Should I buy Chamberlain’s Boot & Shoe Cream No.6 for my leather? How should I use it? What results should I expect? All this and more in this handy guide, leathermancer!
What Boot & Shoe Cream Will Do
It takes a strong hide to brave the elements. That’s why Boot & Shoe Cream No.6 wears some of the strongest emulsions of oils and nutrients around, specially designed for your leather footwear. Whether you be treating leather shoes, sandals, moccasins, hiking boots, or any number of leather varieties, Boot & Shoe Cream offers a luxurious treatment designed to restore and perfect. With a light consistency allowing for safe penetration, and a plethora of rich, all-natural ingredients, Boot & Shoe Cream is your go-to recipe to clean, condition, and protect your leather footwear.
Boot & Shoe Cream is primarily a leather conditioner, imbued with lubricating qualities that gives your leather a supple texture and a light barrier for protection from spills, stains, and the elements. This conditioner will also strengthen your leather’s protein bonds, meaning the more you condition, the stronger your leather will become.
For bonus effect, No. 6 also possesses gentle cleaning elements to make routine cleaning a thing of the past. When you use this recipe to condition, light dust and debris is lifted up from the surface and cleaned off as you apply.
Boot & Shoe Cream is designed to neither effect a shiny or matte finish either way, instead amplifying color that is already present. If you use Boot & Shoe Cream No.6, you will not need to use any other leather conditioner, such as Leather Care Liniment No.1
What Boot & Shoe Cream Does Not Do
Boot & Shoe Cream should not be used as a deep cleaner. This means that any stain below the leather’s surface (or any stain that has had time to set) will probably not come out with Boot & Shoe Cream. This recipe will remove light surface contaminants, such as dust, but is not intended for any cleaning task beyond routine, spot dusting. For stains below the leather’s surface, use a deep cleaner, such as Chamberlain’s Straight Cleaner No.2.
If your leather is excessively dry, fading in color, or frequently encounters heavy exposure to the elements, you may be better off using Chamberlain’s Water Protectant No.3, which contains more deeply penetrating oils and waxes for intensive conditioning and protection.
If you are trying to give your shoes a shiny finish, or a matte finish, Boot & Shoe Cream is not designed to do this; however, depending on the type of leather you are treating, aesthetics like this may result after conditioning. If you are treating leather that requires a shiny finish, such as office shoes, a leather polish may be necessary.
Boot & Shoe Cream is not designed for suede & nubuck.
How to Use Boot & Shoe Cream
1. If available, consult leather manufacturer’s care recommendations.
2. Test recipe first in discreet area and allow to dry naturally in a cool, clean location away from sunlight and heat. If you do not find excess color rub off, discoloration in leather, or other negative effect, it is safe to use on your leather.
3. Clean over surface with damp cloth or leather cleaner, such as Straight Cleaner no. 2, first if necessary. When dry, gently massage leather conditioner evenly across leather surface. Uneven spread may lead to splotchy dry. Use thin layers, giving leather as many coats as it needs, but only as much conditioner as it can absorb. If piled on too thickly, leather conditioner will leave sticky residue.
4. Allow leather to dry naturally. Buff off any remaining conditioner. For best results, allow to sit overnight.
5. Use Boot & Shoe Cream as often as you feel your leather needs it. It is usually best to condition 2-4 times a year, depending on the climate and amount of use the leather will receive, as well as its type. If leather begins to grow dry or develops other textural changes, it may be time to recondition.
Is Boot & Shoe Cream Right for Your Leather?
Boot & Shoe Cream’s luxurious qualities nearly always breathe an air of health and good taste into leather. However, it is important to test this recipe first before you use it to ensure it is the best fit for your own, unique leather. Some lighter colored leather may darken with use of conditioner, though will usually lighten back up within a week with use. As most shoe leather is made with finish to ensure protection against the many elements it will likely encounter, Boot & Shoe Cream can be relied on as the perfect compliment to keep it healthy, tough, and long-lasting.
Hope this helps!
Contributors
Saddleback Leather
TheImageAlive
Daniel Sutton
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