I don’t mind brushing it before I leave or when I come home, but I prefer to not sit there and spend 30 minutes polishing or whatnot each day
For technical boots (hiking, alpine, whatever) follow manufacturers instructions. There are compatibility issues between cement and leather care products that can make it impossible to repair if you’ve used certain products.
For traditionally constructed boots, I use a leather lotion or leather conditioner every so often, and generally don’t use wax polish. That’s partially because I’m not looking for a mirror shine, and partially because I have found that too much wax polish allows the leather to dry and crack, especially at the creases behind the toe box.
There’s a lot of information on the internet about how different tanning processes need to be treated differently and that’s true, but mostly unhelpful as it’s difficult to find out what exactly the leather in your shoes was tanned and finished with. If you value your sanity, don’t think too much about it.
I’m definitely not looking for a shine either. It’s a calfskin boot and I got it because it wasn’t shiny lol. Thanks for the info. I can’t believe I need to lotion my shoes now
My last leather boots I used wax every now and then, which is good. I did not maibtain the shoes well enough nd hace some cracks in the leather. Had them for 10 years. now I’m following manufacter instructions (Lowa) and I’m impregnating the lether with chemicals and usung a soft leather balm for the lining. hope it helps
What kind of wax and what was your procedure? I know I can probably just google it or watch a video, but I’m sure there are some popular misconceptions or snake oil and I’d like to avoid all that.
Regular leather waterproofing wax should be fine. I understand grangers is a decent brand. procedure … when the shoes are dirty or you notice they soak water. I used 2 brushes: one to clean off the dirt and another to rub in the wax. Make sure all leather had it’s decent share of rubbing. You don’t need much wax. I used 1 container for 10 years.
I used to use Kiwi wax polish on leather boots and shoes. Like the other posters mentioned, it can dry out and crack the leather, but the environment I was working in ate the soles long before that could happen (non-skid coated steel on a ship).
These days, for dress shoes I use Meltonian cream polish. It leaves a nice, lasting shine. I do a really thorough job like once a month and the rest of the time I just brush out scuffs. For boots I use Meltonian cleaner and conditioner, which helps with water resistance, gives a nice shine, but doesn’t cake up. Don’t get hung up on brands, but that’s what works for me.
As far as technique goes, I apply with an old t-shirt I’ve recycled into a rag. After it dries, I buff off the excess with a brush (I think mine is horse hair, sorry horses. At least I’ve had the same one for like fifteen years now), then polish to a shine with a different t-shirt rag.
I don’t want it to shine, so I don’t think I’ll need any wax or polish. Do you have any recommendations for a calfskin conditioner? I bought a cream from Cobbler’s Choice just because it’s $10 lol. Supposedly Saphir’s stuff is best for calfskin
