Leather boots got soaked in rain - any tips?

sherbie28

I went out yesterday and got caught in an absolute downpour. My leather knee high boots got completely drenched all the way through to my socks. I have brought them inside to dry and stuffed with carrier and bags and kitchen roll (don't read newspapers!). Anything else I can do. They actually feel funny, like the leather has cracked.

spike7451

Now what we/I used to do with my Army boots is apply a layer of boot polish & leave them overnight in a warm place. DO NOT polish them yet!
What that will do is allow the oils in the polish to soak into the leather & soften it.Now you can buff them,you might need to apply a second coat of polish but this time buff them straight away.Once you have polished the,apply a coat of dubbin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubbin

meritaten

spike gives good advice! my OH used to do this with leather rugby boots! You can get dubbin from cobblers, most sport shops and SOME department stores.
if you cannot get dubbin apply the tin shoe polish several times and leave it to soak in each time! a generous application of Vaseline will help too! as before - leave it overnight to soak into the leather!

spike7451

Thanks meritaten,the above is also good for all leather items like leather jackets,gloves & bags.Mine comes from trudging thru muddy fields on excersises...lol
On the subject of mud,if your boots get muddy,let the mud harden & then grip the toecap & bang the heel a few times onto a hard surface to loosen the mud,then scrape off with a hard brush.

charlies-aunt

Know any horse owners?? - saddle soap generously applied while the leather is still damp seems to keep the leather soft as it dries and once dry, apply a heavy coating of Neatsfoot Oil and allow to soak in before applying shoe polish and buffing to a shine

meritaten

its also good practice to apply tin shoe polish to leather shoes then leave overnight before polishing them! it really does make a difference to the shine! also seems to soften and nourish the leather.

meritaten

You are dead right spike - bang off all the mud and leave the shoes/boots overnight if you can. brush off all the dried mud before applying the boot polish. only then buff them up!

bouncydog1

Can definately recommend Dubarry cream - my daughter's old riding boots were cracked where the leather had dried out and being in water etc. Couple of goings over using the cream and they are now really supple. Also use it like handcream on old leather gloves.

elaine241

As a Horse rider the leather tack often gets thoroughly soaked! My advice to you would be fill with newspaper and let dry naturally then use damp sponge completely wrung out to rub into saddle soap/leather cleaner and rubbed into the leather. I use a very old remedy called Koachaline,(not sure of spelling) it is bright red and looks like jam! it softens and waterproofs the leather which would protect your boots in the future.

harz99

spike7451 wrote: »

Now what we/I used to do with my Army boots is apply a layer of boot polish & leave them overnight in a warm place. DO NOT polish them yet!
What that will do is allow the oils in the polish to soak into the leather & soften it.Now you can buff them,you might need to apply a second coat of polish but this time buff them straight away.Once you have polished the,apply a coat of dubbin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubbin

Or an easier alternative is to use a shoe CREAM rather than polish.

Cream is absorbed far more quickly than polish, indeed some of the cheaper brands of polish will "cake" on the leather surface even in a warm place. It is also possible to buy a "neutral" cream which can be used for this purpose on all coloured leather rather than keeping several different tins.

Whichever preparation you use the key is to do so regularly to minimise the risk of saturation by water.