Leather maintenance

Don't let your leather get weathered!

Leather care: Investing a few minutes each month in the care of your leather shoes or boots is the best thing you can do to protect your footwear investment. Combined with regular visits to your local shoe repair shop, it will significantly extend the life of your favorite shoes or boots.

Many people think shoe care means polishing your shoes or boots occasionally. Actually, it is slightly more involved than that. Caring for your shoes or boots is a four-step process -- cleaning, conditioning, polishing and weatherproofing. First, clean the surface with a leather cleaner to remove surface dirt, just as you would wash a car before you wax it. After cleaning, you should condition the material. Conditioners soften and lubricate the surface, keeping it feeling and looking new.

Once your shoes or boots have been cleaned and conditioned, then it is time for polish. Polishes contain dyes and pigments to renew color and cover scuffs; waxes to provide shine and protection; and conditioning agents to moisten and renew the leather.

There are basically three types of polish --liquid, cream and past. Liquids are easiest to apply, followed by cream and paste. Ease of application, however, is inversely proportional to wax content and the staying power of the polish. Pastes hold up the longest. Creams are easier to apply than paste, hold up longer than liquids and come in a variety of fashionable colors.

The final step in caring for your shoes and boots is weatherproofing. Though polishes provide some sealing qualities, if you live or work in a wet, muddy or oily environment, the added protection of a weatherproofer is a must.