Reconditioning Leather
Leather is a durable material used in many different types of items, from clothing and footwear to bags and accessories. One of its key strengths is its longevity. With proper care, leather can last for many years and even improve in appearance and flexibility over time. Maintaining leather involves regular cleaning, conditioning, and sealing, which does require time and effort, but ultimately helps extend the life of the product.
From a sustainability perspective, investing in high-quality leather goods can be more responsible than frequently replacing lower-quality items that wear out quickly or cannot be repaired. Choosing durable products reduces overall consumption and helps minimize waste over time.
Although leather is a natural material that comes from animals, it can still play a role in a more sustainable lifestyle when it is used thoughtfully. Most of the leather items I personally buy are second hand, and I also pay attention to the quality of the leather, such as whether it is full grain, as well as the overall construction of the item. By doing this, I aim to invest in long-term purchases that can be repaired, maintained, and used for years rather than replaced frequently.
In this blog post, I will explain how to properly maintain a pair of leather boots.
Things you will need:
A pair of leather boots
Leather conditioner
Leather sealant
Beeswax or other wax (optional)
The process:
Firstly, remove the laces of your shoes and any inserts or soles.
As an aside, if your laces break, you can always use spare ribbon to replace them as I have done for my dress shoes here.
Once the laces and the like are off of the shoes, then you can wash them with soapy water and a rag. It is important that for this step you completely clean the shoes. This can be especially difficult in winter due to the wetness and salt from the roads, but it is absolutely necessary for the oiling and conditioning.
Once the shoe is cleaned, make sure that you dry it with a clean cloth and then let it air dry for about 5 minutes. For the next step, you need the shoe completely dry.
Once the shoe is dry, you can apply your leather conditioner. There are many different conditioners that you can use for this. Some examples are shoe specific leather conditioners or oils such as coconut oil or olive oil. If you are unsure of how the conditioner may discolour your shoe, test out using the conditioner on an inconspicuous portion of the leather before you do the whole shoe.
You can use either a clean hand, a clean rag, or the applicator that comes with the leather conditioner to apply the conditioner. Be careful not to use too much conditioner as this can weaken the fibers of the leather and cause premature wear. Enough conditioner to cover the whole shoe when you buff it in will suffice. When applying the conditioner, try to apply reasonable pressure and speed in circular motions to increase the temperature of the conditioner and allow it to better penetrate the leather. At this point, ensure that you reach every nook and cranny of the shoe including the tongue and in between the eyelets.
Now, let the conditioner soak into the shoe for 2 to 5 minutes.
Once the conditioner is absorbed into the shoe, you can apply your sealant. Sealants are good for providing an extra layer of protection against the weather and debris. There are many types of sealants. In a pinch you can use shoe polish, but if you want a more long lasting or waterproofing solution, beeswax or beeswax based sealant will work best.
To apply the sealant, you need to make sure that it is heated up sufficiently. I always use a clean hand to warm up the sealant and apply it to the shoe. You use the same method as for the conditioner; apply small amounts and work it in using pressure and speed to maintain a warmer temperature for the sealant.
Make sure that as you are working the sealant onto the shoe that you pay special focus on wear points and damaged areas. For example, the creases of the leather where your foot flexes and the toe and outside of the foot are common wear points.
Now you are finished conditioning and sealing your shoe. If you have any sections of the shoe that are ripped or more noticeably damaged, you can always use melted wax to repair the damage.
For example, this shoe has a rip in the leather. You can use wax and or a flexible glue to keep the tear from getting bigger, and then apply your sealant overtop of it.
Now that you have repaired, conditioned, and sealed your shoes, all that is left is to lace them back up.
You can use the same care process for anything made out of leather, including leather jackets, furniture, gloves, bags, belts, wallets, and even tools. It is very important to take proper care of your leather items, especially because leather is an animal product, and maintaining it is a way of respecting the animal it came from.
By regularly conditioning, sealing, and maintaining leather, you can significantly prolong its lifespan and improve its durability. This reduces the need to frequently replace items and instead encourages repairing and caring for the products you already own. In doing so, you lower overall consumption and waste, making leather care a more environmentally conscious practice.
