How to clean cowboy boots: leather, exotic and suede

Step by step: how to clean cowboy boots

1. 1

   Identify the leather first

   Check whether your boots are smooth cowhide, a textured leather like goat or bison, an exotic such as ostrich, caiman or snake, or suede and roughout. This guide’s main steps are for smooth and textured leather. Suede and exotics have their own rules below.

2. 2

   Brush off loose dirt and mud

   Knock off caked mud outside, then brush the boots with a horsehair or soft brush, paying attention to the welt where the upper meets the sole. Use an old toothbrush on stitching and tight seams. Let wet mud dry first, since it brushes off cleaner than it wipes.

3. 3

   Wipe the boots with a damp cloth

   Wipe the whole boot with a cloth dampened in plain water and wrung out well, focusing on the lower part of the boot where dirt collects. Do not soak the leather. Let the boots dry before going on.

4. 4

   Clean with a leather cleaner

   Put a small amount of leather cleaner on a cloth and rub it sparingly over the boot, then work a little extra into stains with a horsehair brush. Wipe off the excess with a clean cloth. Let the leather dry, about 15 to 30 minutes.

5. 5

   Dry them naturally

   If the boots got soaked, pull out removable insoles, stuff the shafts and feet with paper towels, and let them dry at room temperature, changing the paper as it gets wet. Never use a heater, hair dryer or fireplace, which can crack the leather.

6. 6

   Condition the leather

   Dab conditioner onto a soft cloth and rub it in using small circles, starting at the bottom of the boot and working up in small, overlapping sections. Let it soak in, then wipe off any excess. If the leather still feels dry, add a second thin coat.

7. 7

   Polish for shine (optional)

   Apply a neutral or matching cream polish the same way, in small circles, then buff with a clean horsehair brush or cloth until it glows. Skip this step for matte, distressed or textured finishes you want to keep natural.

8. 8

   Dress the edges and store with boot trees

   Touch up scuffed sole edges and heels with edge dressing if you have it. Slide cedar boot trees into the boots to hold their shape and absorb moisture, and store them upright out of direct sunlight.

How to clean cowboy boots by leather type

Clean every type gently with a brush and damp cloth, then vary the conditioning: smooth cowhide gets regular conditioner and polish, textured and exotic skins get lighter or specialized products, and suede gets no conditioner at all.

Ariat says the same clean, condition and polish steps work on exotics if you use exotic-specific products and rub with the grain rather than against it, and that its leather steps are not for suede or distressed nubuck. Lucchese recommends several thin layers of exotic conditioner, going with the grain of snakeskin scales, and avoiding polish and creams on suede. Tecovas says suede should never be conditioned and shark hide should never be polished.

How often should you clean and condition cowboy boots?

Clean and condition daily-wear boots about every 3 months and occasional-wear boots about every 6 months, with a quick brush and wipe after any muddy day.

That schedule comes from Ariat. Exotic skins can need more: Tecovas suggests conditioning ostrich every one to two months and alligator, caiman, lizard and python monthly, while goat and bison need conditioning only three or four times a year. Boots worn on a ranch or in the rain need attention more often than boots saved for weekends.

How to handle mud, water spots, salt and manure

Get mud and manure off the same day, let water spots dry evenly, and wipe road salt off before it dries into white lines.

• Mud and manure. Hose or brush off the worst outside, wipe with a damp cloth, and clean with leather cleaner once dry. Manure is acidic and stains if it sits.
• Water spots. Wipe the whole panel with a barely damp cloth so it dries to an even shade, then dry the boots naturally and condition them.
• Salt lines. Wipe with a cloth dampened in a mix of equal parts water and white vinegar, then wipe with plain water, dry, and condition. Test the mix on a hidden spot first.
• Scuffs. Ariat suggests a soft brush or a dry whiteboard eraser for light scuffs. Deeper scuffs on smooth leather blend in with a matching cream polish.
• Odor. Lucchese notes that cedar boot trees absorb moisture and help with odor. Air the boots out between wears instead of wearing the same pair every day.

For dress shoes and work boots made from the same leathers, our leather shoe guide uses the same cleaner and conditioner routine.

Mistakes to avoid

• Drying wet boots by a heater, fireplace or with a hair dryer, which cracks the leather.
• Using the same heavy conditioner or polish on exotics and suede as on smooth cowhide.
• Rubbing conditioner against the grain of ostrich or snakeskin.
• Soaking the boots with water instead of wiping with a wrung-out cloth.
• Piling on oil-based conditioner without testing, which can darken lighter boots.
• Storing boots without boot trees, so the shafts slump and crease.