HOW TO TAKE CARE OF LEATHER BOOTS

At the time we buy a new pair of boots we feel really happy… they look great! But if we want to keep them in good condition, show them always nice and make them last long time, it is very important that we dedicate, once in a while, some time to their maintenance and care.

At Corbeto’s Boots we only select high quality leathers, so it is not necessary a costly maintenance. With easy care operations you will have a great pair of boots that will last many years.

The only thing that you should have in mind at the time you take care of your boots is to recognise the kind of leather they have been made of. Each type of leather requires specific care procedures. So today we are going to explain how to take care of every kind of leather.

How distinguish the different kinds of leather:

 

 

• Greased leather boots: We can easily recognise if our boots have been made with this type of leather. When you touch them will feel a greasy touch, very similar to a wax candle one. The reason is that these leathers are greased during they tanning. They are quite ressitant to grease, oil and water stains. These leathers are widely used in cowboy, biker and Spanish camperos boots.
• Non-greased leather boots: this is the easiest way to tan leather, they don’t have any grease or have been treated with special products to get a shiny look.
• Exotic skin boots: it is quite easy to recognise a boot that has been mde using exotic animal leather. Furthermore, when you check boot’s details at our site we are always informing about what leather has been used for each pair. For example, python, alligator, sting ray, lizard or cobra… Despite they can look delicate, they don’t really need a special care. Because their scales, probbably snake skin is a bit more delicate but on the other side it is the softest and most comfortable one for a pair of boots.
• Suede and nubuck leather boots: witgh a velvety touch, these leathers tend to be more delicate specially with water.
• Shiny leather boots: also called “florentic” or “flora” it is very easy to recognise it because its shiny look and thickness. This kind of leather is widely used on fancy boots.

How to take care of greased leather boots

• We will clean any dirt or dust with a a brush, damp cloth or baby wipes. If the stains are still visible we can apply just a bit of neutral soap on the cloth.
• In the case the boots get wet it is recommended to fill the inside with kitchen paper to remove humidity. THEY NEVER MUST BE DRIED CLOSE TO A HEAT SOURCE. We will let them get dry naturally. Once completely dry will apply a good layer of horse grease to moisturise.
• By other side, we will regularly apply a small amount of grease to keep leather’s nourished and soft and protect from stains and water.
• If we like to get some shiny look we could apply some neutral polish, brush and rub until getting the desired finishing.
• We recommend waiting at least for 3 hours to wear the boots to avoid our clothing to get stained. Leather needs some time to absorb the grease.

How to maintain non greased cow leather boots

 

 

• As always, we will start erasing any dirt with a soft brush, damp cloth or baby wipe. We can use some soap on the cloth if the stains don’t disappear.
• Also, if the boots are wet will fill the inside with kitchen paper to remove humidity. After that, we will let them get dry by themselves, NEVER PLACING THEM CLOSE TO A HEAT SOURCE. Once the leather is dry we can moisturise it by applying grease of horse all over it.
• To keep leather’s good condition will apply grease of horse or same color/neutral color polish, brush and rub it with a cloth. When using these products color may go to a bit darker but once leather absorb them a similar color to the original will appear.

How to take care exotic skin (snake, sting ray or alligator) boots

• First step is always the same: using a soft brush, damp cloth or baby wipes to remove any dirt or dust, using neutral soap if necessary.
• If they get wet, fill the inside with kitchen paper to remove humidity. After that, we will let them get dry by themselves, NEVER PLACING THEM CLOSE TO A HEAT SOURCE. Finally we will apply a layer of exotic leathers special care cream or neutral body cream.
• Exotic skins require to regularly apply a little quantity of the special cream for this skins or neutral body cream. This products must be only applied over the exotic skin, for boot’s cow leather parts will use horse grease.
  In the case of snake skin, cream should always be applied in scale’s direction, never opposed, to avoid scale’s to raise. With the time you may notice that snake skin color changes to a yellowish tone. This is completely normal because of the light and maintenace products applied on the skin and it doesn’t mean that the leather is getting dry.

How to take care of suede and nubuk boots

• To remove dust we will use a soft brush and for deeper dirt it is better to use a wire brush in a very delicate way. It is not recommended to use liquides or creams or leather will change its texture and color.
  There are sprays to be specially applied on these leathers to protect from stains and water. They are sprayed over the boots once they are clean and dry from a 25/30 cms distance. It is important to homogeneously spread.
  If the boots have grease stains that are difficult to remove, we could use kitchen grease remover. We have to be extremely delicate when using these products because they are very aggresive for the leather.
  If the boots are wet from rain, we follow the same process as the other kind of leathers: filling the inside part of the boots with kitche paper and let them get dry by themselves to finally spray the nubuk or suede.

How to clean and care your shiny leather boots (also called florentic or flora leather)

 

 

• Clean with a damp cloth.
• Use small quantities of neutral or same color as the leather polish. Do not apply large quantities since this leather doesn’t absorb it too much, otherwise to get a shiny look will be quite difficult.
• To get the desired finish we will scrub with a cotton cloth. To make them shine we will have to use two cloth: one to mositurise the leather and another and remove any excess of cream and another to clean and get the shine.
• If the boots get wet from the rain, fill the inside with kitchen paper to remove humidity. After that, we will let them get dry by themselves, NEVER PLACING THEM CLOSE TO A HEAT SOURCE. Finally we will light layer of neutral or same color as the leather polish to recover their natural look.

A last advice about horse grease and exotic leathers cream

Both are great products to moisturise our boot’s leather. Furthermore, you can apply them in all colors because they are uncolored.

In the case of horse grease, we have to be careful, since it tends to get lether darker.
These two products are available at our online store as many other accessories to care and embellish your boots. Do not hesitate visiting our Boot Accessories section.

Following these advices will keep your boots looking great for many years!