Owning work boots is necessary for workplace safety in a lot of cases. To save yourself the hassle and cost of having to replace your footwear every few months, learning how to properly maintain them is highly recommended. Knowing this process will save you money and time in the long run.
The first step is to break in your boots properly. Before oiling or tending to them, just wear them for a few days to shape the inside to your foot. This will help the boot fit better, and it will do so better without being oiled first. If you put oil on the boots before the break in period is over, they won’t mold as well to fit you.
After the boots are broken in, it is time to apply the boot oil. Ensure you apply the oil to the outside of the boots in an even coating, making sure to pay special attention to the seams. Don’t worry as much about the amount of oil used, as the leather material can absorb a deceptive amount of oil. As long as your mindful of it you should be fine. Take care around the shoelace holes of your boots. The oil can cause stretching and pulling out in those areas.
Cleaning the boots is a process that may not need to happen as often as you’d think. Every few weeks, just take a look at your footwear to make sure they’re still in a proper state. If you deem they need touching up, you need only use water or water based solutions if the mess is thick. If it’s a lighter mess and the boots just need a quick once over, typical leather soaps will also do. Using a softer brush will also prevent damage from your cleaning steps. Drying your boots is also a simple process. Just go over then with a soft cloth, and don’t use heat to dry them. Using heat improperly can cause serious damage to the boots. After drying them apply the waterproofing oil and you’re all set. By keeping your boots properly cleaned and oiled, you’ll be able to extend their lifespan significantly.
The most likely place you’ll run into trouble is probably the seam of the toe cap and the leather. Make sure to hold the leather part still so you can reach deeper into the toe cap and ensure the grim gets cleaned out.
Cleaning the inside of the boots is a tad more difficult, but using a low pH shampoo can help get all contaminants out of the boots. This process will help with bacteria, odor, dirt, and anything else that may have made its home in your footwear.
Taking care of your work boots will save you the trouble of having to replace them often, a cycle which could get costly. Knowing how to care for them properly and without damaging them will also keep them comfortable and held up, meaning they’ll be safer to wear on the work site.
If you're looking for a pair of maintainable work boots, take a look at Men's Steel Toe Work Boots 5925.