Wolverine 1000 Mile Boot Review

[tmchow]

Anyone recommend a good shoe tree for the 1K boots?

I just got these and the are really well made: http://goo.gl/0knAmn

 

[tmchow]

For newcomers to the thread, here's my last post on 1k boot care products. I was frustrated searching the thread for a consolidated post on all the options. Let me know feedback if I should add or adjust anything.

http://www.styleforum.net/t/163864/wolverine-1000-mile-boot-review/4665#post_6797668

 

[milw50717]



For newcomers to the thread, here's my last post on 1k boot care products.  I was frustrated searching the thread for a consolidated post on all the options. Let me know feedback if I should add or adjust anything.  

http://www.styleforum.net/t/163864/wolverine-1000-mile-boot-review/4665#post_6797668

Minor point, but Lexol Leather Cleaner is not just a spray - http://www.lexol.com/product_leather_cleaner.aspx - you just happened to link to a spray bottle of the stuff.

Maybe also give a nod to polishes such as kiwi, saphir, etc.

 

[tmchow]

Oddly, you can't edit old posts after a period of time. No idea why... so here it is again with some edits and the start of a section on polishes. Remember, I'm not claiming to be an expert here, just read this thread a ton and tried my hand at summarizing the information shared by others. Corrections always welcomed.

Jan 4, 2014 edition:
Cleaning, conditioning and polishes

- Cleaning: Lexol cleaner (spray, 1L jug) or kiwi saddle soap. Lots of debate on saddle soap, and less debate seems to be around lexol. Lexol is reported to be easier to use since it's a spray -- take a wet cloth, spray it on, and wipe it on to a lather, then wipe off with another damp cloth.

- Conditioning: Boot oil is highly recommended and keeps the leather hydrated and supple, and will ensure your boots will last a long, long time. Varying opinions but general consensus from all the threads is Obenauf's and Filson's boot oil are winners. Both will darken the leather. Lots of debate about Neatsfoot oil and whether it will eventually rot the boot stitching. Seems to be no consensus on the matter, but lots of people still swear by it. If you go with Neatsfoot oil, make sure it's "pure" and not a compound. Whatever boot oil you use, you can get away with 1 coat but many people do 2-3 coats. As mentioned, this will darken the leather so if you want to avoid that, then skip any of these products and the waterproofing ones. (Note, it will initially look darker at first, and after a few days, it will lighten up a bit but still be darker than before the oil application).

These are 2 alternatives to boot oil that seem to get mentioned:

Meltonian shoe cream -- comes in various colors so get the closest one to match you're actual boot color. Added advantage is that the coloring will help clean/fill in scuffs.

Venetian Shoe Cream (aka "VSC") -- I've read so many glowing recommendations of this and people universally seem to say that it won't darken your boots.

Others: Lexol Conditioner, Leather honey and Montana Pitch Blend get periodically mentioned but much less so than everything else. Doesn't mean these aren't good choices, it's just that they doesn't get as much love on the forums as the other options listed.

- Waterproofing: Further protection with intense waterproofing can be had through use of Obenauf's Heavy Duty LP (aka Obenauf's LP) or Sno-seal. Depending who you ask, you'll get different recommendations, but they all converge around these 2. There is debate on whether you need this at all if you aren't exposing your boots to the outdoors a lot (or water/snow). These will also darken the boots.

Montana Pitch Blend, mentioned earlier as a "conditioner" provides water repellency (vs. waterproofing) which may be enough if you're just in the city and not thrashing your boots outdoors a lot.

- Brush: Get yourself one or more horsehair brushes. If you're just using it to clean and buff non-colored washes, one brush should be OK. If you're using colors waxes/polishes, get one for each color to avoid any transfer.

- Polishes: Depending on how much of a shine you're going for, you may or may not want to use a polish like Saphir. However, keep in mind that if you use a waterproofer like Sno-seal or Obenauf's LP, your boots won't be able to shine up well. If you want to waterproof and still try to polish your boots up, water about a week or two after the waterproof has set in and then try your hand at polishing.

 

[Iipe]

Thanks for the summary.

Any experiences on using Chelsea Leather Food for the waterproofing? I use it for pretty much all leathers but haven't yet used it for Chromexcel.

 

[Ketawa]

My black 1k Miles were beat up after about a year of wearing them. I wear them about 60% of the time, but not in any extreme conditions. In a lot of places, the black finish was worn down and the brownish part of the leather was showing through. It was especially noticeable on the inside of the right boot.

I decided to apply a thin coat of Saphir cream polish to fill in the color and give them a matte finish, then brush them a little. I'm pleased with the results, now I'm hoping that it doesn't interfere with using Filson boot cream. I'll probably do the same thing with my rust boots using mahogany Saphir.

Before:






After:

 

[milw50717]



I decided to apply a thin coat of Saphir cream polish to fill in the color and give them a matte finish, then brush them a little. I'm pleased with the results, now I'm hoping that it doesn't interfere with using Filson boot cream. I'll probably do the same thing with my rust boots using mahogany Saphir.

I think you mean Filson boot oil and not cream. Generally, you would use the oil before the polish, but there are no harm as the boot oils should just soak straight through a thin coat of Saphir. After the oil, let the boot dry a little and then apply Saphir again.

 

[Pecan89]

Black 1ks looking really good with some wear on them

 

[themonster]

Just a friendly reminder to people living in snowy areas:

Not sure if this is limited to the Chicago area, but whatever chemicals they put on salt completely destroyed my boots. I noticed leather fibers rubbing off as I wiped them down.

Keep in mind, these boots have been Sno-seal'd at least every other months.

 

[loug]

Just a friendly reminder to people living in snowy areas:

Not sure if this is limited to the Chicago area, but whatever chemicals they put on salt completely destroyed my boots. I noticed leather fibers rubbing off as I wiped them down.

Keep in mind, these boots have been Sno-seal'd at least every other months.

Yep, living in the NE and refuse to wear 1K's in the snow or rain. Have a pair of boots designed for bad weather (insulated, Vibram soles, factory water proofed leather, water proof liner), really good sh*t kickers. Walk through what ever comes along in these boots without any worries.

 

[michaeljohnr]

What would be the recommended method to re-secure a part of a half sole that is coming slightly unglued?

It's not major (yet) but I would like to secure the portion that is beginning to come unglued.

The part of the half sole I am referring to are the square ends on each side toward the heel portion. The corners are just starting to peel off the sole. There are also slight gaps on places around the area where the half sole is attached to the leather sole.

Like I wrote, it's not a major issue, but I would like to prevent it from becoming one.

 

[themonster]

Yep, living in the NE and refuse to wear 1K's in the snow or rain. Have a pair of boots designed for bad weather (insulated, Vibram soles, factory water proofed leather, water proof liner), really good sh*t kickers. Walk through what ever comes along in these boots without any worries.

Yeah, i was glad they weren't my 1K's either. Guess I will need to dust off my Goretex hiking boots.

 

[poena]

i've just been wearing my ll bean katahdin boots in snowy and rainy weather

 

[gfloridafan93]

Does anybody know of a coupon code for the 1000 mile? Revolve doesn't discount wolverines anymore.

 

[themonster]

Does anybody know of a coupon code for the 1000 mile? Revolve doesn't discount wolverines anymore.

Need Supply has 10% discount.