Anyone every soaked their vintage leather boots in water to rejuvenate them?

[FaceOfBoh]

I saw some recent posts about soaking a leather jacket in warm water to rejuvenate it, especially when you've maybe conditioned the exterior but what's underneath/the interior is still maybe dry.

Has anyone ever done this with boots? I have some vintage leather work boots that keep soaking up Lexol conditioner but appear to dry out over the course of the next week or so. I'm thinking of maybe just immersing the uppers in some warm water.

Years ago I remember a guy telling me that he'd bought a pair of cowboy boots at thrift store and he put them in a big pot of boling water and then put them on and wore them for a day, so they could mould to his feet. That was for forming but I'm guessing that they became well hydrated too!

Anyone have any thoughts? I don't want to ruin the boots in a day. I'd rather wear them into the ground "naturally".

 

[Peacoat]

Stay away from the water. Use Pecard or Obenauf's on them. From your description, it may take more than one treatment.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Water is a solvent and will screw up dry leather further. What Peacoat said.

 

[Dumpster Diver]

Problem with that might be that Soaking Vintage Leather might loosen up any possible dry rotted spots and basically disintegrate those areas pretty bad.

its all Acids and Bases, an oil base that Keeps the PH levels of the Leather balanced is what is needed.

If theres Ancient layers of boot Polish embedded deep in there, Just keep working them in with oil day by day...Its tedious and time consuming, but its probly better to oil them every time you wear them. Wipe them down and the oil usually rinses out the Old polish pretty good.

If they need to be water proofed, Dubbin works, if they are not to be polished.

but yeah theres a lot more you can do before you give them a Dunk.

 

[FaceOfBoh]

Thanks everyone! Great advice.
Time to use some elbow grease to lube up that leather.

 

[winterland1]

I think we need someone here to try the boot soaking experiment. I too have heard of people filling boots, soaking etc, then wearing till dry.
Then the shoes conform to the feet.
I don't think it will be me though.
I was just asking about this type of thing on my White's boots thread.
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?74648-Finally-found-some-boots-White-s-Semi-Dress

 

[Seb Lucas]

I think we need someone here to try the boot soaking experiment. I too have heard of people filling boots, soaking etc, then wearing till dry.
Then the shoes conform to the feet.
I don't think it will be me though.
I was just asking about this type of thing on my White's boots thread.
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?74648-Finally-found-some-boots-White-s-Semi-Dress

Yeah, you can soak boots if they are new or in great condition no problem. It's an old army trick we used to follow. Here the post asks about dry degraded leather.

 

[gtdean48]

Yeah, you can soak boots if they are new or in great condition no problem. It's an old army trick we used to follow. Here the post asks about dry degraded leather.

+1...heard this too for new combat or cowboy boots...

 

[jimmer_5]

I would get some boot oil to put on them White's, Wesco, and Red Wing all offer a tru oil, and this will rejuvenate the leather.

You have to remember, in spite of all the tanning it goes through, leather is skin. Just like your own skin, it needs natural oils to moisturize it, not water. Water washes away the natural oils in your skin, and does the same to leather.

 

[Interbak]

I've done the water treatment for fitting. I put a pair of harness boots that were too tight in the wash tub and soaked them for a couple hours. I jammed a set of vintage shoe stretchers in them and left them for the winter. When riding season came around in the spring, they were good to go. I did use Pecards on them afterwards.

B

 

[frussell]

I've seen it done and done it myself with new cowboy boots, usually store bought models, not customs, which usually fit right. I've had a few old cowboys I worked with put on their new boots and go stand in the horse trough before riding in them all day. I did it to good effect when young by standing in a pool. Not something I'd do to older leather though. The above treatment suggestions are all good. My favorite leather treatment is still Williams Saddle Dressing, as it will not rot stitching, and won't over-penetrate, while still being somewhat water repellent. Nowadays, I don't put any leather footwear in water. Frank

 

[FaceOfBoh]

Interesting suggestion on the Williams Saddle Dressing. I'l stop by the local tack shop this week and see if they have it.

I'll report back with a review.

 

[John Galt]

I've not done this with vintage boots, but was a logger (a "lumberjack" for all you flatlanders ;-) as a young man and never found a better way to conform my new boots than wearing them in the creek or filling them and letting them soak in the tub the night before a day's work.

I once tried rubbing alcohol and water in the advice of a bookshop fella one time, and wanted to beat him the next day when my feet were blistered. When I bought a new pair of Whites recently, I oiled them up and did this again with great success.

The dry rot issue seems like a red herring to me. If you oil the old boots before soaking them and don't walk out of them (you know what I mean?) it should not hurt the leather to get them wet. If the leather is damaged, it is damaged, wet or dry. What good is it to have a pair of boots that you can't get wet, or that don't fit comfortably? I say soak 'em all!


"Faint hat never won fair lady."