Anyone else clean and polish their work boots?

[charlton289]

I have always used mink oil on mine. On my work boots and the uppers on my Bean boots.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Never! It's probably from those Navy Seabee years of polishing boots for inspection. I now put Shoe Goo on the toes of new work boots. Makes the toes area hold up better from kicking/bumping stuff at work.

Yep, we even spit shined our jungle boots in Vietnam. (33 years as a Seabee) Now the military issue boots are rough leather out so you have to keep them oiled not shined. When I worked industrial construction a pair of steel toe work boots was lucky to last a year but we kept them in good condition, clean and oiled. After retiring from construction I have gotten lazy. i still have one pair of old inspection spit shined (all over) construction boots I have not worn for over 30 years and they are still ready for inspection. (dating myself).

Ron

 

[3930dave]

Do oils like this darken the leather a lot? Does it cause more dirt to be attracted to the leather? Get gummy in any way?

Most oils will darken leather. My work boots are dark to begin with, so that works fine by me. More noticeable on light colours, which I generally don't buy.

You need to heat a paste usually to get it to absorb. When done, wipe/buff off any excess that doesn't absorb, paste or original liquid solution. If you immediately go tramping through sand dunes, you might end up with slightly more dust temporarily attached - personally, I can live with that, given the increased lifespan of the result.

I'd test out your concerns on your oldest/least desirable pair of boots - I'm betting you'll end up doing all of them.

Rgds, D.

 

[Garandman]

King Ranch Leather Conditioner... On Danner Boots.

“You can take the man out of the Infantry, but you can’t take the Infantry out of the man.”

Mine are older Fort Lewis, GoreTex lined. Hit them with some black polish a couple of times a year.

 

[sixdogs]

...

You need to heat a paste usually to get it to absorb. When done, wipe/buff off any excess that doesn't absorb,



...

Rgds, D.

Wow, heating the paste wax up sounds like a great idea. That makes sense and would really help polishing boots for dry weather use. For wet use I would still go with oil.

 

[Ford850]

You can warm the boots if you put them close to a wood stove for a bit. A hair dryer works wonders too. Warm the leather a little and then smear on the snow seal, mink oil, etc. It will melt on contact and soak in. Let the boots cool and then wipe off the extra.

 

[sixdogs]

Is there belief which oil is more widely used than others or does each person like something different? There's a lot to choose from and it's confusing.

 

[the old grind]

Pre-heating shoe polish evaporates the solvents more quickly than rubbing it on. It won't 'soak in' as well once it cools, and such a hard wax won't help the leather once it does, will flake more than 'flex'.

We tan leather to remove organic fats. I don't ascribe to bear grease or mink oil for that reason. These can also break down leather as rancidity can return it to 'rottable'. (It's not sesame oil) Petroleum jelly would do as much, and w/o the boutique packaging/pricing.

I use Fiebing's bar soap to clean and their neatsfoot oil 'compound' (cow leg fat, low surface tension soaks in well doesn't gum up, a typical mineral oil blend) and sparingly to soften. Nothing but Sno-Seal silicone and bee's wax blend on boots, belts and all riding leathers. (40+ yrs)

btw, ny experience comes from SJMA in the '60s ($3-$5 for a 'promotion' spit-shine = 1-2 cartons of Lucky's then), also Wolverine Harness Raceway in the '70s, a closet full of 30+ YO jackets that squeak when you move you arms, and mine and a pair of Dad's Redwings in rotation that are getting a bit worn in the heels. (Dad passed in '85)

I'd as soon you guys didn't just copy me ... :laughing:

 

[3930dave]

Wow, heating the paste wax up sounds like a great idea. That makes sense and would really help polishing boots for dry weather use. For wet use I would still go with oil.

Different techniques for different leathers and applications. Guys I knew in the Reserves would sometimes pre-heat paste/polish in a can, going for an inspection shine - nothing I've ever worried about.

I clean off the boot, and let it dry if needed. Then I take the Snow Proof paste as it sits in the can, and rub it into all the leather surfaces with my fingers. Only then do I take a hair dryer, and melt it into the boot. If you have a severely dried out area of leather, then it may take a second hit of paste+melt to get it saturated properly. I use a hair dryer for convenience, if I had a traditional wood stove humming away nicely, I'd just set the boots nearby - watching that they didn't get too hot.

BTW, the hair-dryer tip was a suggestion I got when I first bought Snow Proof, from the second generation (or maybe 3'rd+ gen) owner of this Canadian boot company, Altimate:

Motorcycle boots available from altimategear

I figured his tribal knowledge on boots well exceeded what I know, so I gave it a try. I found it a convenient way to finish treating a boot, and works well for what I need the Snow Proof to do. To be clear, Snow Proof (and similar pastes) usually don't have pigment/colour in them - any final change in how the leather looks mostly comes from the oil being absorbed into the leather (what direct heating helps accomplish) and restoring it back close to its original colour/tone.

I don't know how bad Winter is in Ohio, but if it is anything like up here, imagine going a whole Winter w/o putting any lotion on your hands. Like motor oil, we may have our brand preferences, but the only important thing with leather is to get some kind of appropriate substance back into the leather to help it fight drying out - moisture repelling performance is a bonus. I'm speaking from the standpoint of the function I need from a boot - IMO they look look presentable when I'm done, but I'm not going for parade inspection finish.

Give it a go on one set of boots, I think you'll like the results.

Rgds, D.

 

[oosik]

I have a very nice pair of insulated Red Wings that I wear when "logging" - no other time. So that means about 85% to 90% of the time I'm wearing my Mucks. I very seldom get involved on any project on my property where I eventually won't be stomping around in water 2" to 6" deep. Leather boots simply do not like that..........

My true cold wx boots are Kamik Canada - brought them with us when we came down from Alaska in '82 - - so they are at least 35 years old. Probably more like 40.

I do keep the Wings cleaned and well greased.