Caring for Leather Boots

Starting with a well loved and muddy pair of boots we’ll show you how to clean and polish them just like we do.

The first step is to remove the laces and gently rub or brush off any big clumps of mud. 

Clean any mud or dirt off the uppers using a damp sponge, choose something soft as you don't want to use anything abrasive on the leather.

There's no need to soak the boots, you need just enough water to loosen and clean off any dirt. 

If there is a lot of mud you may need to rinse off your sponge a few times as you don't want to spread the dirt around.

You'll also want to remove any mud from the outside of the heel and the leather rand on the edge of the sole. 

If there's mud stuck between the edge of the rand and the upper you can use the corner of the sponge to really get in to clean this area.

Once you’ve removed all the mud leave the boots to air dry as it's important that all the dirt is cleaned off and the boots are dry before you apply any polish. 

Stuff them gently with scrunched up newspaper to absorb any water and to hold their shape. 

It's best not to dry your boots by a direct heat source ie. radiator, open fire or wood burner as this will dry the leather out.

When your boots are damp the leather will darken, the lighter the leather the more you will notice the effect. Don't panic, the leather will return to its normal colour when it drys.

Before tackling the upper we usually apply a little dark brown polish to the edge of the heel, sole and rand to freshen this up too. 

You'll need to be a bit more careful on the sole edge, especially if the colour of the boot is lighter than the colour of the sole.  

Apply a layer of polish to the uppers using a lint cloth or brush. 

Try to match the colour of polish to the colour of your uppers. If the exact colour is not available then we normally go for a lighter shade so as not to alter the look of your boot.

We use a polish which has a mixture of wax and cream which will both protect and nourish the leather. Our favourite polish comes from Saphir Medaille d'Or but any brand will be ok. 

If your boot has a black suede counter on the heel this should NOT be polished. 

You might want to cover this area with your hand when polishing the rest of the upper to protect it.

Leave the polish to dry for a few minutes then brush it lightly to bring up the shine. 

Again we protect the black suede on the heel counter as you want to avoid brushing over this, but it's ok to polish over the edge of the sole and heel as this will give this a little lustre too. 

You may want to apply another layer or two of polish on the toes of your boots to add some extra protection. If so, simply repeat the polishing process.

By now your boots should be looking good and pretty much back to their former glory. 

Re-lace and you're good to go. 

Cleaning your boots is often the perfect opportunity to replace your laces with a fresh pair. A new lace always makes your boots feel new again and we’ve got a great selection of natural and plain colours to choose from.