Leather boots are costly and so when you get yours, you want to do everything possible to get them to last as long as possible. In the list of things that you need for maintenance, you must include the best oil for leather boots.
Why your leather boots need oil
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With time and with usage, leather starts to crack. However, conditioning your boots nicely with the best oil gives them a new leash of life. It treats the fiber so that it can stretch without breaking. If you have been searching for information about how to make your boots last longer, you must have come across recommendations for using oil to condition the leather.
1. Oil treatment prevents staining
The oil that you choose should help your boots stay free of salt and water staining. For work boots, most of the stains come from salt and water. The oil that you choose will also waterproof the boots. When leather does not absorb water, it can last a long time in good condition.
Already, leather boots are designed to last a long time. However, you can enhance their lifespan a lot more. Wouldn’t you like that for your cowboy boots? I know I definitely would.
2. Restoration of old leather
Oil helps to restore leather to its original condition. Just imagine how beautiful that boot was when it came from the factory. With good care and with oil, you can restore it to almost that condition. Of course, if it is old, it will still look old, but it will be a kind of graceful aging.
Oil can also help leather age uniformly. When leather is left to its own devices, it usually turns dark and tan in different places, thereby looking unsightly. When you apply mink and neatsfoot products to your boots, the leather ages slowly and gracefully.
3. Maintain good shape over time
It is unlikely that your work boots will last for decades. However, in the three to five years that they will last, you would love to keep them looking healthy, in great shape and wearable. Thankfully, this is not too hard because oil products for leather have such qualities.
Just make sure that you apply oil to the leather often perhaps a couple of times a week. The work of the oil is to cure the leather. As you walk, you will notice that your shoes form creases and wrinkles on the upper area. If you do not treat the leather, this is the section where the boots will start cracking and they will eventually fall apart.
Applying leather treatment is like giving your boots a new leash of life. They will look well cared for and in return, they will make you look quite professional.
4. Maintain the original color of the boots
Leather looks fantastic with its original color. However, due to exposure to the elements, this color can fade and the boots may actually end up looking nasty. However, when you apply mink oil on the boots, they can last for years with the original color.
Ingredients that the best oil for leather boots must have
Ok, to save time, you could pop over to Amazon and buy the first oil for leather boots that you come across. However, that is not really right and it might not get you the best product. There are certain things to consider. I will share with you some things you should find out before you buy oil for your leather boots.
Find out the ingredients used in the oil
Not everything that bears the name oil in its description is going to be good for your leather boots. For example, any oil that contains animal fat is not good. It will do more harm than good to your boots. This is a bit paradoxical, considering that when a cow is alive, a layer of fat stays right under the skin for warmth.
Read the list of ingredients in the oil. If it has things like beeswax, mink oil, pine pitch and oil from neatsfoot, get it. These are the best ingredients because they nourish the leather, making it last longer in superb condition all the time.
Be careful not to buy anything that contains solvents and animal fat. These are going to harm the leather. Neatsfoot, bees wax and mink oil are the most popular. Perhaps we can touch a bit on where these oils come from.
Neatsfoot oil
This oil is made from the shin bones of cattle. It is mostly used for giving the leather some shine. Neatsfoot oil is very good at restoring the condition of the leather. It also enhances moisture retention and hydration in the leather, thus keeping it supple and flexible all the time. If you want to avoid scuffing or cracking in your leather boots, get this oil.
Mink oil comes from the mink pelts. It has its unique benefits too and one of them is that it waterproofs the boots. They say that it does not penetrate the leather as deeply as the neatsfoot oil does, and so you should apply it more often.
Buy the right oil for the right leather boots
Not all oil is going to be good for any boots. Thus, if you are looking for oil for work boots, look for just that. If you have dress boots, look for oil that is specifically made for dress boots and so on.
In our case here, we would definitely be looking for the best oil for leather boots, for work boots. Remember, work boots are exposed continuously to the elements. The hot sun is definitely not good at all for the leather. Thus, the oil that you apply on the boots should have protective properties for the sun.
Being continuously exposed to salt, sunshine, water, mud, oil and other elements makes work boots quite susceptible to breaking and scruffing. Because of this, the pair of boots might need much more care, like the application of oil more often than an office or dress boot.
There are many oil products made for work boots. For example, you can buy a brand like Obenauf on Amazon.com.
If you have a pair of winter boots that you wear to work or for outdoor activities, you need this product. It contains bees wax as one of its ingredients. Now, we know how good bees wax is at preserving leather. This is the best oil for boots that are always exposed. It enhances the water-resistance of a pair of boots, so you do not have to worry even if you are caught in a drench.
There are other high quality oils in the market. If boots are your thing, you can find a product that is good for all leather boots. However, when you spend a lot of time exposed, you want to condition your boots with the best oil for leather possible.
Beeswax
This is very good for strengthening the fibers of the leather. You will find that beeswax is one of the most common ingredients in leather care products. It serves as a base for leather conditioners made of oil. In fact, it is recommended that you only buy oil products that contain beeswax.
Lanolin
Lanolin is very common in oil products for leather boots. The main reason for including this product in oil is that it makes the leather more flexible and relaxed. Thus, when you are breaking in the boots, lanolin makes them supple enough to conform to the shape and the size of your feet. You will also find lanolin in products made for stretching leather. It is a derivative of sheep’s oil.
Propolis, silicone and vitamin E are the other ingredients that you will find in leather oil. Of course, these are mixed in the recommended portions with mink oil or neatsfoot oil. Together, they make a product that will waterproof, add shine, fortify the leather and enhance the lifespan of your boots.
How to apply the best oil for leather boots
No matter how good an oil product is, if you do not apply it in the right way, you will not enjoy its immense benefits.
However, as you will see here, it is quite easy, and you can do it a few times a week. Here is a short step-by-step guide for treating your leather boots:
Cleaning the boots
Clean the boots as required, and let them air dry so that they are completely free of moisture. Please refer to our article for how to clean leather boots so that you can do it right.
Warm them up
Set the shoes on a flat surface, take out your oil and read the instructions for use before you start applying it. It is recommended that you heat the boots a little with a hairdryer so that the oil can reach deeper into the leather. You can even warm the boots in the oven.
Applying the oil
Apply the oil thoroughly. You can use a piece of clean and dry cloth to do that. You can also use the dabbing cloth that is provided with the oil. Ensure that the oil even gets to the seams. You can then store the work shoes and wait for the oil to seep in properly.
If you want to stretch the shoes just a little, the secret is to apply heat and oil and then wear them with one or two thick socks. Walk about in the shoes as the oil penetrates, making the fiber more flexible.
Conclusion
When you buy a pair of dress or work boots, maintaining them in superb condition is a full time job. Thus, depending on how much exposure they get, make a proper schedule for maintaining them. Buy the best oil for leather boots and use it regularly. That way, your boots maintain their superb condition for a long time.