Boot Care

Mark W. · Dec 21, 2015

Own a pair of Durashock Wellingtons that I really like. The problem is that they got fully submerged in mud. I scrubbed the boots inside and out, and now I need to know what to rub on them to restore the leather. I've heard mink oil works well but looking for any thoughts. Thanks.

J.Wondergem · Dec 21, 2015

Wash them with saddle soap, then mink oil.

Mike M · Dec 21, 2015

I recently started using WD40 on leather. don't know the long term results but short term is great.

johnlobb · Dec 21, 2015

I agree with Mr. Wondergem...

TimV · Dec 21, 2015

Mink oil's a long-time favorite. Neatsfoot oil is another, though it will darken and soften the leather with repeated use. The article I've linked discusses another old recipe--a combination of linseed oil, turpentine, and beeswax. This is what I use on most leathers and it works well--in fact, it works equally well on metal and wood. It's basically the same thing you buy in little tins at 10x the price with fancy names at boutique shops, and has been around for centuries, but I always enjoy Bob Smalser's articles--he's a sawyer and wooden boat builder in the Pacific northwest, and so he knows a thing or two about heavy work in cold, wet conditions, and how to protect yourself and your tools from the worst of it.
Leather Preservative

L.Fure · Dec 21, 2015

Clean the outside of the boot with saddle soap and let dry over night. The next day warm the boots up a little by placing them next to the wood stove, or any other heat source. Then rub in some boot grease, and leave them next to the heat source until the grease soaks into the leather.

tomturkey · Dec 21, 2015

Back in the olden days, if we got our shoes wet, Mom would make us stuff the shoes with wadded up balls of newspaper. Then we would set them in the oven that had a standing pilot light to dry. We would remove the paper after a bit, it would absorb most of the moisture from the leather and cloth inside and put shoes back in oven overnite. Put kiwi shoe polish on them next day, good til the next time. My work boot only get regular shoe/boot polish. My feet perspire a lot, using mink oil made this worse as the leather is sealed up and cannot breath/ expel some of that moisture. So I just use regular boot/shoe polish on mine. Just my experience. Working in mud/manure, I wear my mucks. gobble

John Deere D · Dec 21, 2015

Well......... if your feet come in contact with the WD40, they most likely will never suffer from Arthritis..........
Bob..

notjustair · Dec 21, 2015

Well, at the end of the day I go to the hydrant and spray off what I can. They dry in the porch by the wood stove overnight and I repeat the next day. Thank the Lord for waterproof work boots. I've never had a pair of Rockies leak no matter how old they are.

Mike M · Dec 21, 2015

I should try WD40 on me sometime. I do hear people like it ? I guess I just fear it will be the next cancer causer ?

I once had a pair of shoes get soaked in hyd. oil. That worked good on the leather too.

GeneMO · Dec 21, 2015

When our old leather work boots got dry, my dad would oil them good with regular old used oil.

It helped some, but we were in wet conditions and manure so much that we couldn't get a paid of leather boots to last much more than 8 months to a year.

Full time farming, and especially with livestock was hard on boots, no matter how well you cared for them.

Now I use the various mink oil type of things.

One of the best purchase I ever made was on of the "Peet" type of boot dryers. You put em on this thing overnight and have nice warm, dry boots in the morning.

A good drying helps boots, as long as you keep the outside oiled.

Gene

Russ from MN · Dec 21, 2015

D beatty · Dec 21, 2015

I have used a product called Nor-V-Gen on leather boots. It combats the acid in manure and softens the leather. You apply it to boots with boots warm and then set them by heat until it soaks in. My last 3 pair of work boots I have went to Gore-Tex boots and like them better than plain leather boots and they out last the plain leather boots.

JerryS · Dec 21, 2015

When I was a lad working our dairy farm my dad had an old tin of tallow that my grandfather had rendered years before. Every new pair of boots got a good coating of the stuff. Kind of strong smelling, but then, so was cow s---.

4520BW · Dec 21, 2015

The best thing I do is put them on a boot drier. Rural king has them cheap. My feet sweat bad so I use it often. Having 2 pair of boots and switching every other day helps ( dad swears by this.. did it in the army) but good boots are too expensive for that.

Bud Sather in MT · Dec 21, 2015

I use saddle oil. Clean up your boots and let them dry. When dry I use a 1 inch paint brush and put 2 coats of saddle oil on them. I don't remember the last time I actually "polished" a pair of boots. Bud

jacksun65 · Dec 21, 2015

Snow seal works great just have to warm it a little like tallow

caterpillar guy · Dec 21, 2015

I just use Neats foot oil on them give them a couple of coats as needed.

Paul from MI · Dec 21, 2015

Neat's foot oil has worked for me for 60 years.

John - OH · Dec 21, 2015

I mink oil mine regularly. The last pair I literally wore the soles off, leather is still good as new. I figure what a good pair of boots cost, a regular oiling is cheap maintenance.

mj · Dec 22, 2015

I get all the dried mud off with with a brush and then clean the leather with Lexol Leather Cleaner and follow that with Lexol Conditioner.

For increased water proofing I use Sno-Seal in place of the conditioner.

Boot Care

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