The $200 work boots I bought 2 years ago looked like new after I started cleaning them with saddle soap every month

I grabbed some Fiebings saddle soap from the feed store for $6 and after the first scrub the leather softened back up like the day I bought em, has anyone else noticed how much crud builds up in the stitching that you just don't see until you actually clean it?

2 comments

2 Comments

gibson.seth7d ago

Monthly cleaning on work boots is more of a ritual than a necessity, you're just wearing off the patina that gives them character. That $6 soap is probably stripping the natural oils faster than they should be going, making the leather dry out quicker in the long run.

the_faith6d ago

And the thing is, if you're oiling them after that monthly clean, you're probably just trapping dirt and dust into the wet leather before it even has time to soak in properly. I've seen guys go through two pairs a year because they're overcleaning and then the leather just starts cracking at the flex points. Honestly, a stiff brush and a damp rag once a season does more good than all that soap and scrubbing combined, plus your boots actually look like you've earned the wear on them.