January 26, 2006
How To Care For Your Boots
Lengthen the life of your boots and improve their appearance by following these easy steps:
1. Wipe Off Dust
Remember that leather is skin and will react the way skin does, so the most important thing you can do in caring for any piece of leather footwear is to KEEP IT FREE OF DUST. Dust will settle in the creases of boots and shoes. It acts like sandpaper; cutting at the finish with every step you take. Sooner or later, it will cut through not only the finish but the fiber itself and the leather will split. WIPE YOUR BOOTS OFTEN, not just before you shine them, but also every time you take them off. You don't need a special cloth or brush. Make it a habit to wipe them off with anything you have handy. You can’t wipe boots too often.
2. Wash Off Loose Dirt
After you wipe them, clean your boots. You can use leather cleaner that cleans boots just as well as saddle soap or better and other time worn methods. What's more, this cleaner has an oil base and is good for the leather. Boot Barn has an All Purpose cleaner and conditioner to combine this step and the next. The item number is 03616BB.
3. Condition Your Boots
Leather conditioning is a lot like skin conditioning. You put in oils and conditioners to replace those that have dried up since the leather was originally tanned. Some leathers will need more than others. It needs to be done more often in dry climates or when leather is subjected to repeated dryings. If you shine your boots regularly, you don't have to use conditioner EVERY time you shine them. Try every other time. Apply the conditioner right after you clean them while the boots are still damp because moist leather absorbs more conditioner. Keep in mind, though, that the leather can only absorb so much. If you put too much on it, it just gets sticky and dull, a case of too much of a good thing. Boot Barn has an All Purpose cleaner and conditioner to combine this step and the next. The item number is 03616BB.
4. Apply A Coat of Shoe Cream (Polish)
This is different from wash or liquid polish. It should match the color of the boot and should be rubbed into boots. Give the cream a few moments to dry and then brush or buff the boots to a shine. Boot Barn offers creams in a variety of colors: 03502.
Additional General Hints On The Care & Feeding Of Boots
(Be sure & check a small area with each treatment suggested before you proceed to clean & condition your boots)
• Many spots and marks on leather can be cleaned off with an ordinary pencil eraser. This is true especially on white leather.
• Many spots can be cleaned with a solution of 1/2 white vinegar and 1/2 water. This treatment is particularly effective on "sugar" or "alcohol" spots.
• Oil and grease can be cleaned off leather with a spray-on spot remover.
• Rubber cement is another good "oil spot" remover. Put it over the spot and let it dry. Rub it off and the spot is gone. (DO NOT USE THIS TREATMENT ON SUEDE BOOTS).
• Never put wet boots near heat to dry.
• Unless you sit at a desk in an air-conditioned office, never wear the same pair of boots every day. They need to rest and air out.
Care of Special Leathers
Distressed Leather (Apache Leather)
Distressed leathers have extra oils added just like oil-tanned leathers. Brush the boots off to get them clean, and then apply our Distressed Leather Cleaner and Conditioner (item # 03615BB).
Lizard, Alligator, Turtle, Hornback, Anteater, Elephant, Snakeskin and Antelope
These leathers are usually dryer than cowhides and they all have an irregular surface. They need more conditioners, more often, to prevent splitting. They are also more vulnerable to dust settling in creases and doing damage sooner. The very fact that they have a hard surface and look so pretty makes it hard to get much conditioner down into the skin. So, use thinner coats, more often. These boots can dry out just sitting in the closet. Boot Trees are also a good investment to help care for these exotics and keep the skins the correct size when they're not being worn. Boot Barn has them available for both men (8211) and women (8811).
Sharkskin
This leather is the harvest of many people in many different places, so you can experience a great deal of difference from skin to skin. This tough, scuff resistant leather can dry out. When it does dry out, it splits and tears. Sharkskin boots need extra oils and conditioners to keep the leather soft and flexible. Put a little extra oil around the edge where the sole is sewn to the foot.
Goat, Eel and Calf
These leathers can be treated the same as regular cowhide. However, they are lighter weight, thinner and softer. They cannot take rough wear. They crease more easily and sharply and dirt here causes greater damage. They must be cared for more often.
Ostrich
This leather is truly "fit for a king" but it must be treated as such. While it does not need any special attention, you cannot afford to neglect ostrich boots. If you give them reasonable amounts of care, you will be richly rewarded. This means plenty of brushing off, light use of Boot Barn Leather Cleaner (03616BB) along with the neutral "cream" colored polish (03502).
Pig Skin
Obviously you treat smooth pigskin and suede pigskin differently. For smooth pig, we recommend the same care in general as calf and cowhide. It will help to treat a NEW pair of smooth pigskin with 3 coats of silicone 24 hours apart before you wear them.
The suede pigskin is, of course, quite different, but 3 coats of silicone before you wear these boots are beneficial, too. After that, a good nylon brush used with a spray or suede cleaner is about all you can do.
Suede
Rub corn meal in a circular motion, let stand overnight, and then brush. Most dirt, and oil will be lifted out. This should be used on split cow or “on hair” boots only.
Suede Shoulder
Mild soapy water (use Lexol, Woolite), gently wash, then rinse out all soap. Brush when dry.
Oiled, Tanned and Work Leathers
These boots have a lot of extra oils put into them at the start, but because of where and when they're usually worn, it gets pulled out. These boots will work hard for you but you have to care for them. Unlike the other leathers, you can use a HEAVY coat of oil on work boots. These leathers are prepared to soak it up. Mink oil is probably the best but there are many others. If work boots really get soaked in snow or water, clean them and oil them immediately. It slows the drying process, but helps get the oils down deep into the leather where they belong. Be sure to allow them to dry at room temperature -- speeding up the process will cause cracking. Oil tanned leather work boots are not purchased for their looks. The tanner has prepared them for rough wear and very little care. Boots made of this leather can withstand almost anything short of outright abuse.
To view all our care products, click here
Posted by BootBarn Moderator at 10:55 AM | Comments (0)
April 11, 2005
The Make-Up of a Boot
The Make-Up of a Boot
Regardless of the style, boots are far from simple. Boots have a lengthy construction time, often necessitating dozens (if not hundreds) of individual steps until they are fully made. For instance high quality hand crafted leather western boots can have about 300 individual steps from the time the leather is cut for the boot until the boots are inspected and boxed. This can mean dozens and hundreds of people are often involved in the production of every single boot. From stitching up vamp (front) of the boot to the counters (back) of the boot to attaching the outsole (bottom) of the boot: boots take teams of specialists. This can make the labor costs of producing a boot quite high. But, the cliche "you get what you pay for" really applies when it comes to western boots. The same is true for work, motorcycle, casual and fashion boot styles. If you'd like to learn more about what goes into the making of a western boot we recommend reading Art of the Boot by Tyler Beard and Jim Arndt.
Material
Leather is often the choice of material for boots. Because leather is known as a luxury material, leather boots and shoes are considered high quality, durable products. These aren't tennis shoes! Thus, the brands found on BootBarn.com take their product quality and functionality very seriously. Leather is prepared in a number of different ways from suede to distress to rough out. Each prepared style gives the boot quite a different look and feel. Add on to the obvious fact that besides cowhide, leather can come from a variety of sources from pigs to snakes to birds to elephants.
Main Boot Components
Outsole
The Outsole is simply the bottom of the boot and gives your feet some "grip". The occasion that you wear boots and the style will greatly influence what type of outsole is on the boot. For western boots, you generally have leather or rubber-like outsoles. Leather outsoles are for traditionalists and are good for dancing. The general trend for western boots is heading more and more towards rubber. Two reasons are rubber generally tends to last longer and it is making the boots less expensive. Don't forget the new cushy crepe outsoles of which the material allows extra comfort for standing and doesn't slip as much when riding on horses.
On work and motorcycle boots the outsole will likely be a rubber material that has special trends and properties depending on your needs. For instance a work boot may have an outsole that is specifically designed not to track mud and dirt or it can be designed to be slip and oil resistant. There is no standard tests that brands use to determine if a boot is slip resistant, oil resistant, water resistant, etc. Generally, brands use their own standards to determine if a boot meets one of the above requirements.
Insole
Insoles give your feet a little cushion to add some extra comfort. Different brands use different insoles. Each brand offers the latest technology and patented designs for their insoles. Sometimes insoles will be just a light EVA pad to cushion and form to your feet or it will be a multi-layered signature system by a leading brand name. There are many who prefer not to have insoles and often remove them. We don't recommend removing a boots insoles. Just remember, insoles are not required on boots, but they do help provide some extra comfort.
Construction
Construction often refers to how the outsole is attached to the boot. Outsoles are generally either pegged (or nailed), sown or cemented onto the bottom of the boot. Outsoles that have been cemented or directly attached to the boot are generally more flexible to begin with, but often these boots can not be resoled. Often outsoles that have been welted or pegged can usually be resoled.
Shank
Shanks aren't needed in every boot. Depending on the need, boot makers insert a "shank" in the middle of the bottom of the boot to give it extra form and strength. The shank is usually a small metal, plastic or fiber piece of material that gives extra form and strength to a boot. Boots that have shanks are not as flexible on the outsoles as those boots that don't have shanks.
Heel
Adding height and style to a boot, heels range from less than an inch to many inches. On western boots cowboy heels are slightly sloped and are generally 1 5/8" in height. Roper and Walking Heels are usually a bit larger at the base and slightly smaller with a flat, uniform slope. Occasionally work boots will have an extra padded heel to prevent slipping, while fashion styles may have small treads on just the heel for the same effect.
Toe
Toes can mean style or function. For example western boots are typically either a narrow toe, medium round or wide round toe. Narrow toes give a unique style and look while wider toes offer more room or comfort. On the toe some boots can even have a small stitch pattern referred to as a medallion and can have a toe rand (metal piece) at the tip of the boot. Motorcycle boots are generally round or square-like (snoot or snip). Casual styles can be all of the above and more. When it comes to work, extra functions such as safety and non-safety apply. Some prefer non-safety toe to comfort and a lighter weight boot. Yet, some professionals need the extra protection of safety toes. Safety toes have a small steel plate or composite plate on the top of the toe region of the boot. These toes pass the ANSI test, meaning that the toe can withstand 75lb impact & compression up to 2500lb.
At Boot Barn we generally give our online shoppers the ability to search by category, down to the very boot features that we've discussed above. For example, if you are looking for a narrow toe western boot, they'll be a category (click here)
Or if you are looking for a leather outsole on a western boot, they'll be a category as well (click here)
Have a comment? We'd like to hear from you!
Posted by BootBarn Moderator at 01:50 PM | Comments (12)