Updated Introductory Leather Care Guide

This guide, originally composed by u/a_robot_with_dreams and u/6t5g , is designed to cover the basics of leather care. It’s primarily aimed at shoes/boots, but the principles can apply to other leather goods. Some will notice that many topics are only briefly touched on or simplified; this guide is intended to be a starting point for beginners learning to care for their leather goods.

This guide is updated as of 10/18/2017. Myself and many other members felt a need to revise it as many new visitors to Goodyearwelt are following dated and incorrect care advice, most notably involving Obenaufs LP and Coconut Oil.

Terms to Know

• Tanning: the process of converting an animal hide into usable leather

• Parts of a shoe and More parts

• The construction process determines how the bottom of a shoe is put together. Here are the types of stitched constructions

• Last: the shape that a shoe is built on

• Genuine leather: a meaningless term that indicates some amount of leather content- both high quality and inferior products may use this term. For example, a "Genuine Leather" boot. Many "genuine leather" shoes and belts you see at the mall are simply a canvas or padded cloth base with a thin coating of leather overtop. More reading on Genuine Leather can be found here

• Top Grain leather: again, not a specific ranked grade. Top Grain means the "not suede" part of leather, usually means something (embossing or sanding) has been done to the surface. Can still be a great leather. It’s not much cheaper than full grain like some articles say: The price difference between Horween Cavalier (top grain) and Chromexcel (full grain) is insignificant". Here is the full write-up.

• Full-grain leather: another nuanced term. Please read in depth this piece written by u/nstarleather for more information.

Introduction to Leather and the Tanning Process

Leather is the result of tanning raw animal skins, making it more durable and less susceptible to decomposition processes. The tanning process has many variations to produce many different types of leather, although few specifics are known outside of the industry. According to Nick Horween, the general tanning process is as follows: receive hide, cut/trim hides, wash and soak, dehair, flesh, bate, pickle, tan, press, sort, split, shave, retan, condition, dry, apply stain/color, adjust color, adjust feel, iron/plate, trim/sort, pack, and ship. In addition, here is a picture tour of the Horween tannery by u/jortslife .

Although there are variations, we can discuss some generalities about leather. Its workwear heritage can be attributed to its tough, water-resistant, and hardwearing nature. In addition, leather can develop a beautiful patina with time, adding to its character.

Identifying quality leather is not an easy process and is best done through experience. Moreover, it’s largely dependent on the type of leather used. Better leathers have more consistent grain, less variation in finish and thickness, and are not corrected or treated. Other than that, we suggest time spent reading about and experiencing leather.

Introduction to Care Methods

The basics to leather care are to make sure it remains well conditioned while preventing dirt buildup and salt/water damage. It’s best to condition whenever you feel the leather is getting dry, but that is an acquired art and not always so easy to determine. Thus, a general rule is to condition every month if you wear your boots in hard conditions, and every 2-3 months otherwise. These are very general time periods and you should consult our simple questions thread if you are unsure.

As important as it is to avoid dry leather, it is also important to avoid overconditioning, so we are constantly attempting to strike that balance.

An example of what brushing and conditioning can do to a used boot: u/ChineseBroccoli 's Iron Rangers

Here is an example of what conditioning a long-unconditioned shoe can do

Application of a conditioner should simply follow the directions on the product. However, it’s important to note that many conditioners can be applied by hand. Be sure to apply small amounts. When in doubt, apply less. With time you will develop your own unique method of application. I personally prefer putting a small amount of conditioner on my finger or a rag and working into the leather in a circular motion.

Here are the basic and I mean BASIC instructions:

1: brush

2: clean if necessary (wipe, leather cleaner, etc)

3: wait a minimum 20min until fully dried (some people like to wait over night or several hours)

4: apply conditioner following instructions

5: wait 20min minimum, again, some people wait several hours or overnight

6: Brush

In applying any product, be sure not to apply external sources of heat other than your hands. There is lots of wisdom about how this “opens the pores,” but that’s simply not true. The only thing you will cause is overabsorption of a product into the leather. The reason a product is not absorbed under normal conditions is because there is too much product, and applying extra heat will only cause that product to be poorly absorbed and seep out. In other words, do not heat or blow your shoes with a hairdryer trying to get them to absorb more conditioner.

Prior to conditioning, make sure the leather is clean. Applying any oil or wax based product over dirt causes the dirt to be trapped, leading to long-term deterioration. Prior to any conditioning, you should brush and wipe your shoes down with a damp cloth. Get yourself a good horsehair brush. It is incredible what a good brushing can do to a pair of boots to bring out the shine. Your shoes should be brushed after each wear, or every several wears. If your shoes are extremely dirty, use a cleaner such as Lexol Leather Cleaner prior to conditioning. All cleaners are heavily drying, so be sure to pay extra attention to the conditioning step afterward.

Leather Cleaners

Note: If you are attempting to remove a small stain or spill on your boots, often heavy scrubbing and treatment will only enlarge the stain or remove the finish from your boot. Sometimes the best method is to do nothing. Consult "Simple Questions" for specific advice.

Here are three primary leather cleaning products. These are best used to clean excess dirt and grime off your shoes/boots after heavy wear. However, many times wiping down your boots with a damp cloth will suffice. Leather cleaners should be used sparingly as they dry out the leather, after using a leather cleaner be sure to condition. Save leather cleaners for when your boots really need it.

• Lexol Leather Cleaner: A safe and reliable cleaner, follow instructions on the bottle. To err on the side of caution, avoid intense scrubbing

• Saddle Soap: Slightly more abrasive, can scrub the finish off a pair of shoes. Good for removing wax buildup. Use with discretion. Lexol Leather Cleaner is generally a safer alternative for beginners.

• Saphir Renomat: If you are new to footwear, you should not be using this. Not a cleaner as much as a nuclear option for stain removal and stripping wax, oils, et cetera off a shoe.

Every now and then, it is important to clean the welt of your shoes. Using a tooth brush or q-tip, wipe the welt. u/6t5g likes to say that a clean welt is the mark of someone who truly takes care of their shoes.

Leather Conditioners

Here are 5 conditioners commonly prescribed on r/goodyearwelt. This list is by no means exhaustive. There are dozens of specialty products, colored creams, and polishes on the market. Think of this as a jumping off point for you to learn about care products.

• Lexol: A solid, basic conditioner. Offers good penetration of the leather and once fully dried (in my experience overnight) it can be brushed to a nice neutral shine.

• Bick 4: Very similar to lexol, comes down to personal preference.

• Red Wing Products: I have received mixed reviews on their oils and creams. Some products such as their "All Weather Boot Oil" will darken your leather. These products may find a niche with certain boot owners but just starting out it is safer to use Lexol or Bick 4

• Venetian Shoe Cream: High shine. Tends to not be absorbed as well as lexol however VSC has many similarities to a polish and once brushed will leave your shoes with an excellent shine. Allegedly Nick Horween's favorite conditioner for chromexcel leather.

• Saphir Renovateur: The "High-End" option. Best used for when you want to spoil your shoes, however not necessarily the best. High shine once brushed but slightly more absorption than VSC.

Please know higher priced does not mean best option. Bick 4 can be better than a colored Saphir Cream for you depending on circumstances. Lexol and Bick 4 style conditioners are generally the best conditioning for shoes. Some users like to apply a thin coat of lexol for maintenance followed by a thin application of VSC/Saphir for shine

• Coconut Oil should NOT be used. Coconut oil was passing fad several years ago however it is very easy to over-apply and saturate your leather with. Return that tub you bought back to Trader Joes and purchase some lexol.

• Obenauf’s LP should only be used on shoes that undergo extreme duress (e.g. walking in the snow/slush/mud/rain for multiple hours continuously). If you live in the city or suburbs, you do not need to apply LP. Although you may want to protect your new investment, leather is naturally water resistant and the best idea is to condition it well and rely on its natural resilience. Obenaufs LP will also Darken and remove depth of color from your shoes.

If you are one of the few people who actually qualify (Hunter, Wildlife photographer, You walk in a mile of mud to school daily)...

We do not suggest Crane’s method in applying Obenauf’s LP. Instead, we suggest applying by hand, working it into the leather in small amounts. Take extra care to apply a little extra near the stitching of the boot. Make sure absorbs well by using your hands, not exterior heat. Wipe any excess. Some may like Obenauf’s or similar products because of how they darken leather. We suggest buying a boot that you already like the colour of, as the darkening process also removes much of the depth of colour.

Scuffs/ Cuts

If your shoes develop a scuff, it is relatively easy to treat. For pull up leathers or shell cordovan, use your thumb and a tiny amount of conditioner to rub away. It will come out, with time and pressure;leather tends to have many self healing properties. Sometimes, unfortunately, you cannot make a scuff in regular leather disappear, only cover it up. Alternatively, you can use thin layers of polish to fill and cover the scuff.

Rest

All leather shoes should rest 24 hours after wearing with a cedar shoe tree inserted, without exception. Your shoes need time to dry out in order to increase their longevity. Please refer to This famous case of a user's Iron Rangers interior literally disintegrating from constant wear.

There is no major difference in shoe trees, although a split toe is preferable over a solid toe and a lasted shoe tree is most preferable. However, lasted shoe trees are exceedingly rare and even the craziest of shoe aficionados rarely own lasted shoe trees. Here is u/m635_guy 's shoe tree guide.

Some people prefer to use removable inserts. If you are concerned about sweating too much in your shoes or moisture absorption, here is an actual sock guide

Polish

Make sure your shoes are completely dry before polishing. For dress shoes, you will want to apply polish. Similarly to conditioner, apply polish in small layers amounts using a brush or cloth in concentric circles and mild pressure. Do not apply much polish to any area that gets wear, such as the vamp. Wax based polishes apply some pigment, while providing protection and improving the smoothness of the finish. In addition, they allow for the development of a mirror shine. The trick to developing a mirror shine is to use several thin layers of wax polish, a few drops of water, and an incredible amount of practice and patience. Developing a mirror shine is tough and every person usually develops their own tricks to doing so.

If you have an Allen Edmonds shoe, AE's cream polishes are also very nice, and have the benefit of taking the guesswork out of color-matching for things like Walnut. Matching polish from your shoe's manufacturer the same color as your shoe can help ensure consistency.

It is good practice to strip the excess wax polish from your dress shoes every three to six months, then condition and rebuild. We suggest using Saphir renomat to strip any dress shoes, then conditioning with your prefered product.

Some Unique Leathers + Care

• Shell cordovan, care is remarkably easy. As shell is such a resilient leather, care is minimal. Brush and wipe as often as you like, although we suggest at least every five wears. It’s a good idea to condition every three to six months. For shine, we have had success with Venetian Shoe Cream or Saphir Renovateur. However, your personal preference will vary. There are technically better conditioning products for shell such as Saphir's Cordovan Cream.

• Some say that neatsfoot oil is best for old shell. Neatsfoot oil can be restorative, but you have to use it very sparingly. If you're conditioning old shell that is dry, you'll want to use 3 or so super-light coats with a full day in between. Saphir's Cordovan Cream has neatsfoot oil in it (along with other nourishing stuff), so it might be a safer approach than straight neatsfoot.

• Be sure to apply lightly, as shell is already highly impregnated with oils. Follow conditioning with another brushing/buffing. Due to shell’s oily nature, it will develop a waxy buildup in the rolls. Simply wipe this away with a damp cloth. There also appears to be some truth to the deer bone rumours. It does seem to be highly effective in removing scuffs and scratches (I had a video here but it has been removed) in shell and other highly oiled leathers, although you can usually achieve the same effects with your thumb and a little bit of oil. This video is also a good watch, but we consider this much attention and care to be overkill for shell cordovan.

• Suede, nubuck, and roughout leathers, we do not advise applying any topical products, as that can ruin the nap. Apply conditioner to the interior of the boot. Nano Tarrago is good to mention too.

• If there is a lining interior the boot you can mix lexol with water in a spray bottle and spray it onto the roughout to give an even application. Brush occasionally using a suede brush. Some apply products for water resistance, but that is not necessary. If you do so, we recommend Allen Edmonds' or Bick's sprays. Always follow recommended application.

• Saphir also has a range of suede/nubuck/rough out products, including a spray conditioner, and a water repellent spray. The Saphir Renovateur spray is a great way to bring back some of the color to suede, as well as condition it. There are several different colors and a neutral spray so choose accordingly. All you have to do is give it a light spray across the surface, and let it sit. The Saphir Invulner waterproofing spray is great for protecting suede from the rain if you end up getting caught in a storm. It provides a layer of protection, almost like Rain X on your windshield, and essentially makes rain bead up and roll off your shoes. You would apply it the same way that you would the conditioner. These are optional depending on the user and not necessarily vital.

• For true Scotch grain or Zug grain, we suggest brush/wipe and condition treatment similarly to shell cordovan. For pebbled grain shoes, we suggest regular treatment. If you are unsure, we can almost guarantee you they are pebbled grain.

For Leather Sneakers contrary to popular belief, we suggest similar treatment. Use shoe trees! For conditioning it depends on your unique pair of sneakers, the leather properties, the amount of wear, and personal preference. Ask a "simple questions" thread for a specific inquiry.

In Conclusion Leather care may seem intimidating but it is quite enjoyable to develop your own style of care. We strongly recommend you read the entire guide, including comment supplements, and ask more questions. Our "Simple Questions" (SQ) thread is posted daily. Leather is inherently resilient, but we want to maximize its life. Through excellent care, we can make an investment last a lifetime. Good luck!