﻿Ultimate Guide To Restoring Leather Boots Back To Life in 4 mins
[0:00:00] So, your favorite
pair of boots are looking beat up, dirty, and worn out. Is it time to
replace them? Not so fast, gentlemen. This is Thomas with Real Men Real Style,
and I’m going to show you how to make your boots look new again.
Step number one, preparation. Cover your workspace with a newspaper or rag.
Remove the laces before getting started. This is going to make the boots easier to clean. Now,
put a boot or shoe trees into the boots, so they will keep their shape while you work on them.
Step number two, remove the dirt. Now, you’re going to take a brush made from horse hair
and go over the surface of the boots, knocking free any caked on dirt or dust.
Make sure to work in all the gaps and crevices. Step number three, saddle soap. To deeply clean
the boots, you’ll need to use a soap specifically designed for leather. Saddle soap is the gold
standard for cleaning leather footwear. Look for one containing the lanolin or bees wax.
Protip. For every product you use on your leather boots,
you want to test it on an inconspicuous spot first to make sure it won’t affect the color.
Now, you’re going to want an applicator brush and use it to create a lather.
Work the lather across the upper surface of the boots. Don’t forget to brush the tongue too.
Once finished, wipe off any excess soap with a towel and let the boots dry for at least 15
minutes. If the laces are also dirty, you can soak them in a mixture of warm water and soap and use
an old toothbrush to scrub away any dirt. Step number four, removing the creases.
Now, that the leather is clean, we can work to remove those nasty crease marks.
Make sure you have shoe trees in the boots or you’ve stuffed them with newspaper. It
needs to be slightly stretched for this to work. Take a clothing iron and warm it up to the cotton
setting. Now, take a damp towel and place it on the front of the boots. The moisture on the cloth
is key to make sure that the heat doesn’t damage the leather. Gently work the iron over the boot,
letting the heat, steam, and gentle pressure work out the creases.
Remove the cloth and lightly stretch out the remaining lines with your fingers.
This technique is very effective, but the boots will quickly crease again if you don’t take
care of them. The key is to put shoe trees in your boots every time you’re done wearing them.
The trees absorb sweat and odor and help the boots keep their original shape.
Step number five, conditioning. It’s important to replenish the moisture lost
during the cleaning and reshaping process in order to avoid cracking.
Only use a conditioner specifically designed for leather on your boots.
Apply the conditioner using a soft cleaning rag. Work the conditioner into all the gaps
and crevices, paying special attention to any spots that will flex and bend as
you walk. Wipe off any excess conditioner and allow the boots to dry for one or two hours.
Step number six, re-coloring. These boots are covered with small scratches that have
worn away the original color. So, how do you fix that? The answer is a cream polish. These contain
pigment that will replenish the color as well as additional moisture to nourish and protect the
leather. It’s important to find a cream polish in the color that closely matches your boots.
Again, always perform a spot test before you apply it to the entire boots.
Use a small applicator brush to spread the cream around the entire upper of the boots, working
in small circles. You need just enough cream to light coat the surface, no need to go overboard.
Let the cream dry for five minutes, then take a clean horse hair brush and buff the leather.
Don’t use the same brush you use to clean off the dirt. This buffing will clean off any excess
polish and will create a subtle shine. These are casual pair of chukka boots,
so I’m going to stop here. But, if you have a more formal pair of boots, you can now apply
a wax polish to get them additional shine and an extra layer or protection. All that’s left is put
the laces back in your boots and you are done. There you have it. All it takes is a little effort
and your boots look new again. But, what if you do if your shoes get
completely destroyed by mud? Is it a lost cause? Not to worry, gents. In this video right here,
I’m going to show you how to rescue shoes that have been completely covered in mud and grime.
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