Leather Boot and Belt Care

[light94]

I just picked up my first pair of 'real' leather boots and belt but am wondering if I need to apply anything to care for them? I will be wearing them in rain but not snow. Hoping for them to last 2-3 years.

I read through many of the leather care threads on here as well as google'd for information but am still quite confused about the wide variety of products... mink oil, leather protectant, sprays, etc. so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Earthkeeper 2.0 Moc Toe Boots:

NF Belt:

 

[Equus Leather]

Originally Posted by light94

I just picked up my first pair of 'real' leather boots and belt but am wondering if I need to apply anything to care for them? I will be wearing them in rain but not snow. Hoping for them to last 2-3 years.

I read through many of the leather care threads on here as well as google'd for information but am still quite confused about the wide variety of products... mink oil, leather protectant, sprays, etc. so any help would be greatly appreciated.


That belt will darken if you apply anything to it - it looks like tooling leather so untreated in any way and will soak up any leather feed/conditioner. If it doesnt get wet I'd leave it as is for as long as you can if you want to keep the colour. Belts generally have a fairly easy life as they are protected by jumpers/coats etc so should last for quite a while.

HTH

Charlie

 

[pvrhye]

The color will change with neutral polish, but it'll probably look closer to the boots if that was your intention.

 

[light94]

Thanks for the replies!

I don't care about matching the two colors, but just want to know if I need to apply any products to make them last me a good amount of time.

Seems like I won't need to apply anything to the belt unless it gets wet? What about the boots - I will be wearing them in the rain quite often.

 

[luv2dance]

Originally Posted by karinasturtz

As leather goods are worn, many of the essential oils added by the tanners wear away. Without care, drying, cracking and/or hardening of the leather will occur. Consistent and long-term care is essential to the longevity of your leather goods.

If the leather is untreated you should absolutely have the boots waterproofed once this season. Now if you do get caught in a lot of rain I would waterproof after ever 6-7 times of wearing the shoe. The belt is probably not such a big concern since it is not exposed to the weather like boots but I would waterproof at least once each year. Use a premium leather care product since the spraying nozzles tend to be a lot lighter so the spray applies more evenly. Collonil is a great product if you can find it.