of their vigor, try lightly sanding them to reveal fresh wood.

Stains: Time is of the essence. Don’t let a stain set it, because it’ll be harder to remove. Get rid of dirt and salt with a quick brush off, and you should be fine. You can also wipe them down with a damp cloth, then a dry one. 

The take away: Dry your shoes as soon as possible with warm, circulating air. Stock up on shoe trees and use them.

Lastly, recovery. Let your shoes relax with a day off. Continual wear on the same pair will lead to their destruction, so try to mix it up by wearing something else the next day. Also look for a leather moisturizer so the leather remains supple and to protect it in the future. Try this (which I just bought to hopefully restore those boots to their former glory. I'll let you know how it goes). 

This same generally plan can and should ideally be followed before any occasion where you expect foul weather near your feet. A good prevention/treatment/recovery system works just as well against snow and sludge as it does against spilled vodka tonics. 

More news as it develops,

MD


PS- check out THIS ARTICLE for how to restore shell cordovan leather