[QUOTE=atr;6216047]
Oh, and remember not to polish the inner calf of the boot unless you want to listen to it squeak against your saddle…[/QUOTE]
It’s not a good noise, believe me, I polished my boots to take to a tack sale, they didn’t sell, and I decided I could force my feet into them for one more show.
Yup, lots of squeaking going on there
My DH (active duty Navy) polishes my boots for me. Pre-DH, I had my original pair I first started showing in. I used conditioner on them…especially early on when I thought I was ‘softening them up’ a little to help break them in. I also used the bathtub method at the outset.
I eventually treated myself to a new pair (Der Daus). When they came, DH took them away from me and said “I am taking over their care and polishing - don’t ever let me catch you putting that conditioner on them or deliberately soaking them!” He told me that if I needed to put something on them to help me break them in (I did, they were PAINFUL at first) to put the conditioner on the inside of them and let it soak in. (it helped a little…but I’m not gonna lie, it was a more painful breaking-in than the bathtub method.)
But, now not only do they retain their beautiful luster but they are very comfortable - and they are stiff in the right places and broken in in the right places (as opposed to just being softer everywhere, and the finish being dull). I actually get a lot of compliments on the boots, sometime from total strangers, who ask me how I polished them. The boot toes look like patent leather, and I love it. I know these boots will last so much longer than the ones I dunked and conditioned, and they look so much nicer.
DH starts off with regular black kiwi polish (with a soft cotton rag. He says old T-shirts are the best.) Then, to get that sharp, patent-leather deep shine, he uses PURPLE polish stuff called Cordovan, that he says adds “depth” to the color. (You’d never know that he used something purple - it looks very black.) And then he puts Kiwi Parade Gloss on at the end, and buffs that with a spit-shine. It takes several ‘polishings’ before it gets quick and routine, but now in 10 minutes with a few basic touch-ups they look sparkling.
I should note, he does not apply ANYTHING to the inside calves of my boots, and the farther up from the foot he goes on the outside, he just uses the soft rag (T-shirt) with minimal kiwi polish. All the shiny stuff is on the toes.
The Tack Box in Middleburg, last time I was there, had something they were touting as the “new substitute for Vogel conditioner.” For those of you who worship at your vogel conditioner (like me) I’d give them a call.
Apply it to the inside of your boots - literally, the inside, where it touches your leg.
[QUOTE=Trixie;6218756]
The Tack Box in Middleburg, last time I was there, had something they were touting as the “new substitute for Vogel conditioner.” For those of you who worship at your vogel conditioner (like me) I’d give them a call.
Apply it to the inside of your boots - literally, the inside, where it touches your leg.[/QUOTE]
Trixie- was the substitute Bickmore Bick 4 leather conditioner? The ladies at my local tack shop said it is the same as Vogel. I picked some up - honestly, it looks the same, the consistency is the same, do think Vogel’s smelled better IMO.
[QUOTE=JustThatSimple;6216578]
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a soft pair of Ariat’s to be honest.[/QUOTE]
My old (coming 14 years old) Ariats, from the days they were still made in Italy, are like butter. I dread the day they give up the ghost. I need to get them resoled, bit I’m a bit worried who can do that well.
For the longest time, I wondered why neither I nor my dad (20 years Navy) could never get a shine on those boots. Then I found an article on why you shouldn’t oil your boots! Stopped oiling, kicked up the polishing, and voila, much shinier boots. Castile to clean, Urad to polish.
Is lederbalsam and other oil products okay to put on the inside? Like around the ankle? I’m getting my first pair of custom sergios next week and I have only a week to break them in before I show. So I have to break them in quickly but of course I want to preserve the shine on the outside.
I oiled my first pair of boots obsessively and they still shone like a mirror. I’ll dig up a picture if I can find it. My current boots don’t shine as much (despite having never oiled them) even when I polish them, but I don’t do that often. My new boots, though, shine no matter what. shrug
Judysmom, I don’t recall exactly but I’m sure they could tell you if you called. It was very inexpensive though, I remember that.
Yes - you can put any kind of conditioner you want to try on the inside of the boot.
It helped mine some, but I also needed to wear mine around inside the house for a while in between ‘interior’ conditioner applications.
I have an ancient pair of effinghams and have always oiled them, inside the ankle as well. The boots are quite old and still in great shape. I like my boots to feel like a conditioned saddle not a patent leather pair of shoes.
An extra question!
From a relative newbie still on her first pair of tall boots (I ride in paddock boots and half chaps at home):
How do you all keep the polish from wearing off onto fleece and sheepskin girths? It looks awful, and is near impossible to get off fleece and the stretchy part of the buckles. Do you only use the polish on the toes and the lateral part of the boot?
I apologize in advance if this seems to a be a silly question, but I’ve actually wondered this for a long time!!
I only use neutral polish on the inside of my boot, so there is no stain to worry about, and I hate fleece girths and use leather with a girth sock instead. I don’t have stains on my girth’s elastic either. On the rest of my boot I use black polish though.
OP here. To those of you who say - oil/condition the inside of the boot - the inside is lined with that soft leather & if I oil it, it may help some but won’t get to the outer leather which is the stiff part.
Now, I’m not sure if I’ve even got my thinking right in my mind. Probably a stiffer (less oiled) boot will give you a bit of a more stable leg than a softer one. I like a stiffer boot feeling, or I figure I would as riding in half chaps, your leg is certainly not as tight as in boots. So, why do I feel a compulsive need to oil - oh, just cause they are kinda hard and (confession time) I sometimes have an over oiling problem. I never had shiny boots due to my oiling habit, so I’m not even feeling the need for shine. My old boots were so nice and soft to touch. Still, I feel, this time, I want to do it the right way.
So far, I’m behaving and not doing anything to them.
I’d better go back to my Oilers Anonymous meetings, perhaps.
Midwest “Do you only use the polish on the toes and the lateral part of the boot?”
Yep.
I would only polish parts but even with that, still have saddle pads that are stained at the bottom. I’ve learned to live with the stains that show up sometimes.
I have noticed that the no-oil/conditioner edict originates from areas where they have humidity above single digits. I have always lived in the dry West, and if I did not condition (and occasionally oil) all leather, boots included, with Lexol or similar, it would be hard, stiff and cracking.
I let boots dry completely after conditioning, wipe any residue off, and then use the good polish in the little jars.
I will join Oilers Anonymous! But I have refrained from using any oil on my Vogels (that I got on a tip from COTH for $75 on ebay, perfect fit! Sorry to those who have read this before, more than once). My only concern is to make them last forever. I use a damp washcloth to get the dirt off and polish with Kiwi on the outside and foot only. When I first got them (yes, they were almost new, just broken in, and I promise this is the last time I will brag about my ebay Vogels!) I used Lexol on the inside of the ankles. That’s it, besides running a toothbrush frequently around where the sole meets the uppers.
I acquired my tall boots in 1978, and used them a lot before they spent many years in the back of a closet while I wasn’t riding. Guess what? When I pulled them out back in 2000 for a show they were FINE, just needed resoling. The cobbler complimented me on them, in fact. My secret? Lexol. Only thing I’ve ever used on them besides a damp cloth to get off mud. Now, granted, I don’t want to wear them now since they look hopelessly out-of-fashion (end a good 2" below the knee and cut straight across) but I’m not showing, so it doesn’t matter. They are still supple, still fit, and still have a soft shine. Not mirror-like but not bad! Lexol for all leather, as far as I’m concerned.
Breaking In New Boots (Tredstep Donatellos)
I’m also breaking in my first pair of tall boots and have been using Effax Leder-Balsam to help condition them. Why would that brand not be good?
I don’t want my boots to break at the ankle (the back stabs me & I wish to soften them so they won’t); if you have any, what recommendations can you give?
[QUOTE=Horsezee;6216018]
Here is a good article in Practical Horseman regarding tall boot care.
http://www.equisearch.com/horses_riding_training/english/how-do-i-care-for-tall-riding-boots/
NO: saddle soap, Murphy’s Oil soap, oil, Lederbalsam.
YES: damp cloth, castile soap (rarely and sparingly), Lexol conditioner, Leather CPR, Leather Therapy conditioner, Kiwi Parade polish, yes other high quality wax based polishes.
:)[/QUOTE]
I have the old-school Italian Ariats as well. After reading this post, I’m now scared that I’ve been polishing my boots all wrong…and I’m an OCD tack cleaner. I’ve always used Leather Therapy Wash to clean and then Fiebings Boot Polish to coat and buff the bejesus out of them. No, it isn’t a patent-leather like shine (except for the toe cap and shoe part), but they would definitely be GM approved. And I’ve always polished the inner calf of my boots. Never heard any squeaking. The worst is some black polish that rubbed off on my white show pad.
This thread has enlighted me that I’ve been cleaning my boots all wrong for years! :eek:
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