Anyone else clean and polish their work boots?

[Molalla1]

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.

Same for me. . .muck boots most of the time but for my leather boots I use Huberd's shoe grease, been around since 1929.

 

[two_bit_score]

Same for me. . .muck boots most of the time but for my leather boots I use Huberd's shoe grease, been around since 1929.

All Natural Boot Oil 9713 | Red Wing Heritage

 

[RobertN]

Obenauf. Best protectant I have found. It is the only thing we used at the fire station. It was originally formulated to protect boots for wildland firefighting, where you can get into nasty ashy yucky stuff.

It's the only thing I use on my Danners and Red Wings...

Reviving this thread because it seemed pertinent. What's the best treatment to protect leather boots?

Reading up on Obenauf it seems pretty good.

But what do y'all recommend?

 

[mcfarmall]

Sno-seal every now and then. Mine still leak at the upper/sole interface.

 

[bunyip]

I don't wear them anymore but used to use saddlesoap and dubbin, we used to get these horrible excuses for boots called Blundstone, I swear the box was more comfortable than the boot, I ditched the issued pair and bought my own Rossi boots which were like wearing runners albeit expensive.

 

[sixdogs]

You guys are right and I should be putting boot oil on. I happen to have some of this Fiebings Prime Neatsfoot Oil compound. Think OK?

 

[the old grind]

"Prime" means 'starts pure' but compound almost always means 'blended with mineral oil, which is actually better for longevity. The low surface tension of the 'cow leg oil' will help the more viscous component soak in, what NF oil does best for tanned leather.

If we were to use pure neatsfoot oil we'd have to apply it a lot more often, thus the better 'compound' product.

You might can see here that prices have changed a bit over the years, :laughing: and that the stuff has a long shelf life.
$.45 'then' vs $4.99 'anymore'

 

[EddieWalker]

Off topic, but when I was in Boot Camp, we had two pairs of boots. One that you wore, one that you polished all the time. The goal was to be able to see your reflection in it. For whatever reason, my picture polishing my boots ended up in the Marine Corps museum at MCRD San Diego for years. I'm sure it's been replaced by now, and I never actually saw it, but I've been told about it by dozens of people that have.

I've never polished my boots since then.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Sounds like unneccessary work.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

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.

Grease the boots first, with a heavy duty boot grease like Snow Seal or Huberd's Shoe Grease. Use a toothbrush to work the grease into the seams. Let them dry. Then warm them and melt in a whole can of Kiwi paste wax. Boot grease softens leather and makes it vulnerable to damage. Paste wax hardens the surface and protects the leather from cuts, while sealing in the grease to keep the leather flexible.

I have two pair of boots, a pair of Danners that are about 20 years old, and have been rebuilt once, and a custom fitted pair from Clemons Boot Clemons Boot Company - Home | Facebook, which only cost a little more than the Danners. Between the two pair, that's about $700 worth of boots, so I take care of them. I had a pair of Red Wing boots in the late '70s that had to be re-soled, and I wasn't walking on concrete. The uppers didn't warrant a third set of Vibram. After that I had worse luck with a couple pair of Red Wings, which is why I switched to the Danners. Then they moved offshore. I figured if I was going to pay $300 for a pair of boots, I would go the custom route.

Having two pair of boots simplifies the annual maintenance, because it takes a couple of weeks to let the grease dry.

BTW, I do the same service for my wife's boots. She has a pair of Ecco boots that are 20 years old. She goes everywhere in them in bad weather. They are soft, well broken in, and waterproof.