Obenauf’s Heavy Duty LP
Leather shoe care is one part science, one part magic, and two parts that rock in your boot you just can’t get out but which isn’t quite big enough to bother doing anything about.
Every review or post you’ll read about any brand will have one set of people swearing it’s the best stuff ever made and another set saying it ruined their expensive boots and it’s total crap. Beeswax is the best thing ever but beeswax is sticky and has white buildup which attracts dirt and grinds down the leather like sandpaper. Mink oil is the salvation of leather but reduces waterproofing and makes leather too soft. Avoid waterproofing Gore-Tex products because the boot needs to breathe. Avoid anything with a solvent, propellant or petroleum in it. Obenauf’s will rot your stitching out.
I’ll let you in on a secret: Most people using most boots don’t need to care about the finer details about leather treatments. Do anything, even one of the “wrong” things and you’ll probably double the lifespan of your shoes. That said, there is truth in some of those cautionary statements and I’m here to help.
First what type of leather do you have? If you’re not familiar with the types of leather then the primary question is if it’s smooth or fuzzy. Fuzzy typically means Nubuck, suede or roughout and while there are significant differences between them the reality is that they’re fuzzy and if you put oil, grease, wax or some other covering on them you’ll smooth down the nap and utterly change the look of the shoe. These leathers usually require additional steps, such as buffing the fuzz back with a brush.
Smooth is much easier to deal with in my opinion. Generally you clean the leather with soap and water (or special product), apply your product, then buff it out.
The science of leather care products generally comes down to the fact that leather needs conditioning, usually some type of oil, in order to stay supple. The magic is that it’s virtually impossible to know the ingredients in any of the products, everyone hates or loves them, and they can be confusing to figure out. What precisely is the difference between NIKWAX Waterproofing Wax and their Conditioner for Leather. Maybe one is heavier duty than the other? I don’t know and I own both.
Regarding the confusion and magic:
Yes, different leathers prefer different conditioners (Horween Chromexcel may have different preferences than oil or vegetable tanned leathers).
Yes, you need to be careful with Gore-Tex or similar because applying a sealant product eliminates the breathability of the leather which negates the breathability of Gore-Tex but most products I’ve seen are fine, including NIKWAX and Obenauf’s).
Yes, organic stitching can have problems but it’s nothing I’ve ever considered nor had problems with.
Yes, stay away from petroleum or alcohol based products as they dry out the leather over time.
To the review:
To that end, there are essentially two different types of products to note: Waterproofing and/or restorative protectants and shoe polish. I’m mostly ignoring shoe polish as those products are primarily for shine and looks with protection as a secondary bonus. I tend to use KIWI and Allen Edmonds products for these purposes on my dress shoes.
Right now I’m using Obenauf’s Heavy Duty LP (made of various oils, beeswax & propolis (basically beehive glue)) with what I think are good results. That said, I also have NIKWAX Conditioner and NIKWAX Waterproofing, which is a little easier to apply since it’s more of a liquid and has a scrub applicator as part of the bottle. Obenauf’s will darken pretty much any leather it touches but it does lighten up over time. The boots shown have had one or two applications previously and eventually lighten up to about the factory tone.
Before application:
Partial application (not buffed out):
Before/After, one application, buffed out:
Since I care more about the waterproofing and conditioning I just apply and buff and the color is what the color is. I will note that I have used beeswax products in the past and they have left a sticky surface which did attract dirt and did indeed leave a white build-up in every crease. However, that’s most likely due to user error as almost every product I’ve used notes to buff out after application. A very thick coat will make you feel better but one or two lighter, buffed out coats will actually perform better.
It can be a little annoying to apply since the recommendation is to use fingers (I use nitrile gloves) but overall it goes on fine. The initial purchase price can also seem a bit high but one tub will probably service you for quite a few years. This is more the type of product to be used on higher quality leather and/or boots which will see very hard service and spending a few extra dollars up front will save hundreds or even thousands in the long run.
