How to avoid chapped leather boots

Who doesn’t like a pair of high-quality leather boots? Leather is a versatile and robust material with both functionality and stylish appearance. Because leather is a natural material, it will dry and crack when exposed to high temperature or improper maintenance. Cracks in the leather will not only spoil the appearance, but may also crack completely over time. Fortunately, there are many ways to help you prevent dry boots and repair small cracks that have formed.

Method 1 keep leather boots clean

1. Use a soft dry cloth or brush to remove dirt and dust. Don’t forget to brush the seams, creases and cracks. Try to remove as much dust as possible.
Use a soft brush to avoid scratching or damaging the leather.
2. Use leather cleaning soap and nylon brush to wash off stubborn dirt. Leather cleaning soap is a soap specially made for cleaning leather. Spread a little leather cleaning soap on the clumps or stubborn dirt, and then gently wipe the surface of the leather with a nylon brush.
You can buy leather cleaning soap at leather goods stores and shoe stores.
If there is no leather cleaning soap at home, you can use lukewarm water and a little mild soap, such as baby soap. Wet a cloth with soapy water, scrub the leather surface, and dry the boots with another clean cloth.
3. Polish the boots with a polishing cloth. After cleaning the leather surface, use a high-quality polishing cloth to polish the boots in circular motions. Wipe the entire leather surface to keep them shiny and moist.
You can buy polishing cloths at shoe stores, leather goods stores, or online.
4. Use castor oil to remove the creases on the patent leather. Patent leather is more likely to form noticeable creases and ruin the smooth appearance. If your patent leather boots have creases, you can apply a little castor oil and remove them as soon as the creases are not fixed.
You can clean your patent leather boots or apply castor oil every time you wear them to prevent creases from forming.
5. Use low pH shampoo to eliminate the odor inside the boots. The low pH shampoo is very mild, does not take away the moisture in the leather, and can effectively eliminate the odor. Pour a small amount of shampoo into the boot, add a small amount of water, and then rub it until it foams. Wipe the inside of the boots with a nylon brush or a clean cloth, and then rinse with clean water to make sure that there is no soap residue.
Shampoos with low pH include Biolage RAW Nourish nourishing shampoo from Meqisi, David Nice shampoo, herbal essence argan oil shampoo and Jia Ke moisturizing and repairing shampoo.
You can buy low-pH shampoos in beauty supply stores, department stores, and pharmacies.

Method 2 protect leather boots

1. Before wearing it for the first time, apply a leather protectant that is common to all seasons. This spray can seal and protect the surface of the boots. Every time you buy a new leather boot, spray the leather protective agent on all the surfaces first, and then put it on after air-drying to prevent cracks.
The all-season leather protectant is a spray, which is very convenient to spray on the boots.
2. Waterproof treatment only after running in with the new boots. Wear new boots for a few days or a week at home. Wearing them to walk around will help soften the leather, make the boots more comfortable to wear, and then better absorb the waterproofing agent.
You can also apply leather conditioner to help break in new boots.
3. Apply beeswax to ordinary leather boots. If you often wear boots in a damp and messy environment, use beeswax, a natural and effective waterproofing agent. Dip a small amount of wax with a soft cotton cloth or oil-tanned leather and rub it on the still wet leather boots to be absorbed by the leather more effectively.
Let the boots dry thoroughly before applying beeswax.
You can buy beeswax in leather goods stores, shoe stores, department stores or online.
4. Wipe leather curing agent once a week. Leather care agent is also called leather care lotion, used to moisturize and protect leather boots. Apply once a week or at least once a month. Apply evenly on the surface of the boots to help them stay soft and prevent cracks from forming.
Leather curing agents are available in the form of oils, creams, sprays or wipes. Choose the product that suits you best to protect your leather boots.
5. Use Nikwax nubuck leather and suede leather waterproof repair agent to protect suede or nubuck leather. If the boots are made of special leather such as suede or nubuck, you must choose a special waterproofing agent that will not damage or stain the material. Dip Nikwax with a soft cotton cloth or oil-tanned leather, and gently rub it on the surface of the boots that are still wet for more effective absorption.
After wiping Nikwax, wait until the boots are completely dry before putting them on.
You can buy Nikwax in shoe stores, leather goods stores or online.
6. Use Meltonian shoe cream to keep the patent leather soft and shiny. Meltonain shoe cream is a special leather curing agent that will not change the appearance of patent leather. Apply once a week to help keep the patent leather moisturized and look like new.
You can buy Meltonian shoe cream in leather goods stores and shoe stores.
7. Dry the inside and outside of the boots carefully when the boots are wet. Even if the boots have been waterproofed, they should not be too wet. Every time you get wet due to work or rain, use a clean cloth to soak up the moisture inside and outside, but don’t let them dry out too much.
Soak up the water as soon as possible. Boots can deform and fade if they are kept in a wet state for a long time.
8. Avoid exposing boots to high temperatures and let them air dry naturally. Every time you get your boots wet for cleaning or going out, never dry them with a dryer or hair dryer. This will cause the leather surface to dry and crack. It is best to let them air dry naturally.
Don’t put your boots in the sun. The high temperature of the sun and ultraviolet rays can cause leather to dry and crack.

Method 3 save leather boots

1. Use boot supports to protect the shape of the boots. The boot support is a bracket that is put into the boot to help the boot maintain its shape, avoid the formation of creases, and prevent the leather from cracking. Put your boots on the shoe support, don’t just stack them or throw them at the bottom of the cabinet.
The boot brace made of cedar can also make the inside of the boot exude a good smell of wood.
You can buy shoe supports in shoe stores, leather goods stores or online.
You can also stuff plastic bags, newspapers, rolled up magazines or short pool floats inside your boots to help keep your boots in shape.
2. Store the boots in a well-ventilated place without direct light. Choose a well-ventilated room, such as a cabinet or bedroom, and avoid poorly ventilated damp rooms such as attics or basements. Avoid direct sunlight, otherwise the boots will dry out and their appearance will change.
3. Apply Nikwax to damp work boots first, and stuff them with newspaper, and then put them away. It is best not to put away wet boots directly. However, if you wear work boots every day, or accidentally get wet, you can stuff newspaper or a dry cloth into it, apply a layer of Nikwax while it’s still wet, and place it in a well-ventilated and unaffected environment. Places exposed to direct sunlight.
4. Put the boots in the cupboard to avoid being bitten by pets. Compared with other objects or toys, your fur friends may have a soft spot for your leather boots, but their claws and teeth can easily ruin the boots. If your pets especially like to bite your boots, for safety’s sake, be sure to store them in a cupboard, shelf or other place out of the pet’s reach.
You can also put your boots on the dressing table out of your pet’s reach, but naughty cats may find a way to jump up.

Method 4 repair cracks on leather boots

1. Use a soft dry cloth or brush to remove dust. Gently wipe off the dirt on the surface of the boots. Don’t ignore the dirt stuck in the seams, creases and cracks.
2. Use leather cleaning soap to clean the surface of the boots. If your boots are particularly dirty, you can wash them with leather cleaning soap. Leather cleaning soap is a soap specially made for leather and will not damage them. Put a small amount of soap on the boots, and then gently scrub them with a nylon brush.
You can also mix a small amount of baby soap with lukewarm water to clean your boots.
3. Stuff in newspaper or cloth to help the boots keep their shape. Knead a few newspapers into a ball, or roll up a clean cloth and stuff it into your boots. It’s packed full to help the boot keep its shape so you can repair and fill in cracks on the surface later.
You can also stuff plain paper.
4. Use the back of a metal spoon to wipe mink oil into the small cracks. Mink oil is very effective in maintaining leather, filling and repairing small cracks. Spread mink oil on the boots and use the back of the metal spoon to wipe it away to fill in the cracks on the surface. After that, let the boots air dry naturally.
The cracks may not disappear completely, but mink oil can make the cracks shallower and less conspicuous.
You can buy mink oil in leather goods stores, shoe stores or online.
5. Fill deep cracks with leather filler, and polish with sandpaper after air-drying. Leather filler is a water-based acrylic paste that can fill cracks in leather. Sponge the filler into the cracks. If the crack is very deep, use a palette knife to apply the filler. Wait 5 minutes, let the filler dry naturally, and then polish it with sandpaper to smooth the surface.
You can buy leather fillers in leather goods stores or online.
6. Treat the leather surface with shoe cream to help them keep smooth. After repairing the surface of the boots, moisturize the surface of the boots with shoe cream. Dip a soft cloth into a small amount of shoe milk. You can use a rag cut from an old T-shirt. Wipe the entire leather surface in a circular motion, and then wait 10-20 minutes for the shoe cream to dry naturally.
There are various colors of shoe cream on the market. Compare them with the colors of the boots and choose the most similar color number.

Hint

Check the care label on the boots for detailed cleaning instructions and more information on cleaning, protection and storage.
For role-playing boots, spray them with shoe-specific paint, so the finished product will not dry out.