Worst week for my boots in 3 years - learned the hard way

Last Tuesday I stepped in a puddle of oil at a loading dock and then walked through gravel for two blocks before I noticed. It ground that stuff deep into the leather and now I've got scratches that won't buff out even after two rounds of saddle soap. Anybody got a trick for fixing deep gouges in work boots?

2 comments

2 Comments

wren2175d agoTop Commenter

Man, are you serious? Boots are tools, not museum pieces. Scratches and gouges just give them character. You're gonna get them dirty and beat up again in a week anyway, right? I've had the same pair of Red Wings for five years and they look like a warzone, still going strong. Put some mink oil on there if it bugs you that much, but honestly nobody's looking at your boots that close.

wilson.claire5d ago

Not quite right about the mink oil there, wren - that's actually more of a conditioner than a scratch filler. For deep gouges like this, you want something with a bit more body to it, like a leather filler or a colored wax polish that matches the boot. Saddle soap will strip out the oils over time if you use it too much, so maybe go easy on that too. A little bit of Fiebing's Leather Balm (sounds fancy but it's cheap) can help soften the scratches so they blend in better.