Advice on leather shoe treatment

[rjb]

Im going green and making the most of that banana
http://hildablue.com/2013/02/06/banana-peel-shoe-shine/

[mnichols]

I've tried the banana skin in an emergency.....if there is such a thing as a shoe shine emergency. I wore leather shoes on an end to end of America. I obviously didn't want to carry shoe polish and after a while they looked a bit rubbish, so after I ate a banana i would wipe the inside of the skin over the shoe and buff. It was better than nothing, but not as good as proper polish

[TerryField]

Get some ‘Scarpa’ HS12 proofing cream from your outdoor camping shop. It is a clear silicone cream which I use on my leather walking boots and is completely waterproof. About £7 a tube, but lasts ages. Brilliant stuff,

[mattsccm]

Want them shiny? Polish then. Not shiny.? Nikwax or similar. Proper Dubbin screws leather in the long run. Great to soften something but not for ever. Long since acknowledged with walking boots which tended to be somewhat more robust than cycling shoes. Note. Dubbin has become a universal term much like Hoover has.

[Sweep]

Dubbin screws leather in the long run. Great to soften something but not for ever. Long since acknowledged with walking boots which tended to be somewhat more robust than cycling shoes..

Interesting. How does it screw the leather?

[mattsccm]

Over softens them I believe. Also harms stitching. I bet you can find details online. It was regarded as an issue years ago when I was working in the climbing shops. Modern alternatives were coming in and the press was reflecting peoples experiences. In the shops we were seeing that boots that were Dubbined for many years were falling apart. I am talking mid 1980's so boots were much more robust then. The time scale has meant that much of this has gone the way of Dubbin. Not underground but to a much lower profile.
You won't find Dubbin in outdoor shops nowdays.
Or Neatsfoot.
Not saying it won't work but there are better products out there. Remember the main reason to treat your shoes is preservation. One ventilation hole or even lace hole and waterproofing is pointless.

[pete75]

Dubbin doesn't rot synthetic stitching which almost all footwear uses currently.
The stuff I've used for years is Lincoln Leather Dressing which is neatsfoot oil enhanced with lanolin. Keeps leather supple and avoids cracking. It revives old cracked leather too. If your car seats are looking a bit tired it does a good job on them as well - obviously you don't use vast amounts but just enough to be absorbed by the leather. At one time it only seemed to be available from saddlers but now Screwfix stock it.