The cycles of moisture and drying that accompany the wearing of shoes will, over time, remove the natural oils that give leather its suppleness. Everyone has seen dried out, cracked leather of work boots that have received no leather care. Proper leather care will prevent this.
There are three key steps to keeping leather soft and supple.
- Protect your shoes before you head out the first time. Quality leather protector will seal in the natural oils of leather and create a barrier to protect from water and stains.
- Clean your shoes from time to time. Whether you use Shoe Cleaner, Saddle Soap or a Leather Conditioner, it’s important to clean leather to remove grime and build up. Be careful to test products on an inconspicuous area before covering the entire shoe. I like to test product on the tongue of a shoe, under the lace!
- Polish up the leather with a soft shoe cream. Shoe creams contain both color and conditioners to help build back the oils and start to create a new barrier.
- Finally, protect again…