Once you’ve invested in a pair of quality leather work boots you may be wondering what you can do to best care for your work boots to get the most out of your investment. We’ve broken down leather work boot care into a few simple steps to help you get the greatest mileage from your new boots.
Break-in Your New Leather Work Boots
Before you even begin to wear your new kicks to work, break them in at home. Not only will this prevent discomfort on the job site during the break-in process, it will ensure you do not cause premature wear on your boots by putting them through a full workday before they’ve formed to your foot. For more about how to break-in your work boots see our Guide to Breaking-in Your New Work Boots.
Wear Your Boots the Way They Were Made To Be Worn
This might seem like a no-brainer but think about it – have you ever slipped on a pair of lace-up shoes and not bothered to lace them up or laced them up loosely to be able to slip them on and off easily? We’ve all done it here and there. If you frequently wear your lace-up shoes with the laces tied up improperly you may be causing premature wear on the soles and the inner lining of your boot. So lace those shoes up.
Clean Your Boots
It is especially important to clean your work boots when they get muddy and when they are exposed to salt in the winter. Both mud and salt can dry out your leather and cause it to crack or weaken.
How do I clean my work boots?
There are several answers to this question depending on the results you want but, assuming you are primarily concerned with boot care and not worried about buffing out scuffs, it can be a very simple and short process.
For caked on mud follow these steps:
- Wait for the mud to dry a bit before brushing it off with an old dish brush or similar implement that you don’t mind getting dirty.
- Wipe the boots down with a damp cloth.
- Apply a quality boot conditioner.
For salt:
- If you can, clean the salt off immediately with a damp cloth. Do not wait for it to dry because it will begin to cause damage from the moment it is in contact with the leather of your shoe.
When cleaning your leather boots avoid soaking them with water.
Apply Leather Conditioner
It is wise to regularly apply a quality leather conditioner to your work boots, especially if they are often exposed to water, mud, and salt. A leather conditioner works like a moisturizer. It is readily absorbed by the leather and prevents it from drying out and becoming stiff and brittle.
How to Apply Leather Conditioner
- Ensure your boot is clean and dry.
- Using a lint-free clean cloth take a bit of the leather conditioner and gently rub into the leather on an inconspicuous area of the boot. Wait a few moments to be sure you’re happy with how it looks. (Some leather conditioners are tinted or have a sheen to them so you’ll want to check that you’re happy with how it looks before you condition the entire boot. Even clear boot conditioners can affect the appearance of your boot.)
- If you’re satisfied with the appearance of your leather conditioner, go ahead and condition your entire boot. Gently rub the conditioner into the leather in a circular motion with the clean cloth. Be sure to get every part of the surface.
- When that is done, take another clean, dry cloth and wipe any excess conditioner off of the surface of your boot.
Sole Care: what is hydrolysis and how do I prevent it?
In our efforts to protect the leather of our boots we can sometimes overlook the care of the boot soles. Almost all shoe soles are manufactured with polyurethane which is susceptible to a chemical breakdown called hydrolysis. This happens when moisture is absorbed into the polyurethane and does not have a chance to escape. This condition causes the polyurethane to disintegrate resulting in the soles of your boots peeling away, cracking, and crumbling.
To prevent hydrolysis you can:
- Keep your work boots clean. When you’re cleaning the leather do the soles too. Polyurethane needs to ‘breathe’ and caked on mud can lead to hydrolysis.
- Use your boots! It is that easy – keep your boots in use and exposed to air circulation. Don’t store your boots for extended periods of time. If you do need to store them keep them somewhere dry with good air circulation. Don’t ever store them in a bag or box!
- Dry your boots. If your boots do somehow become soaking wet help them to dry out by wiping them down with a towel. You can also consider stuffing them with newspaper to speed up the drying.
- High heat situations can speed up the process of hydrolysis. Therefore leaving your boots out in the hot sun or over a heat vent might seem like an effective way to dry them out. However you’re actually better off putting them in a cool, well-ventilated area to dry out.
In summary, when caring for your work boots remember to take these simple steps. Break them in. Wear them properly. Clean and condition as much as you can. And let them breathe – only store in dry areas with good air circulation. If you follow these simple steps you can extend the life of your work boots considerably.