You’re absolutely wrong about ingredient disclosures. Not only does red wing provide full sds publications on their website, they also provide ingredient disclosures. The all natural boot oil is pine pitch and mink oil. That’s it, two ingredients. I.e. red wing’s leather cream, they list: LEATHER CREAM 97095 INGREDIENT NAME (INCI OR IUPAC) CAS # FUNCTION WATER 7732-18-5 DILUENT SPECIALTY AMINES WITHHELD EMULSIFIER C11-15 ALKANE/CYCLOALKANE 64742-47-8 MOISTURIZER NEATSFOOT OIL 8002-64-0 CONDITIONER DMDM HYDANTOIN 6440-58-0 PRESERVATIVE IODOPROPYNYL BUTYLCARBAMATE 55406-53-6 PRESERVATIVE They aren’t being “cagey” at all lol.
@@AUXdrone Dude if it's not on the product or on the product page on their website they're not being transparent. I shouldn't need to hunt so far to find that information out
@@Stridewise hunt so far? Dude, it’s clearly accessible on their website…in fact the link is on every, single page on their website. And as far as the all natural boot oil goes, yeah the information is listed on the product page as well, “Our All Natural Boot Oil blends pine pitch and mink oil…” How on earth is that not transparent? Lol
@@AUXdrone www.redwingshoes.com/accessories/care-products/All-Natural-Boot-Oil-97103.html?cgid=care-products the boot oil just says it contains pine pitch and mink oil, not if that's all it contains
I only use mink oil, as it was recommended by the shop gal at Redwing. It works really well at conditioning the leather, keeping it supple, and I like the darker color anyway. My only concern is preserving the leather as long as possible, I don’t really care what shade of brown it is. I’ve had mine for 6 years, and I wear them probably 360 days a year, to work and on my motorcycle. I finally resoled them last year by RW, and they are going strong - just a small hole in the tongue where an eyelet grommet has worn through over time. No biggie. Love them. Mink oil for the win.
I worked in a concrete plant and put my boots through Hell. I was tired of buying Brahmas from Wally World every six months, but needed to make sure whatever I bought was gonna last If I’m spending 3-4x bargain basement footwear. Several coworkers whose opinion I respected recommended Carolina Boots and Mink oil. Four years later, and I still wear those boots daily. They are in need of a resoling at this point, to be completely honest. About every three months I have a three day weekend. When I get home I use dish soap and a stiff brush to scrub my boots down, laces out. After they dry in the sun or on a heater vent, the following morning I oil them with a hairdryer and a rag. Once they’re reoiled and wiped down, they spend the remainder of the weekend in the sun or on a heat vent. More than once I’ve been asked if I bought new boots after returning to work. And my legs and back feel much better with quality boots As someone who has never been vain or judgey about my footwear beyond “That looks good, I’ll have that...”, I REALLY, REALLY ENJOY cleaning and oiling my boots. It’s very meditative... like waxing a car or building an engine. If I know spending more money means I’ll get more for my money, I appreciate that.
This is Nicholas I have the Carolinas and brahmas and a bunch of others but I needed a stronger boot for doing large construction and just spent the $600 on the Nick's custom boots out of Spokane Washington. U should check those out, custom built for your feet.
@@destineennicholasgallagher3315 I’ve heard only good things about Nick’s. But I couldn’t justify the cost relative to my income. And I don’t see how I’ll get any more life from them to justify the added cost.
@@redram5150 my thing was I go through 2 Sets of Ariats or Justin's a year so I'm already spending $600 a year in boots, mine get absolutely abused. So my custom hot shots r supposed to be a 5 year boot, so far I've got 1.5 years in them now and they are doing awesome , just gotta keep em clean and oiled and they look like they are still brand new the bottoms still have great tread on them and I got the tall logger heel and my feet haven't felt this comfortable in a long time. I'm in my feet for 16 hours a day and no pain.
I was a meter reader in Pennsylvania for 19 years. That was my favorite job of my life now that I’m retired and look back on it. They paid me to stay in shape. No two days were the same.I walked for about five hours a day.I learned a lot about shoes. One thing is, you cannot buy cheap shoes For work. I actually wore a new pair of cheap shoes out in two days ,Actually both shoes started to come apart at the stitching. They just fell apart. I think they were gorilla brand shoes,a copy of wolverine 6 inch shoes that were my favorites. They looked just like them and they were 1/3 the price so I bought them. I have learned that if you use oil‘s on your shoes and the shoes are glued rather than stitched, the oil‘s tend to not only make the shoe grow and stretch on your foot And actually look like an old wet stretched out shoe.but it also softens the glue grip on the leather bond between the shoe and the sole..Sometimes using liquid silicone can act like a solvent and cause the glue to give up its grip on the sole also. I also learned that is with cleated souls like Vibram soles with deep tread can cause you to trip on carpeting and they can catch as you roll over the edges of steps as you walk down causing you to lose your balance. I am not a big fan of the speed lace open hooks at the tops of shoes. They catch on your pant legs, and sometimes pull the threads out of your pants if they’re heimed.. Wolverine shoes used to make a 6 inch unlined buckskin Colored smooth leather work boot with a black hard rubber looking sole, it was softer than a hockey puck but it looked like it was made out of similar material. They were my favorite work boots, I went through about eight pairs of them over the 19 years, and I never wore the soles out on any of them. They had good traction, a soft quiet walk, and they broke in quickly. After lots of service,The tops would separate from the soles because my shoes were wet by 915 every morning walking in the grass reading meters. And then in the evenings being dried by a fan, I tried to keep up with leather conditioners to keep the leather from drying out from that harsh wet/Dry/wet/dry cycle they were in, but I usually did get two years out of a pair. I always switched to insulated winter boots for cold weather then Heavy duty winter boots for snowday, I would read average 500 meters at individual houses walking through the grass and on concrete up-and-down steps up and down lawns over fences through bushes,In and out of private homes, in and out of businesses and apartment buildings/in and out of mall utility rooms behind industrial parks, ECT. I walked fast because I got to go home and get ready to start my second job, so the shoes really got punished. I have learned that you cannot have a flexible sole shoe. You have to have a stiff so shoe for walking on all types of services. It makes your foot flex and all directions if you have a soft soul and your feet will be killing you within two hours I have also learned that there is no such thing as waterproof. I did have a pair of Timberland elk hide boots, they’re very dark brown, they were winter boots with calf lining. They were expensive, but they were the only boots I ever had that were actually waterproof by the factory. The inside of the shoes actually rotted out before the elk hide gaveup it’s water resistance. I had them for about 12 years, I only wore them on snow days. I guess I should have rinsed them out with a mixture of baking soda and water to get the acid from my skin out of the leather lining every year. But other than that, there is no such thing as waterproof except for rubber. When you work outside, and you walk in grass, winter is not the time that your feet get wet, it is all summer, the grass is wet every morning up until about noon even if it doesn’t rain. And your feet are soaked from 9 AM on. Waxes that you apply with a hair dryer heating and work it into the leather helps with water resistance, but it also makes the shoe not breathe. I have also heard that mink oil can rot some shoes stitching... I have been using a lubricant rustproofing product called fluid film, which is an extract from wool bearing animals, I suppose that means sheep. That is lanolin, and I’ve been using it on shoes and belts, and that works for reconditioning making the shoes look good and moisturizing dry leather.. I also use it on my leather motorcycle jackets, and wallets. I originally bought fluid film to rust proof my truck, and right on the label, in the applications for use paragraph, it’s suggested using it on leather.. and I have been using it on leather ever since.. I have learned that to break in work leather boots. This sounds crazy, but it worked for me. Fill them up with water and put them on and wear them for a day. They will fit your foot perfectly like a paint job. They were going to get soaked anyway walking in the grass, so I started doing that when I would buy a new pair of work boots/shoes and it works.I would not do that with a pair of wolverine thousand miles shoes or the red wing Rangers. But work boots that are all leather, Some work shoes have a gimmick soul called a durashock absorbing sole..It has a heightened center that is not flush with the sole or on the heel. The problem with that sole that I have had is, I would have my ankle kickout sideways if I would step on something as small as a peach seed and I even fell a few times.there were a couple times I thought I broke my ankle because That durashock sole with that shock absorbing center is not as wide as the shoe sole. And I never bought those shoes with thedurashock soles again. I think they’re called Durashock soles.. they might be good for somebody working in a machine shop that doesn’t do much walking and they stand on concrete all day. But for someone that’s out walking on grass and up and down steps, I don’t think they’re very safe. I’ve turned my ankle many times with those shoes. Don’t buy cheap work boots. Joe
rubber ducky Thanks ducky. I can’t believe you read the whole thing., when I attended those writing courses, none of them ever covered editing. I will be careful in the future to avoid over explaining.I will be careful to avoid multi syllable words for your benefit also in the future.
If you are going to use mink oil, use it very sparingly. I just dab a little bit on my finger and spread it on the upper very thinly. As thinly as possible, just enough to hit all areas of the upper. This way, you minimize any darkening. My results doing it this way gives you the good protection of mink oil with minimal darkening.
I’m 32 now and still have my same pair of danner I got when I was 15 . I now have quite a few pairs for work etc and I’ve always used mink oil . It softens the leather and my boots feel like a comfortable pair of slippers . I’m sure other products work well also but I like to stick to what I’ve always used . Although it’s become more difficult to find now due to animal rights activists etc .
It's difficult to generalize, it really depends on the type of mink oil.. I've been using Angelus "Mink Oil" spray for years and it works great, especially against water. It does darken a little bit, but eventually the oil will wear off and the leather will retain it's original color.
Living in Pacific Northwest, my boots go through a lot. Weather ranges from below freezing/snow about 20°+F, to hard wet rain, harsh wind, and blazing hot 120°+F. I ride a motorcycle as my only form of transportation most of the time, or I walk to work about 1 mile away. My boots are not for fashion, but for purpose. I have some Iron Rangers, Moc Toes, Supersoles, and a pair of steel toes. Leathers are a mix of Charcoal rough and tough, Oro, and some other plain work boot brown. The only products I will use on them is Safeguard bar soap for cleaning, and Huberds Shoe Grease fir protecting. Safeguard is antibacterial for cleaning with foamy lathery bubbles, and Huberds is made of some kind of sticky beeswax mix with pine tar for weatherproofing and durability. It does darken the leather, but I don't really care about that. I also use Huberds on my Harley-Davidson FLSTSCI leather seat, saddlebags, and leather jackets/vests.
Redwing recently made a new product called heritage leather conditioner. Specificly for hydration without the darkening. Definenlty recommend it for anyone who specificly cares about the look. Great vedio once again. 👌
This. I use the Redwing leather conditioner on all my leather boots. I apply it as soon as I purchase the boots and it hydrates the leather allowing the leather to form to your foot and break in more comfortably. It also allows the leather to break in without cracking or developing creases. Super product.
I personally use a leather fat on my red Iron Rangers to prepare them for the fall/winter season. At spring repeat that and use a colour matching shoe cream every other month. They look great in their third year, the color is almost like new and they show some wrinkles and scratches from use. I use the same method for all my other boots and it works very well.
Note regarding the winter performance of these boots. When walking (NOT remaining stationary) they are comfortable at least down to -5C, thick leather is nice! The sole gives quite good grip on ice but is less suited for slippery mud and snow. Gravel doesn't seem to get stuck NEARLY as easily in mini-lugs as it does in real lugs. I've chosen to use Red Wing boot chream on most of the boot to maintain the colour, but saphir renovateur on heel- and toe-cap. Both because the caps need more care And because I enjoy the variation in colour it creates.
Mink oil also softens leather. I've used it on leathers to make them more supple. Some leather don't darken with the mink oil, depending on the finish. As for the cream. Not sure if it would darken the leather, but pure neatsfoot oil certainly will, depending on the leather.
@@Stridewise I'll second it then: I use 100% Neatsfoot oil to deliberately darken boots and shoes. They always go a few shades deeper which does indeed "dull" the color, but I generally like it myself.
For smooth leathers (that will take a shine) I use Venetian cream. For all else I use Bick 4. Neither will ever darken leather, and work amazingly well.
I apply mink oil, then heat it with a hair dryer. It liquifies and soaks in, allowing for multiple coats. It does a fantastic job of water proofing leather.
I've only ever used mink oil & love the results. I have a pair of boots that are probably about 18 years old and they still look new. Now, I primarily just wear them in the winter or when it's raining in the summer, so I guess they're only about 9yrs old LOL. I didn't realize that every company has there own recipe. I switched to a different brand this year & noticed that it darkened a different pair of boots up quit a bit, probably 5 shades darker. The older boots are black, the newer ones are now a very dark brown. Oh well, as long as the results are the same. Thanks for your videos brother. Love them
Thanks for the kind words, Pete! I love hearing stories about people's boots throughout the decades. So long as you don't mind the darkening, mink oil is great. The only annoying thing is a lot of 'mink oils' actually are just a small percentage mink oil. I reviewed Sof Sole's Mink Oil on this channel and they were 10% mink oil!
@@Stridewise thanks for your response. I'll have to checkout that video as well. A small percentage ??. That leaves a lot of room for a slue of other additives. So is 10% a lot or a little in the grand scheme. After leaving my last message, I retrieved my 2 different mink oils so I could compare. The older one that I've been using for about 20 years smells very strong, where as the new one has virtually no smell, hmmm. Does mink oil have an aroma that is incredibly chemically pungent LOL. How does a company come up with there recipe. Is it based on any long term testing. I'm thinking that I should switch back to my original brand. It's stood the test of time. If it ain't broke lol. Thanks Again
Leather cream and after that, Nikwax suede and nubuck waterproofing. Keeps the boots at the original color and protects them against water, snow and salt
Use saddle soap and give your boots a cleaning. It should remove a lot of the oil, might need to do it more then one time but let it dry before you wash again. Recondition with whatever conditioner you like. Remember to use just enough water to get a good lather going then wipe off the soap with a clean rag. They will probably always be darker then they started out when new but after some time they will break in nice a fade a little.
A moisturizer, a cream, and a protector are all you need for any and all shoes and boots. I would never use Red Wing shoe care on Red Wing products TBH. Saphir works fine for anything (in this case greasy boot cream, and if you want to go balls out, cream polish and neutral wax). The cream is really all you need. Just use less rather than more. That's the problem with most people, they tend to overdo it.
I switched my conditioner from redwing boot cream to leather cream as you suggested. I'd suggest anyone would like to do they same and preserve the original color better, to first use redwing leather cleaner to clean your boots before apply the leather cream.
Hey Nick, after watching your video, I ran out a bought some Red Wing Leather Cream (with neatsfoot oil)...it's THE BEST things I've used on my amber harness Iron Rangers, by far. It brought the luster right back, and didn't seem to darken them at all. I used it on my copper rough and tough round toes as well with the same results. I really appreciate your advice...cheers for that!
Just bought some Rangers used the rw mink in can. Darkened just a little with a reddish tint. Giving it the color i wanted. So i made the correct choice because i most went with the leather conditioner
Cool video. Thanks. You can restore most of their original color by simply cleaning them with a saddle soap or simply some shampoo or washing liquid using a good stiffer brush and lots of warm water. Sometimes you need to repeat the process twice for the desired effect. I had a similar situation with my 8111s and i got bored by the dark color (from all the conditioning with boot oil and leather cream) and after repeating the before mentioned cleaning twice now they look incredible again. I actually put so much oil on them before that even after proper cleaning they are still oily and supple, just with much nicer color now. In the future i plan on conditioning the inside of the boot more generously as my right footbed cracked at the toe area. Besides i think that putting decent amount of oil inside will help protecting the boots overall and won't darken the leather on the outside.
I use the rw boot oil and it darkened my amber harness iron rangers a bit with the original application. Now i apply it every 6 months, the leather darkens for a bit but then lightens in color to the original color after the first application.
Hi Nick, great video! Would u also do a video on otterwax leathercare kit? there arent any video on youtube reviewing them but they do have a few positive reviews on amazon. I will leave the link below: www.otterwax.com/products/leather-care-kit Cheers! :)
With mink oil the natural color will come back.... I know this with my danner boots...I smothered them with mink oil day 1....day 2 wore em for 30 min and they hurt...day 3 wore them for an 1hr not comfy but better and threw another coat of mink oil....day 4 wore em again for another 1hr.....day 5 boots are ready for all day use...boots are noticeably softer and broken in to my foot I am a wuss when it comes to breaking in boots....some take couple weeks (as well as danners I've heard) When I break em in I cinch them tight as I can possibly lace them up....some wear boots really loose...since I do it in short periods I crank em down to break the leather down
@@Stridewise it personally has worked for me but gradually, it worked best with red wings liquid saddle soap, wash with the saddle soap once or twice a month til desired color and only add a little cream for conditioning in between uses
@@Stridewise i did that with some dark brown bushacre 2 clark desert boots. I scrubbed with saddle soap a lot harder than needed just to experiment. I even used an old soft toothbrush. The leather lightened significantly, and looked even dry but i applied the redwing book oil and shoeshine wax and they restored nicely but weren't as dark as before.
I'd love to see your "ruined" rangers get cleaned up. there are lots of videos showing how to get that dark oil color off the boot. it would make for a great video.
Try money's worth boot conditioner if you want to moisturize your boots it smells decent compared to other products. I don't believe this is intended to water proof, it just makes the leather look soft and supple. Bickmore Bick4 will give you a slight waterproofing with moisturizing characteristics. Both Products will not darken your leather for more than 20 min to an hour. Use redwing boot paste to waterproof seasonally as you see fit. You can also Boot paste the stiches and use money's worth on the the rest of the boot to restore natural color without having to completely coat the boot with Boot paste. For whatever reason, walmart had he money's worth, and my local grocery store had a pretty intense shoe care section compared to anywhere ele's in town. Bickmore bick4 can be found on amazon.
I just finished breaking in a pair of Russian Kirza jackboots (not Redwings, I know) and they arrived so dry I couldn't even get my feet in them. I started with pure neetsfoot oil to save the leather and after they were soft enough to painfully get my feet in I gave them a dose of mink oil. It was a very painful month but it seems to have been worth it.
@@Stridewise oh me too! They are not really something most people would wear to church (I do) and they are bloody crude with only nails amd thread holding it all together but they are surprisingly better on ice than I had thought. Not quit as good as my Finnish jackboots but the tread is gripper on the Russians in looser material.
I so regret using RW Mink Oil on my amber harness Iron Rangers (supplied by the retailer as a “freebie”) - made them a lot darker than I wanted. I bought the Amber Harness for their lighter colour brown and now they are dark tan colour!!!. Still great boots, just not the colour I wanted anymore.
Thank you Nick! Love your content and you probably saved me from making a big mistake. Just bought my first pair of Iron Rangers and also got the Mink Oil from the shop where I bought the boots. But I love the rough and tough look and absolutely don't want to ruin the look and the patina that I expect from it. So maybe I will try to get the Cream somewhere over here in Germany.
@@matttherrien9608 Thanks! I will give it a try. Meanwhile I found and bought the RW Leather Cream. I am really happy with the result. Only could last a bit longer.
I have 2 pairs of redwings, an iron ranger and a safety for over 10 years. Ive put everything on it, oil WILL darken leather period. If you want the darkness to go away, just leave it without anything for a long period of time, color will lighten over time. Im talking years.
This is all spot on. Mink oil is all about toughness and waterproofing, but it is acidic, and changes the finish and color. I use the leather cream products for their looks, but before that use a leather conditioner high in beeswax and very light oils. Obenauf's is one of the best, and has little effect on the color.
I used Nokona baseball glove conditioner on my IR’s. It darkened them a tad but I have no clue what it’s made of and I’ve searched far and wide. I’m throwing this up here in case someone knows. I know at one time Nokona recommended using Vaseline to condition and or clean their baseball gloves so I imagine it contains petroleum?? Either way it’s the only thing I would put on my really expensive baseball gloves and it can help to condition for sure. $10 for 3.5 oz. bottle. I just got the 875 moc toe and am leaning towards leather cream to preserve color.
Lexol leather conditioner is another great product to use if you don’t want to darken the leather on your boots. My local cobbler recommend it to me it’s the only conditioner I will use on all types of leathers. As far as for an oil you can get a lot more for your money just buying Neatsfoot Oil.
I use the RW Mink Oil with the black cover (don't know if this is just a design change, but I thought I saw this one besides the one you show in the video). I use it for my cognac Chukkas and my brown Moctoes as well. I never noticed some darkening of the leather. In my experience it only moisturises the leather and helps to soften scratches. The Patina shows on my Chukkas much more as on the Mocs but I think the product is good for booth. In contrast to the Chukkas I would like to have the colorful leather cream for the Mocs, since they lost some color. Maybe I order them, when I get a new pair of Beckman's in the future.
Lexol leather conditioner is a great product to use if you don’t want to your leather. It was recommended to me by my local cobbler and you can use it on all types of leathers. As far as an oil you will get a lot more for your money just using Neatsfoot Oil.
All Mink Oil products seem to ruin the original look of the leather (!?) On my Chromexcel leather boots (1000 Mile) I use Bick 4 and a tad of Saphir Revovateur. Both are clear/ milky white/ products without any pigments. It does not darken the leather but gives it a bit of a shine. They are definitely not water proof but helps to protect the leather and keep it in good condition. Also preserves that patinated look that I like.
I hear a lot of good things about Bick 4 and Saphir! I just got some products from a little company called Armstrong's All Naturals I'm looking forward to trying out.
@@Stridewise bick4 will absolutely darken, possibly temporarily, unfinished leather, for example the copper right and tough will end up almost amber harness with enough bick
I have seen some people strip shoes with isopropyl alcohol, they then restain and treat the leather. Would be interesting to see if that could lighten the leather back to or closer to its original color.
So what about the Red Wing Boot Paste? When I bought my Iron Rangers in Copper Rough & Tough the store employee recommend the boot paste. He also said Mink Oil would darken the boot. I really like this product style video, because I'm new to boot collecting, and really confused about what products I should be using to maintain my boots. I have the horse hair brushes and everything, but pretty clueless when it comes to maintenance for the different types of leathers and colors.
Wow, great video. Very informative. I just bought a pair of Blacksmiths w/ the copper rough & tough leather, asked the Red Wing sales person about care and expressed that I wanted to preserve the color of the leather...and sure enough they said "use mink oil". Thanks for the help.
Guys, if you don't want to change the colour of your shoe then use Boot Cream from Red Wing. Any product with higher amount of neatsfoot oil won't darken your leathers.
I use mink oil for my Hawthorne Muleskinner 8113 Iron Rangers. It has darkened them significantly but I think they look better for it. There's actually Red Wing videos on TH-cam on how to care for the different leathers. Each one is only about a minute and a half long.
@@Stridewise I was surprised Mink Oil was recommended in the video for roughout leather because it completely changed it. Luckily for me I like it. However I'm sure not everyone will.
Hmmmm, talked to Red Wing employees...you must have a higher quality employees in your area than we have in Texas/Oklahoma. When I went in to two local stores, I taught them about the Heritage series boots (thanks to videos like yours, and a few calls to Red Wing customer service). The local folks simply didn't have a lot of experience with this line.
You can get the original color back Mate! I over treated mine with Boot oil and mink oil. They darkened up quite a bit as you can imagine. This is how I got the leather back to original colour: Scrub them with a horse hair brush and Saddle soap. Rinse. Then put them in a large bucket of warm water. Let soak for a few hours. Totally submerge them in the water. Drain and wear wet all day. They will be comfortable and soft so they will conform to your foot-increasing comfort believe me!. Wear all day then condition with Red Wing LEATHER CREAM. Nothing else. Your boots now fit perfectly and look original as far as the shade of brown that we all love. Your welcome.
I did the same with my leather Clarks . Because I did not pay so much for them I just rubbed a boot cream into them . Now they are so dark . They still are great boots . They fit well but it's kind of a shame . Thanks for your videos .
Hi Nick, I agree with your premise that what seems like a simple process, such as conditioning a leather boot without changing the color of the boot should for lack of a better word, be a ‘no brainer’, but as you point out, and I have discovered as well, this is not true. I am struggling with a similar dilemma with some of my Allen Edmond boots/shoes-some with Chromexcel leather and some with calf skin leather. I’ve purchased AE leather lotion, AE leather cream, Venetian leather cream , and even oils specifically designed for oil based boots such as Chromoexcel, as well Saphir Renovateur. I polished a pair of my wife’s boots, using Venetian Shoe Cream which did change the color, however; luckily my wife prefers the new color. Before I wind up with an experiment which doesn’t produce similar results, I’d like to nail this down. Perhaps it might make sense to explore this further, as the current solutions all seem to be manufacturer specific, while i am acting under the theory that the solution lies within the type of leather used, versus who manufacturer’s the shoe. I’m curious if you agree with my premise and if so, if you have any thoughts on how to go about determine a solution based on leather and not based on manufacturer. Please feel free to comment as appropriate as I am sort of, as they say....”Stumped”...Any thoughts you have on this topic can only help move towards an ultimate solution. Thanks. Ed
Ed F I too have tried quite a few brands of leather conditioner/oil on various types of leathers, and the one that has so far not changed the color of anything (even new, natural veg-tanned leather) was Bickmore's Bick 4 leather conditioner. It goes on light and dries quickly, so I suspect it doesn't last very long between applications, but it's a tried and true conditioner!
@@Stridewiseit says it's just a cleaner but I used it twice a year on my Red Wing moc toes, iron rangers, and chukkas whilst living in Montréal for 3 winters without issue. Leather stays hydrated and clean without discoloration.
@@Stridewise sorry for the multiple replies but my experience is that liquid saddle soap is very similar to a cleaner almost a mild degreaser while saddle soap in solid form can be worked into a conditioning lather that lifts dirt and grime from the leather while working into the leather where it remains for conditioning
The only leather conditioner to have shown to actually protect leather and slightly lengthen it's life is neatsfoot oil. Now if you really want to go old-school and be the baddest hipster in your block, use beef tallow. You'll make so many doggy friends. Nice video, BTW. Good to see content beyond just boot reviews.
Hahaha! Beef tallow is an interesting idea, I wonder if all the saturated fat would be a problem with going rancid? But I'm sure a lot of people have done it before and had great (and tasty) boots. Glad you enjoyed the new content my man!
Because it makes a harder seal around the boot it means the mink oil is less likely to leave it. Or something like that, there are a lot of places that say as much. Mink oil is also definitely a waterproofer.
Hi, I just purchased my Beckman 9011 and I want to know a product for conditioning much deeper than the cream my boots, even though the weather in my area is not as harsh as NY or Toronto: it is mild basically with a prolonged period in the heart of winter. I would like something more than the cream Red wing suggests on its website but not so aggressive or heavy-duty. Thank you so much !!
Where are you getting Beckmans from? They've been discontinued! You want something deep but won't change the color? Huberd's Shoe Oil might be a good bet, or Cobbler's Choice
@@Stridewise From here ruggednraw.lt/online/boots/red-wing-heritage/beckman-round-9011-black-cherry-featherstone-leather/ After a closer look, amazon does not deliver the product you say (Clobber's Choice) with the dispenser. However, it does the cream www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07L5GF7TS/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?smid=A2FBGTL2HAGQ7J&psc=1 Reading the label they seem identical, just different format !!! I picked the latter. Happy New Year.
Hei nick just small tips, if you want your boot color return. Just wash it, but you need rough brush maybe 2 or three time wash to make sure that oil has been removed from your boot. I have experience with my cxl boots Im so desperate. I taked a risk just wash it with detergent, I have some hipotesis, darken color probably because to much contain oil at your boots, so I must apply some soap must strong enough to removed that oil and its worked, the color is back, I dried with natural, after dried , i just applied shoe cream with natural color and final coat with natural beeswax. But its important to know your beeswax will change your boots color. But for final coating it's option. Btw Im sorry if my english it's not good :D
+1 on washing. My secret go-to cleaner for washing an over conditioned work boot to lighten up the color is Dawn Dishsoap. The original blue version is very gentle and is breaks down the embedded dirt and oil and brings back the leather closer to the original color. Think about it. They use this same soap to wash birds when they fall victim to an oil spill so they won't hurt your leather boots. Finer leathers might get better results with Renomat or even alcohol but you would probably need to add pigment after those with a good polish or cream.
@@oh_aces yeah saddle soap it's the best way to clean the leathers goods, but my boots it's very messy, I was dumb before that. I did over treat for my boots such a give conditioner so often to achieve fast patina, because I think it was cool, but I realize I didn't like so much. but for the future I will just apply saddle soap if the color going to be darken.
@@ducariusrex Nice point. I've learned, leather it's most durable fabric since long long ago. So I never afraid to experiment something that I don't know. Beside I live in Indonesia and the local boots brand in here very cheap if you compare to another famous brand and the important things if the boots going to bad that I can't handled it, I just sent to the brand and they will make up for me. I have personal experienced with sagara, they made my boots almost like a brand new boots after I mesh up with the upper because I dont know how to treat vegetable hand dyed. I dont know if another brand have a after sales service like that.
I have seen others use saddle soap to strip the oils from boots and return them to original color. I haven't had to do it, but Ive seen several posts on Reddit where others have and it looks to work well. You might try that to get the color of your IRs back.
What about the Boot Protecting Spray? Doesn't that weather proof the boot? Could you spray the boot after applying the Cream? Thanks again for another great video.
If i use leather protector and leather cleaner each time i condition them. Would that damage them? I use mink oil on my black iron rangers. I use my rangers in an automotive shop yes they are great once broken in! They r pretty good against hot engine oil and break fluid hitting the boot yet again i use leather protector.
I bought a pair of the non-mock toed Irish setters today, I haven’t bought Red Wings in 20 years the last product I used to protect them was mink oil. The guy at the store today told me to get the natural seal that red wing makes, it comes in nail polish style bottle but bigger and he said I’m basically supposed to paint the boat. Should I use this spray or old-school mink oil what’s the best for me?
Hey Nick! You do great work and have a great channel. I was wondering if you can describe to me (or do a video) on medium to long term leather boots/shoe storage. Thanks!
did you ever try red wing neatsfoot leather cream? Im expecting my 5th pair of RW's this week, IR 8119's in oxblood, and these will be the first ones I will actually care about retaining the colour if possible. With my harvesters in amber, engineers in black and some vintage 956's I didn't mind to darken them so i used kinda anything greasy 😅
Your boots actually look very over saturated with to much oil which will also darken boots, and will also damage the leather because the leather will break down really fast. Leather isnt made to be saturated. Wait until the boot actually starts to look a little dry before you put more oil dont just keep putting it on all the time.
Here's the thing I think a lot of non work boot boot guys don't understand you do not want waterproof leather boots like if they're claiming to be waterproof and they're like effectively all leather you do not want those boots they so many chemicals and stuff on them but cause problems for your feet the whole ride away over time you don't want those boots
Good video. Wish I would have watched it before doing the same to my Copper Rough & Tough. Question: Do you think Saddle Soap would help for the guys that turned their light leather dark? Kind of a...do over.
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You’re absolutely wrong about ingredient disclosures. Not only does red wing provide full sds publications on their website, they also provide ingredient disclosures. The all natural boot oil is pine pitch and mink oil. That’s it, two ingredients.
I.e. red wing’s leather cream, they list:
LEATHER CREAM 97095
INGREDIENT NAME (INCI OR IUPAC) CAS # FUNCTION
WATER 7732-18-5 DILUENT
SPECIALTY AMINES WITHHELD EMULSIFIER
C11-15 ALKANE/CYCLOALKANE 64742-47-8 MOISTURIZER
NEATSFOOT OIL 8002-64-0 CONDITIONER
DMDM HYDANTOIN 6440-58-0 PRESERVATIVE
IODOPROPYNYL BUTYLCARBAMATE 55406-53-6 PRESERVATIVE
They aren’t being “cagey” at all lol.
@@AUXdrone Dude if it's not on the product or on the product page on their website they're not being transparent. I shouldn't need to hunt so far to find that information out
@@Stridewise hunt so far? Dude, it’s clearly accessible on their website…in fact the link is on every, single page on their website. And as far as the all natural boot oil goes, yeah the information is listed on the product page as well, “Our All Natural Boot Oil blends pine pitch and mink oil…” How on earth is that not transparent? Lol
@@AUXdrone www.redwingshoes.com/accessories/care-products/Leather-Cream-97095.html this where are the ingredients on the product page?
@@AUXdrone www.redwingshoes.com/accessories/care-products/All-Natural-Boot-Oil-97103.html?cgid=care-products the boot oil just says it contains pine pitch and mink oil, not if that's all it contains
I only use mink oil, as it was recommended by the shop gal at Redwing. It works really well at conditioning the leather, keeping it supple, and I like the darker color anyway. My only concern is preserving the leather as long as possible, I don’t really care what shade of brown it is. I’ve had mine for 6 years, and I wear them probably 360 days a year, to work and on my motorcycle. I finally resoled them last year by RW, and they are going strong - just a small hole in the tongue where an eyelet grommet has worn through over time. No biggie. Love them. Mink oil for the win.
What style?
I worked in a concrete plant and put my boots through Hell. I was tired of buying Brahmas from Wally World every six months, but needed to make sure whatever I bought was gonna last If I’m spending 3-4x bargain basement footwear. Several coworkers whose opinion I respected recommended Carolina Boots and Mink oil. Four years later, and I still wear those boots daily. They are in need of a resoling at this point, to be completely honest. About every three months I have a three day weekend. When I get home I use dish soap and a stiff brush to scrub my boots down, laces out. After they dry in the sun or on a heater vent, the following morning I oil them with a hairdryer and a rag. Once they’re reoiled and wiped down, they spend the remainder of the weekend in the sun or on a heat vent. More than once I’ve been asked if I bought new boots after returning to work. And my legs and back feel much better with quality boots
As someone who has never been vain or judgey about my footwear beyond “That looks good, I’ll have that...”, I REALLY, REALLY ENJOY cleaning and oiling my boots. It’s very meditative... like waxing a car or building an engine. If I know spending more money means I’ll get more for my money, I appreciate that.
This is Nicholas I have the Carolinas and brahmas and a bunch of others but I needed a stronger boot for doing large construction and just spent the $600 on the Nick's custom boots out of Spokane Washington. U should check those out, custom built for your feet.
@@destineennicholasgallagher3315 I’ve heard only good things about Nick’s. But I couldn’t justify the cost relative to my income. And I don’t see how I’ll get any more life from them to justify the added cost.
@@redram5150 my thing was I go through 2 Sets of Ariats or Justin's a year so I'm already spending $600 a year in boots, mine get absolutely abused. So my custom hot shots r supposed to be a 5 year boot, so far I've got 1.5 years in them now and they are doing awesome , just gotta keep em clean and oiled and they look like they are still brand new the bottoms still have great tread on them and I got the tall logger heel and my feet haven't felt this comfortable in a long time. I'm in my feet for 16 hours a day and no pain.
I was a meter reader in Pennsylvania for 19 years. That was my favorite job of my life now that I’m retired and look back on it. They paid me to stay in shape. No two days were the same.I walked for about five hours a day.I learned a lot about shoes. One thing is, you cannot buy cheap shoes For work. I actually wore a new pair of cheap shoes out in two days ,Actually both shoes started to come apart at the stitching. They just fell apart. I think they were gorilla brand shoes,a copy of wolverine 6 inch shoes that were my favorites. They looked just like them and they were 1/3 the price so I bought them.
I have learned that if you use oil‘s on your shoes and the shoes are glued rather than stitched, the oil‘s tend to not only make the shoe grow and stretch on your foot And actually look like an old wet stretched out shoe.but it also softens the glue grip on the leather bond between the shoe and the sole..Sometimes using liquid silicone can act like a solvent and cause the glue to give up its grip on the sole also. I also learned that is
with cleated souls like Vibram soles with deep tread can cause you to trip on carpeting and they can catch as you roll over the edges of steps as you walk down causing you to lose your balance. I am not a big fan of the speed lace open hooks at the tops of shoes. They catch on your pant legs, and sometimes pull the threads out of your pants if they’re heimed..
Wolverine shoes used to make a 6 inch unlined buckskin Colored smooth leather work boot with a black hard rubber looking sole, it was softer than a hockey puck but it looked like it was made out of similar material. They were my favorite work boots, I went through about eight pairs of them over the 19 years, and I never wore the soles out on any of them. They had good traction, a soft quiet walk, and they broke in quickly. After lots of service,The tops would separate from the soles because my shoes were wet by 915 every morning walking in the grass reading meters. And then in the evenings being dried by a fan, I tried to keep up with leather conditioners to keep the leather from drying out from that harsh wet/Dry/wet/dry cycle they were in, but I usually did get two years out of a pair. I always switched to insulated winter boots for cold weather then Heavy duty winter boots for snowday, I would read average 500 meters at individual houses walking through the grass and on concrete up-and-down steps up and down lawns over fences through bushes,In and out of private homes, in and out of businesses and apartment buildings/in and out of mall utility rooms behind industrial parks, ECT. I walked fast because I got to go home and get ready to start my second job, so the shoes really got punished.
I have learned that you cannot have a flexible sole shoe. You have to have a stiff so shoe for walking on all types of services. It makes your foot flex and all directions if you have a soft soul and your feet will be killing you within two hours
I have also learned that there is no such thing as waterproof. I did have a pair of Timberland elk hide boots, they’re very dark brown, they were winter boots with calf lining. They were expensive, but they were the only boots I ever had that were actually waterproof by the factory. The inside of the shoes actually rotted out before the elk hide gaveup it’s water resistance. I had them for about 12 years, I only wore them on snow days. I guess I should have rinsed them out with a mixture of baking soda and water to get the acid from my skin out of the leather lining every year. But other than that, there is no such thing as waterproof except for rubber.
When you work outside, and you walk in grass, winter is not the time that your feet get wet, it is all summer, the grass is wet every morning up until about noon even if it doesn’t rain. And your feet are soaked from 9 AM on. Waxes that you apply with a hair dryer heating and work it into the leather helps with water resistance, but it also makes the shoe not breathe. I have also heard that mink oil can rot some shoes stitching...
I have been using a lubricant rustproofing product called fluid film, which is an extract from wool bearing animals, I suppose that means sheep. That is lanolin, and I’ve been using it on shoes and belts, and that works for reconditioning making the shoes look good and moisturizing dry leather.. I also use it on my leather motorcycle jackets, and wallets. I originally bought fluid film to rust proof my truck, and right on the label, in the applications for use paragraph, it’s suggested using it on leather.. and I have been using it on leather ever since..
I have learned that to break in work leather boots. This sounds crazy, but it worked for me. Fill them up with water and put them on and wear them for a day. They will fit your foot perfectly like a paint job. They were going to get soaked anyway walking in the grass, so I started doing that when I would buy a new pair of work boots/shoes and it works.I would not do that with a pair of wolverine thousand miles shoes or the red wing Rangers. But work boots that are all leather,
Some work shoes have a gimmick soul called a durashock absorbing sole..It has a heightened center that is not flush with the sole or on the heel. The problem with that sole that I have had is, I would have my ankle kickout sideways if I would step on something as small as a peach seed and I even fell a few times.there were a couple times I thought I broke my ankle because That durashock sole with that shock absorbing center is not as wide as the shoe sole. And I never bought those shoes with thedurashock soles again. I think they’re called Durashock soles.. they might be good for somebody working in a machine shop that doesn’t do much walking and they stand on concrete all day. But for someone that’s out walking on grass and up and down steps, I don’t think they’re very safe. I’ve turned my ankle many times with those shoes.
Don’t buy cheap work boots. Joe
The longest comment on you tube lol.
rubber ducky
Thanks ducky. I can’t believe you read the whole thing., when I attended those writing courses, none of them ever covered editing. I will be careful in the future to avoid over explaining.I will be careful to avoid multi syllable words for your benefit also in the future.
Черт, да это история всей жизни с уклоном на обувь!
I'm glad I read the last line 1st "Don't buy cheap work boots" haha
World Record for the longest comment on you tube!
If you are going to use mink oil, use it very sparingly. I just dab a little bit on my finger and spread it on the upper very thinly. As thinly as possible, just enough to hit all areas of the upper. This way, you minimize any darkening. My results doing it this way gives you the good protection of mink oil with minimal darkening.
Having using Red Wing Leather Cream for all my RW shoes, colour unchanged! Best shoe care product ever!
I’m 32 now and still have my same pair of danner I got when I was 15 . I now have quite a few pairs for work etc and I’ve always used mink oil . It softens the leather and my boots feel like a comfortable pair of slippers . I’m sure other products work well also but I like to stick to what I’ve always used . Although it’s become more difficult to find now due to animal rights activists etc .
It's difficult to generalize, it really depends on the type of mink oil.. I've been using Angelus "Mink Oil" spray for years and it works great, especially against water. It does darken a little bit, but eventually the oil will wear off and the leather will retain it's original color.
Living in Pacific Northwest, my boots go through a lot. Weather ranges from below freezing/snow about 20°+F, to hard wet rain, harsh wind, and blazing hot 120°+F. I ride a motorcycle as my only form of transportation most of the time, or I walk to work about 1 mile away. My boots are not for fashion, but for purpose. I have some Iron Rangers, Moc Toes, Supersoles, and a pair of steel toes. Leathers are a mix of Charcoal rough and tough, Oro, and some other plain work boot brown. The only products I will use on them is Safeguard bar soap for cleaning, and Huberds Shoe Grease fir protecting. Safeguard is antibacterial for cleaning with foamy lathery bubbles, and Huberds is made of some kind of sticky beeswax mix with pine tar for weatherproofing and durability. It does darken the leather, but I don't really care about that. I also use Huberds on my Harley-Davidson FLSTSCI leather seat, saddlebags, and leather jackets/vests.
Redwing recently made a new product called heritage leather conditioner. Specificly for hydration without the darkening. Definenlty recommend it for anyone who specificly cares about the look. Great vedio once again. 👌
This. I use the Redwing leather conditioner on all my leather boots. I apply it as soon as I purchase the boots and it hydrates the leather allowing the leather to form to your foot and break in more comfortably. It also allows the leather to break in without cracking or developing creases. Super product.
@@roybatty- www.redwingheritage.com/us/USD/product/care/products/conditioner-all-natural-3-oz-97104 this?
Roy Batty how often should i use it on the boot?
I personally use a leather fat on my red Iron Rangers to prepare them for the fall/winter season. At spring repeat that and use a colour matching shoe cream every other month. They look great in their third year, the color is almost like new and they show some wrinkles and scratches from use. I use the same method for all my other boots and it works very well.
Literally just bought a pair of Red Wing IRs without considering to by boot care products...your video helped. thx.
Oil mink paste for everything. Clean up and making them loon pretty. Keeps me dry through the winter all year.
Note regarding the winter performance of these boots. When walking (NOT remaining stationary) they are comfortable at least down to -5C, thick leather is nice! The sole gives quite good grip on ice but is less suited for slippery mud and snow. Gravel doesn't seem to get stuck NEARLY as easily in mini-lugs as it does in real lugs.
I've chosen to use Red Wing boot chream on most of the boot to maintain the colour, but saphir renovateur on heel- and toe-cap. Both because the caps need more care And because I enjoy the variation in colour it creates.
Mink oil also softens leather. I've used it on leathers to make them more supple. Some leather don't darken with the mink oil, depending on the finish. As for the cream. Not sure if it would darken the leather, but pure neatsfoot oil certainly will, depending on the leather.
Yep, mink oil does soften! I must say you're the first person I've heard to say neatsfoot oil will darken leather though.
@@Stridewise I'll second it then: I use 100% Neatsfoot oil to deliberately darken boots and shoes. They always go a few shades deeper which does indeed "dull" the color, but I generally like it myself.
For smooth leathers (that will take a shine) I use Venetian cream. For all else I use Bick 4. Neither will ever darken leather, and work amazingly well.
I've used all of Red Wing's products...and don't like any of them. I agree with Venetian Cream, Bick 4 and Saphir Renovateur.
I apply mink oil, then heat it with a hair dryer. It liquifies and soaks in, allowing for multiple coats. It does a fantastic job of water proofing leather.
I've only ever used mink oil & love the results. I have a pair of boots that are probably about 18 years old and they still look new. Now, I primarily just wear them in the winter or when it's raining in the summer, so I guess they're only about 9yrs old LOL.
I didn't realize that every company has there own recipe. I switched to a different brand this year & noticed that it darkened a different pair of boots up quit a bit, probably 5 shades darker. The older boots are black, the newer ones are now a very dark brown. Oh well, as long as the results are the same.
Thanks for your videos brother. Love them
Thanks for the kind words, Pete! I love hearing stories about people's boots throughout the decades. So long as you don't mind the darkening, mink oil is great. The only annoying thing is a lot of 'mink oils' actually are just a small percentage mink oil. I reviewed Sof Sole's Mink Oil on this channel and they were 10% mink oil!
@@Stridewise thanks for your response.
I'll have to checkout that video as well. A small percentage ??. That leaves a lot of room for a slue of other additives. So is 10% a lot or a little in the grand scheme.
After leaving my last message, I retrieved my 2 different mink oils so I could compare. The older one that I've been using for about 20 years smells very strong, where as the new one has virtually no smell, hmmm. Does mink oil have an aroma that is incredibly chemically pungent LOL.
How does a company come up with there recipe. Is it based on any long term testing.
I'm thinking that I should switch back to my original brand. It's stood the test of time. If it ain't broke lol.
Thanks Again
Leather cream and after that, Nikwax suede and nubuck waterproofing. Keeps the boots at the original color and protects them against water, snow and salt
Use saddle soap and give your boots a cleaning. It should remove a lot of the oil, might need to do it more then one time but let it dry before you wash again. Recondition with whatever conditioner you like. Remember to use just enough water to get a good lather going then wipe off the soap with a clean rag. They will probably always be darker then they started out when new but after some time they will break in nice a fade a little.
I’m literally watching this in front of a Red Wings store. Thank you for another great review! 🙏
You got it Chris! Glad to be of help.
Most informative video i have found on the RW boot care products. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A moisturizer, a cream, and a protector are all you need for any and all shoes and boots. I would never use Red Wing shoe care on Red Wing products TBH. Saphir works fine for anything (in this case greasy boot cream, and if you want to go balls out, cream polish and neutral wax). The cream is really all you need.
Just use less rather than more. That's the problem with most people, they tend to overdo it.
I switched my conditioner from redwing boot cream to leather cream as you suggested. I'd suggest anyone would like to do they same and preserve the original color better, to first use redwing leather cleaner to clean your boots before apply the leather cream.
I only use their leather cream. Works great and doesn’t change the color.
Good choice!
Concrete cowboy here. Love my red wing 877 and 875
You forgot to call me gay
Hey Nick, after watching your video, I ran out a bought some Red Wing Leather Cream (with neatsfoot oil)...it's THE BEST things I've used on my amber harness Iron Rangers, by far. It brought the luster right back, and didn't seem to darken them at all. I used it on my copper rough and tough round toes as well with the same results. I really appreciate your advice...cheers for that!
Just bought some Rangers used the rw mink in can. Darkened just a little with a reddish tint. Giving it the color i wanted. So i made the correct choice because i most went with the leather conditioner
Cool video. Thanks. You can restore most of their original color by simply cleaning them with a saddle soap or simply some shampoo or washing liquid using a good stiffer brush and lots of warm water. Sometimes you need to repeat the process twice for the desired effect. I had a similar situation with my 8111s and i got bored by the dark color (from all the conditioning with boot oil and leather cream) and after repeating the before mentioned cleaning twice now they look incredible again.
I actually put so much oil on them before that even after proper cleaning they are still oily and supple, just with much nicer color now. In the future i plan on conditioning the inside of the boot more generously as my right footbed cracked at the toe area. Besides i think that putting decent amount of oil inside will help protecting the boots overall and won't darken the leather on the outside.
Maybe I'll try that! It'd make a good video. Thanks, Peter.
You are very welcome. I hope you try it. I'm looking forward to the video
That colour change from amber harness actually looks extremely good
Haha thanks man. I might try to saddle soap it out of it for a future video
Pine pitch is not used as medication in things like salve or shampoo. That is pine tar. They are the same but pitch has the moisture removed.
I use the rw boot oil and it darkened my amber harness iron rangers a bit with the original application. Now i apply it every 6 months, the leather darkens for a bit but then lightens in color to the original color after the first application.
I like the dark oiled look actually!
Sorry the sound was a bit weird on this one, guys!
Hi Nick, great video! Would u also do a video on otterwax leathercare kit? there arent any video on youtube reviewing them but they do have a few positive reviews on amazon. I will leave the link below:
www.otterwax.com/products/leather-care-kit
Cheers! :)
Yeah I hear about them, Helm really likes it on their boots stridewise.com/helm-review/
what are you using for your videos. a russet? haha
I didn't notice it. great video
I put mink oil on my charcoal RW blacksmiths and they’re now a waxy matt black . But I like the effect.
With mink oil the natural color will come back....
I know this with my danner boots...I smothered them with mink oil day 1....day 2 wore em for 30 min and they hurt...day 3 wore them for an 1hr not comfy but better and threw another coat of mink oil....day 4 wore em again for another 1hr.....day 5 boots are ready for all day use...boots are noticeably softer and broken in to my foot
I am a wuss when it comes to breaking in boots....some take couple weeks (as well as danners I've heard)
When I break em in I cinch them tight as I can possibly lace them up....some wear boots really loose...since I do it in short periods I crank em down to break the leather down
I use Neatsfoot oil, they darken, but not that much, then seal them with mink oil!
Clean your IR's with saddle soap. That will strip the oils and then you can use the leather cream to recondition them.
Has that worked for you personally? Everyone I talk to says once the oil is in there the boots never lighten up.
@@Stridewise it personally has worked for me but gradually, it worked best with red wings liquid saddle soap, wash with the saddle soap once or twice a month til desired color and only add a little cream for conditioning in between uses
@@Stridewise i did that with some dark brown bushacre 2 clark desert boots. I scrubbed with saddle soap a lot harder than needed just to experiment. I even used an old soft toothbrush. The leather lightened significantly, and looked even dry but i applied the redwing book oil and shoeshine wax and they restored nicely but weren't as dark as before.
I'd love to see your "ruined" rangers get cleaned up. there are lots of videos showing how to get that dark oil color off the boot. it would make for a great video.
Try money's worth boot conditioner if you want to moisturize your boots it smells decent compared to other products. I don't believe this is intended to water proof, it just makes the leather look soft and supple. Bickmore Bick4 will give you a slight waterproofing with moisturizing characteristics. Both Products will not darken your leather for more than 20 min to an hour. Use redwing boot paste to waterproof seasonally as you see fit. You can also Boot paste the stiches and use money's worth on the the rest of the boot to restore natural color without having to completely coat the boot with Boot paste. For whatever reason, walmart had he money's worth, and my local grocery store had a pretty intense shoe care section compared to anywhere ele's in town. Bickmore bick4 can be found on amazon.
I just finished breaking in a pair of Russian Kirza jackboots (not Redwings, I know) and they arrived so dry I couldn't even get my feet in them. I started with pure neetsfoot oil to save the leather and after they were soft enough to painfully get my feet in I gave them a dose of mink oil.
It was a very painful month but it seems to have been worth it.
Haha everyone has that pair of boots that fought them and then yielded. Glad you tamed yours!
@@Stridewise oh me too! They are not really something most people would wear to church (I do) and they are bloody crude with only nails amd thread holding it all together but they are surprisingly better on ice than I had thought. Not quit as good as my Finnish jackboots but the tread is gripper on the Russians in looser material.
I so regret using RW Mink Oil on my amber harness Iron Rangers (supplied by the retailer as a “freebie”) - made them a lot darker than I wanted. I bought the Amber Harness for their lighter colour brown and now they are dark tan colour!!!. Still great boots, just not the colour I wanted anymore.
Thank you Nick! Love your content and you probably saved me from making a big mistake. Just bought my first pair of Iron Rangers and also got the Mink Oil from the shop where I bought the boots. But I love the rough and tough look and absolutely don't want to ruin the look and the patina that I expect from it. So maybe I will try to get the Cream somewhere over here in Germany.
Buy some "Saphir Oiled/Greasy Leather Cream" made in France.
@@matttherrien9608 Thanks! I will give it a try. Meanwhile I found and bought the RW Leather Cream. I am really happy with the result. Only could last a bit longer.
@@madbrainmakesnosense8229 they're both neatsfoot oil based so it's basically the same shit. Saphir has a hell of a line of leather care products.
Thank you for making this vid. I truly was wondering and doing my research for my first pair of Iron Ranger aka Reds
Glad I could help!
I have 2 pairs of redwings, an iron ranger and a safety for over 10 years. Ive put everything on it, oil WILL darken leather period. If you want the darkness to go away, just leave it without anything for a long period of time, color will lighten over time. Im talking years.
It's not rocket science. People make this more complicated than it has to be. Just give the stuff the manufacturer recommends and call it a day.
This is all spot on. Mink oil is all about toughness and waterproofing, but it is acidic, and changes the finish and color. I use the leather cream products for their looks, but before that use a leather conditioner high in beeswax and very light oils. Obenauf's is one of the best, and has little effect on the color.
Nooo I used Obenauf's on my Iron Rangers, that's why they're so dark! Why didn't yours darken?!?
@@Stridewise oh no, I have no idea. I have a pair of Thursday boots and they came out great. But they were pretty dark to start with.
bridgecross do you use Lp or boot oil?
I used Nokona baseball glove conditioner on my IR’s. It darkened them a tad but I have no clue what it’s made of and I’ve searched far and wide. I’m throwing this up here in case someone knows. I know at one time Nokona recommended using Vaseline to condition and or clean their baseball gloves so I imagine it contains petroleum?? Either way it’s the only thing I would put on my really expensive baseball gloves and it can help to condition for sure. $10 for 3.5 oz. bottle. I just got the 875 moc toe and am leaning towards leather cream to preserve color.
Lexol leather conditioner is another great product to use if you don’t want to darken the leather on your boots. My local cobbler recommend it to me it’s the only conditioner I will use on all types of leathers. As far as for an oil you can get a lot more for your money just buying Neatsfoot Oil.
Neatsfoot oil is the stuff! I hear a lot of good things about Lexol. What's it made from, do you know?
I use the RW Mink Oil with the black cover (don't know if this is just a design change, but I thought I saw this one besides the one you show in the video). I use it for my cognac Chukkas and my brown Moctoes as well. I never noticed some darkening of the leather. In my experience it only moisturises the leather and helps to soften scratches. The Patina shows on my Chukkas much more as on the Mocs but I think the product is good for booth. In contrast to the Chukkas I would like to have the colorful leather cream for the Mocs, since they lost some color. Maybe I order them, when I get a new pair of Beckman's in the future.
All Rough and Tough leathers from RW will dramatically discolor with oil and boot dressing. Haven’t tried neatsfoot on them yet, though.
Even though the leather darkens but it lightens up as time goes on
Lexol leather conditioner is a great product to use if you don’t want to your leather. It was recommended to me by my local cobbler and you can use it on all types of leathers. As far as an oil you will get a lot more for your money just using Neatsfoot Oil.
Wish I watched this video before using the boot oil on my copper rough and toughs this weekend.
Ah, alas! At least they'll be extra rough and tough :)
All Mink Oil products seem to ruin the original look of the leather (!?) On my Chromexcel leather boots (1000 Mile) I use Bick 4 and a tad of Saphir Revovateur. Both are clear/ milky white/ products without any pigments. It does not darken the leather but gives it a bit of a shine. They are definitely not water proof but helps to protect the leather and keep it in good condition. Also preserves that patinated look that I like.
I hear a lot of good things about Bick 4 and Saphir! I just got some products from a little company called Armstrong's All Naturals I'm looking forward to trying out.
@@Stridewise bick4 will absolutely darken, possibly temporarily, unfinished leather, for example the copper right and tough will end up almost amber harness with enough bick
Very helpful. Looks like leather cream in my future after a resole.
I have seen some people strip shoes with isopropyl alcohol, they then restain and treat the leather. Would be interesting to see if that could lighten the leather back to or closer to its original color.
So what about the Red Wing Boot Paste? When I bought my Iron Rangers in Copper Rough & Tough the store employee recommend the boot paste. He also said Mink Oil would darken the boot. I really like this product style video, because I'm new to boot collecting, and really confused about what products I should be using to maintain my boots. I have the horse hair brushes and everything, but pretty clueless when it comes to maintenance for the different types of leathers and colors.
The leather cream ( neatsfoot oil) will help the most not to darken your leather.
Wow, great video. Very informative. I just bought a pair of Blacksmiths w/ the copper rough & tough leather, asked the Red Wing sales person about care and expressed that I wanted to preserve the color of the leather...and sure enough they said "use mink oil". Thanks for the help.
Guys, if you don't want to change the colour of your shoe then use Boot Cream from Red Wing. Any product with higher amount of neatsfoot oil won't darken your leathers.
Agree!
I use mink oil for my Hawthorne Muleskinner 8113 Iron Rangers. It has darkened them significantly but I think they look better for it. There's actually Red Wing videos on TH-cam on how to care for the different leathers. Each one is only about a minute and a half long.
I saw those, but I figured if all the Red Wing people I spoke to said the same products are fine for all the boots...
@@Stridewise I was surprised Mink Oil was recommended in the video for roughout leather because it completely changed it. Luckily for me I like it. However I'm sure not everyone will.
Hmmmm, talked to Red Wing employees...you must have a higher quality employees in your area than we have in Texas/Oklahoma. When I went in to two local stores, I taught them about the Heritage series boots (thanks to videos like yours, and a few calls to Red Wing customer service). The local folks simply didn't have a lot of experience with this line.
Haha once I was calling stores in New Jersey the advice was getting pretty bad
It all depends on the customers for the area. The only heritage boots that he sells is the Iron Rangers
What are your thoughts on the Redwing Cream vs the Redwing All Natural Leather Conditioner?
You can get the original color back Mate! I over treated mine with Boot oil and mink oil. They darkened up quite a bit as you can imagine. This is how I got the leather back to original colour: Scrub them with a horse hair brush and Saddle soap. Rinse. Then put them in a large bucket of warm water. Let soak for a few hours. Totally submerge them in the water. Drain and wear wet all day. They will be comfortable and soft so they will conform to your foot-increasing comfort believe me!. Wear all day then condition with Red Wing LEATHER CREAM. Nothing else. Your boots now fit perfectly and look original as far as the shade of brown that we all love. Your welcome.
I've used both. Same results
I did the same with my leather Clarks . Because I did not pay so much for them I just rubbed a boot cream into them . Now they are so dark . They still are great boots . They fit well but it's kind of a shame . Thanks for your videos .
Glad you find them helpful, David! Conditioning remorse is a real thing haha
Hi Nick, I agree with your premise that what seems like a simple process, such as conditioning a leather boot without changing the color of the boot should for lack of a better word, be a ‘no brainer’, but as you point out, and I have discovered as well, this is not true. I am struggling with a similar dilemma with some of my Allen Edmond boots/shoes-some with Chromexcel leather and some with calf skin leather. I’ve purchased AE leather lotion, AE leather cream, Venetian leather cream , and even oils specifically designed for oil based boots such as Chromoexcel, as well Saphir Renovateur. I polished a pair of my wife’s boots, using Venetian Shoe Cream which did change the color, however; luckily my wife prefers the new color. Before I wind up with an experiment which doesn’t produce similar results, I’d like to nail this down. Perhaps it might make sense to explore this further, as the current solutions all seem to be manufacturer specific, while i am acting under the theory that the solution lies within the type of leather used, versus who manufacturer’s the shoe. I’m curious if you agree with my premise and if so, if you have any thoughts on how to go about determine a solution based on leather and not based on manufacturer. Please feel free to comment as appropriate as I am sort of, as they say....”Stumped”...Any thoughts you have on this topic can only help move towards an ultimate solution. Thanks. Ed
Ed F I too have tried quite a few brands of leather conditioner/oil on various types of leathers, and the one that has so far not changed the color of anything (even new, natural veg-tanned leather) was Bickmore's Bick 4 leather conditioner. It goes on light and dries quickly, so I suspect it doesn't last very long between applications, but it's a tried and true conditioner!
Thanks for the tip Eric. Much appreciated. I wasn’t familiar with Bickmore’s Bick 4, but I will give it a try.
Saddle Soap is also another good alternative for conditioning while not darkening the leather.
Isn't that just a cleaner?
@@Stridewiseit says it's just a cleaner but I used it twice a year on my Red Wing moc toes, iron rangers, and chukkas whilst living in Montréal for 3 winters without issue. Leather stays hydrated and clean without discoloration.
@@Stridewise sorry for the multiple replies but my experience is that liquid saddle soap is very similar to a cleaner almost a mild degreaser while saddle soap in solid form can be worked into a conditioning lather that lifts dirt and grime from the leather while working into the leather where it remains for conditioning
i used saddle soap and it collected dirt. Had to removed it and re oil.
Great video as always, quick question, Iron rangers or RM Williams Gardener boot?
What do you think of rubbing a black shoe polish into cheaper brown boots to make the leather look better ? Thanks.
What would you suggest for a pair of 10877s?
The only leather conditioner to have shown to actually protect leather and slightly lengthen it's life is neatsfoot oil.
Now if you really want to go old-school and be the baddest hipster in your block, use beef tallow. You'll make so many doggy friends.
Nice video, BTW. Good to see content beyond just boot reviews.
Hahaha! Beef tallow is an interesting idea, I wonder if all the saturated fat would be a problem with going rancid? But I'm sure a lot of people have done it before and had great (and tasty) boots. Glad you enjoyed the new content my man!
Coconut oil will darken your boots and fade, if you are curious to see how they will look darkened up a bit.
Pine pitch helps with waterproofing, nothing to do with keeping the mink oil on the boot longer. Mink oil acts as a conditioner.
Because it makes a harder seal around the boot it means the mink oil is less likely to leave it. Or something like that, there are a lot of places that say as much. Mink oil is also definitely a waterproofer.
Hi, I just purchased my Beckman 9011 and I want to know a product for conditioning much deeper than the cream my boots, even though the weather in my area is not as harsh as NY or Toronto: it is mild basically with a prolonged period in the heart of winter. I would like something more than the cream Red wing suggests on its website but not so aggressive or heavy-duty. Thank you so much !!
Where are you getting Beckmans from? They've been discontinued! You want something deep but won't change the color? Huberd's Shoe Oil might be a good bet, or Cobbler's Choice
@@Stridewise From here ruggednraw.lt/online/boots/red-wing-heritage/beckman-round-9011-black-cherry-featherstone-leather/ After a closer look, amazon does not deliver the product you say (Clobber's Choice) with the dispenser. However, it does the cream www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07L5GF7TS/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?smid=A2FBGTL2HAGQ7J&psc=1 Reading the label they seem identical, just different format !!! I picked the latter. Happy New Year.
Use Red Wing All Natural Boot Paste with pine pitch,mink oil,and beeswax.
If you want, it'll just darken the leather.
Mink oil works well on the oxblood Mesa leather
Oh yeah? Like the red becomes richer?
Stridewise yeah I really don’t find that it changes the color at all. Mine still look like new 4 years later.
Hei nick just small tips, if you want your boot color return. Just wash it, but you need rough brush maybe 2 or three time wash to make sure that oil has been removed from your boot. I have experience with my cxl boots Im so desperate. I taked a risk just wash it with detergent, I have some hipotesis, darken color probably because to much contain oil at your boots, so I must apply some soap must strong enough to removed that oil and its worked, the color is back, I dried with natural, after dried , i just applied shoe cream with natural color and final coat with natural beeswax. But its important to know your beeswax will change your boots color. But for final coating it's option. Btw Im sorry if my english it's not good :D
Just give it a couple of washes with saddle soap. It's harsh enough, and will not destroy the leather to the level of an actual detergent.
+1 on washing. My secret go-to cleaner for washing an over conditioned work boot to lighten up the color is Dawn Dishsoap. The original blue version is very gentle and is breaks down the embedded dirt and oil and brings back the leather closer to the original color. Think about it. They use this same soap to wash birds when they fall victim to an oil spill so they won't hurt your leather boots. Finer leathers might get better results with Renomat or even alcohol but you would probably need to add pigment after those with a good polish or cream.
@@oh_aces yeah saddle soap it's the best way to clean the leathers goods, but my boots it's very messy, I was dumb before that. I did over treat for my boots such a give conditioner so often to achieve fast patina, because I think it was cool, but I realize I didn't like so much. but for the future I will just apply saddle soap if the color going to be darken.
@@ducariusrex Nice point. I've learned, leather it's most durable fabric since long long ago. So I never afraid to experiment something that I don't know. Beside I live in Indonesia and the local boots brand in here very cheap if you compare to another famous brand and the important things if the boots going to bad that I can't handled it, I just sent to the brand and they will make up for me. I have personal experienced with sagara, they made my boots almost like a brand new boots after I mesh up with the upper because I dont know how to treat vegetable hand dyed. I dont know if another brand have a after sales service like that.
I have seen others use saddle soap to strip the oils from boots and return them to original color. I haven't had to do it, but Ive seen several posts on Reddit where others have and it looks to work well. You might try that to get the color of your IRs back.
saddle soap and bick 4. they look great with just saddle soap, especially the 8085s, but bick 4 doesn't really darken, but takes away the dry look.
I use redwing products on my timberlands and honestly the redwing products made a better impact on boot life than my timberland boot care products
I appreciate that you didn't stretch out this video with excess garbage to hit that 10 min mark.
Can’t really darken Black Harness leather with either 👌🏻😎👌🏻
Oh yeah, good point :)
Thanks for the information. I’m definitely trying the leather cream.
Glad you liked it, Bruce!
What about the Boot Protecting Spray? Doesn't that weather proof the boot?
Could you spray the boot after applying the Cream?
Thanks again for another great video.
If i use leather protector and leather cleaner each time i condition them. Would that damage them? I use mink oil on my black iron rangers. I use my rangers in an automotive shop yes they are great once broken in! They r pretty good against hot engine oil and break fluid hitting the boot yet again i use leather protector.
Elle sont vraiment sympa vos iron ranger :)
I bought a pair of the non-mock toed Irish setters today, I haven’t bought Red Wings in 20 years the last product I used to protect them was mink oil. The guy at the store today told me to get the natural seal that red wing makes, it comes in nail polish style bottle but bigger and he said I’m basically supposed to paint the boat. Should I use this spray or old-school mink oil what’s the best for me?
2 years later do you still recommend redwings leather cream to not darken their boots?
I use Saphir renovateur & pomaider mid brown cream polish for my 8111. Horse hair brush after both of those.
What code are those jet black ones? I have charcoal rough and tough ones, but yours are way blacker.
Amazing video!! I am getting a pair of red wings for christmas so this is just in time. 😁
Delighted it was helpful!
Hey Nick! You do great work and have a great channel. I was wondering if you can describe to me (or do a video) on medium to long term leather boots/shoe storage. Thanks!
did you ever try red wing neatsfoot leather cream? Im expecting my 5th pair of RW's this week, IR 8119's in oxblood, and these will be the first ones I will actually care about retaining the colour if possible. With my harvesters in amber, engineers in black and some vintage 956's I didn't mind to darken them so i used kinda anything greasy 😅
Your boots actually look very over saturated with to much oil which will also darken boots, and will also damage the leather because the leather will break down really fast. Leather isnt made to be saturated. Wait until the boot actually starts to look a little dry before you put more oil dont just keep putting it on all the time.
Wait I thought silicone is bad for leather?
Gr8 video. Do you have any studies on using coconut oil to condition leather boots and shoes? Thank you in advance.
I don't but I plan to do a video on home remedies for conditioning boots!
@@Stridewise thank u. Happy Memorial Day!
I personally love the darkened look way more than the standard leather
Here's the thing I think a lot of non work boot boot guys don't understand you do not want waterproof leather boots like if they're claiming to be waterproof and they're like effectively all leather you do not want those boots they so many chemicals and stuff on them but cause problems for your feet the whole ride away over time you don't want those boots
I also put mink oil in my timberland. Is there a way to put back the original color or make the color lighter?
Bick 4 if you absolutely don't want the conditioner to darken it and it won't clog the pores.
Good video. Wish I would have watched it before doing the same to my Copper Rough & Tough. Question: Do you think Saddle Soap would help for the guys that turned their light leather dark? Kind of a...do over.
Saddle soap is a cleaner, use that first and than some kind of oil