Help me with my Red Wing Beckman care...

Hey all,

I have had my Red Wing Beckmans (in Cigar, badass I know) since early summer. The Red Wing shop I got them from said that due to the heat in Sacramento the leather can dry out, but I can bring them back every 3 months or so and they would treat the leather at no charge. I brought them in once and peeked around the corner and watched her basically dip a swab in oil and rubbed it all over the shoe. When the oil soaked in they were supple and glossy again, but the scuffed toes were darker, and did not really match the color or gloss of the rest of the leather. I think this is the standard service they provide all shoes at this store, but also I know that the Featherstone leather is high grade leather and not the same as an average RW work shoe. They are not what this little shop is used to dealing with and I am wary of continuing down this path in caring for these shoes. Red wing themselves has the following recommendation for featherstone leathers:

1. Remove dirt from the shoe by cleaning thoroughly with a stiff bristle brush.
2. Soak a soft, clean cloth with Red Wing Leather Cleaner. Clean the boot thoroughly with the cloth. Boots should then be dried naturally in a cool, dry place, as high heat can remove oils in the leather.
3. Gently apply Red Wing Shoe Creme with a clean, soft cloth.
4. Shine the boot by brushing before the shoe creme is fully dried.

The shoe cream comes in a couple of colors; light brown, dusky brown, burgundy, black, white, and neutral. Which do I use? Cigar is not listed, do I use neutral? Do I have to have an old-timey cobbler match the color? I want to be able to service my shoes myself, but it is important to get it right out of the gate. These were a big purchase for me, I don't want to mess it up.

Thanks for the help,

Kyle

Those steps are very good, and very close to my "general" sequence for all-around leather care. You will want to make sure as many particulates as possible are brushed off with a good horsehair brush. Then, a cleaner (if Red Wing recommends a specific type, I'd go with that - I use Kelly's Dry Cleaner) to get out stains and things you can't see (be careful not to overuse this...a good maxim here is that you can always apply more but once it's in the leather you can't get it back out).

After the cleaner has dried naturally, you'll want to use your conditioner (looks like Red Wing does recommend their own cream - make sure this conditions the leather though, and not just provides a shine). My baseline for this would be Lexol, but there are of course better ones out there. Again, don't use too much. You want the leather supple, pliable, but not soggy. Too much and you'll actually shorten the life of the shoes moreso than if you just wore them and never conditioned them.

Finally you will want to apply the shine, with a creme or a polish. If you can't find the exact color, go with the closest. The creme will get partially absorbed into the leather, but that which does not will come out the next time you clean your shoes. It's important here not to try to change the color of your shoes as this almost always turns out badly, but if you can get within a few shades you'll be alright. Again, don't put too much all at once, because if you put too much you'll oversaturate the leather and simultaneously choke off the incumbent color, and waste the creme that is not absorbed. You can always put more on.

Hope this helps.

Arizona, thanks for the help. So, it sounds like you are talking about 3 products. A leather cleaner, a conditioner, and a polish for the color? I think the polish is where I am getting stuck. I don't understand what polishes other Cigar Featherstone owners are using to match the color. Or any boot owner with a color more nuanced than "light brown". I can't find any answers that specifically addresses this challenge.

K9H20 said:

Arizona, thanks for the help. So, it sounds like you are talking about 3 products. A leather cleaner, a conditioner, and a polish for the color? I think the polish is where I am getting stuck. I don't understand what polishes other Cigar Featherstone owners are using to match the color. Or any boot owner with a color more nuanced than "light brown". I can't find any answers that specifically addresses this challenge.

Click to expand...

Correct - a cleaner, a conditioner, a creme/polish, and then (optional but highly recommended) a sealer (I use Kiwi Silicone - again, there are better ones, and for a $500+ pair of shoes I'd probably go with a better one). The sealer should provide extended protection from staining, dirt particulates, and moisture, while still letting the leather breathe.

W/ regards to the color, unless the manufacturer specifically provides their own colors, the conventional wisdom (that I've gathered, anyway, is that you have to get as close as you can). Here's a link I've used before: http://www.shoecaresupplies.com/Shoe_Polish_s/59.htm

They carry a wide range of colors and most are pretty true to how they come across on your monitor. An important thing to keep in mind is that the polish is not so much to maintain the leather's color (which comes stained from the craftsman) as to provide a consistent look and of course the "shine." Leather by itself is not shiny. Neither are apples. It's the waxy substance applied that reflects light and gives the appearance of a shine.

Understood. This is what I needed, thanks so much.

I have a problem with my Red Wing round toe

I got oil on the when I was cooking, so I was looking for a way to remove it

one of the suggestions was to make a paste of flour, baking soda and distilled water

I did this on a few little spots, left it overnight, then washed it off with cold water and a microfibre cloth

The spots seem to have gone but the leather is a lot darker where the paste was, so now I've got even bigger dark marks on them

They are only a month or so old, still not properly broken in, I don't want to make them any worse

I thought about getting some red wing leather cleaner, would this work?

If I can get the stains out, I was then planning to seal with sno seal