Boots that are designed and built for rugged, wet or rough work environments, should be given a degree of extra personal attention and care in order to maximize their life and comfort.  The long term life of your bots will be prolonged by taking a few minutes to apply the proper boot maintenace. Your boots and your feet will notice the difference !

 The 3 important, but easy, teps are as follows;

CLEAN  

Boots made of waterproof leathers should only be cleaned with warm water and a stiff bristle brush. For suedes and roughouts, a bristle brush and suede cleaner bar can be used to remove excess dirt and retain the nap. Other leathers can be cleaned with Red Wing Leather Cleaner. Use damp cloths to first remove excess mud and other materials. In the case of extreme dirt coverage, gently wash the material off from the boot and allow to dry natuarally.

CONDITION

The finish of your boot can determine which conditioner to use. Here are some rules of thumb. On oil-tanned leathers, either Boot Oil, or Mink Oil can be used. On dry-tanned leathers, we recomend Silicone products. Silicone can also be used on suedes and nubuck leathers, but care should be taken as the silicone can darken the leathers color.   For Gortex and other Waterproofed lined boots, the ONLY recommended product is NATURESEAL paste. This is the only product that does not block the mirco-pors in the waterproof membrane, so that the boot will still retain its "breathability" Because Silicone is a waterproofer that works by sealing the leather, it should NOT be used on boots with the Gortex/Waterproofed membranes.

Oils, dressing and pastes are best applied with a cloth or soft brush. The brush enables the material to get into cracks and corners and along seams. These are the important areas. An old toothbrush, or dauber brush, works well.  It is best to apply these protectors well before the boots are to be worn so they can penetrate into the leather. Overnight is suficient. Leave to stand in a warm environment. GENTLE warming with a hair dryer on the low setting can also help the oils penetrate.

Oiling should be done weekly for boots that are in harsh and wet environments. Monthly will suffice if they are only being worn in dry conditions. Use your judgement. If they look like they need oiling, them they most certainly do NEED it !

Dress footwear made of smooth and shiney leathers should be polished with a good quality paste. The better quality pastes have more color pigments and more natural waxes and oils to protect your leather finishes.

PROTECT 

This is the final step and particularly applies to dress footwear, where after the conditioning/polishing stage, the fottwear should be sprayed with Leather Protector. This hepls to prevent dirt getting deep into the leathers and this in turn makes future cleaning easier.