Leather Shoe Care

[AcuraTech]

What do you guys use for shoe dressing? Not so much looking for a spit shine or polish type of thing, more just something that will protect the leather and keep it supple.

I've been using 'Montana Pitch Blend' with good results. They make 2 products, an oil and a paste. Paste contains mink oil, pine pitch, and beeswax. Oil just has mink oil and pine pitch. All natural, no petroleum products, silicones, or chemicals. Paste is used where waterproofing is necessary, the oil is more of a leather conditioner.

 

[Papa Bear]

KiWi

 

[Falcon_LS]

I actually use WD-40.

 

[HTSS_TR]

I actually use fats that my wife stream from steak.

 

[nthach]

I use Chelsea Leather Food, soccer shops carry the stuff.

A shoe shine guy used this stuff - http://www.cadillacshoe.com/cadillacshoe/Conditioners/Boot_and_ShoeCare.html on a pair of leather Uggs(not the suede type you see girls wear) I own.

 

[ClarkB]

Rendered bear fat anyone?

Clark

 

[msparks]

Without a doubt:

Obenauf's Heavy Duty LP:
http://www.obenaufs.com/lp.php?osCsid=e5a5a620b02af66f31be68ccf584e8e7

I stay away from petroleum based products as they break down the fibers of the leather and can also break down the stitching.

Use this product and your boots will outlast you.

 

[GMBoy]

I wipe my shoes with Armor All and out the door. Looks good and seals them too.

 

[Jeff3126]

I use Kiwi saddlesoap.

 

[mechtech2]

A shot of Lemon Pledge and a wipe is a good quick maintenance..
It contains silicone.

 

[GMBoy]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
A shot of Lemon Pledge and a wipe is a good quick maintenance..
It contains silicone.


Used that too! Forgot - works good and keeps shoes smelling nice.

 

[CivicFan]

I polish my shoes weekly using Kiwi shoe polish. The result is very good looking and shiny upper that lasts for years.

My issue is that the soles wear out much quicker than the upper does. I can only wear leather soles so it's an expensive problem.

 

[Shannow]

Kiwi parade gloss on my black leather work boots. Dubbin for the first two to soften them up, and parade gloss after that.

My son's first year of school this year, and every Sunday he wants to polish his boots/shoes with Parade Gloss.

For my "bare" leather boots/sandals etc., Colorado makes a paste that's pretty good.

 

[mechtech2]

People buy new shoes, they don't get them repaired much any more.
There used to be 10,000 shoe repair shops in Chicagoland, and now there are only a handful.

 

[labman]

I am struggling to even buy new dress shoe laces.

 

[UncleS2]

IMO, you just described the perfect use for a good Leather Balm. Why?

OK, since you asked- but it's a VERY long story

:

Long ago, Dad brought home a pair of on-sale stovepipe boots for me- remember the square toes, "stirrup straps", & heel almost tall as a cowboy boot, popular in the early 70's? Well, they fit perfectly, I really liked & wore 'em for several years. Fast forward to summer 1975- by then married, I even wore 'em to Willie Nelson's July 4th Picnic in Liberty Hill, TX. Walked in about 2-3 miles carrying an ice chest full of Coors on my shoulder

, in those boots. Can't believe I was able to do that without even thinking back then!

The boots were getting kinda sad before Willie's Picnic- and afterwards, the Central Texas black mud almost finished them. After sitting for a few weeks, the straps were so badly curled & cracked I cut 'em off. After brushing the too-well-dried mud off- several times, that blackland mud really sticks-there were so many long deep cracks in the as-stiff-as-a-board leather that I almost threw 'em away. Almost.

I bought a bottle of Cavalier brand(mfg by Kiwi) Leather Balm, sure that it was a waste of a perfectly good dollar. Wrong! It was almost miraculous- it not only made the leather clean & supple again, it actually seemed to make the cracks grow back together, with only a shallow line to show where a deep raw crack was before. Sounds crazy, but I swear it's true. I wore those boots for several more years after that.

Well, that sold me- ever since then, on the rare occasions when I want to preserve/maintain/clean leather, it's Cavalier Leather Balm. I still have most of the last bottle I bought years ago, recently used it on some old, irreplaceable George L. Herter knife sheaths with excellent results.

The bad news is that Cavalier seems to be dead as a brand name. The good news is that Kiwi still sells Leather Balm in a bottle, now under the brand name of- get ready- Meltonian!

You might find it just about anywhere shoe care products are sold. Oh yeah- There are other brands too, just google Leather Balm.

Edit- more bad news- these days, it's gonna cost more than a dollar!

 

[msparks]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
People buy new shoes, they don't get them repaired much any more.
There used to be 10,000 shoe repair shops in Chicagoland, and now there are only a handful.


I've recently changed my view of this as well.

I had to finally get rid of a pair of Merrell Hikers that I had for 10 years. The leather was still pretty good and they fit awesome. But because of the injection molded sole, they couldn't be resoled.

My solution, buy a pair of high quality, American made Danners. They can be resoled, rebuilt and should last me at least 15-20years if not longer.

Now I'm on the search for a pair of casual shoes that I can do the same. I found a company in WI that makes custom shoes, Russell Moccasin co. I would have got the hikers from them too, but just discovered them.

No more china made throw away shoes for me. It just makes no sense.

 

[benjamming]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
People buy new shoes, they don't get them repaired much any more.
There used to be 10,000 shoe repair shops in Chicagoland, and now there are only a handful.


I had a pair of dress shoes repaired at Brooks Shoe Service up in Chicago last summer. They looked great when they came back. I should probably start taking better care of the leather uppers. This thread is a good reminder.

 

[Schmoe]

Mink Oil.