{"id":12264,"date":"2017-01-04T06:58:53","date_gmt":"2017-01-04T11:58:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bootedmanblog.com\/?p=12264"},"modified":"2017-01-04T11:51:00","modified_gmt":"2017-01-04T16:51:00","slug":"ostrich-boot-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bootedmanblog.com\/?p=12264","title":{"rendered":"Ostrich Boot Care"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"I received a question from a loyal blog reader who asked,<\/p>\n

I recently purchased my first pair of full quill ostrich boots and have a question about caring for them. Do I need to worry about damaging the raised follicles when rubbing in conditioner or buffing polish? Some of them have a bit of ‘fray’ at the crown of the bump that moves back and forth as I rub them. Is some dulling of the follicles on ostrich leather normal with wear?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Ah, yes, how does one care for ostrich skin cowboy boots?
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\nMy reply was as follows–<\/p>\n

Caring for ostrich boots is easy — a light rub with a very small amount of leather conditioner such as Bick 4 or Lexol over the vamp (full quill foot) of each boot, as well as on the shafts, heel counters, etc. — would do just fine. Do not buff or use wax polish the full-quill vamp (foot). Buffing with a brush can damage the quill appearance, and paste wax can cake up around the quills and dull the appearance quickly.<\/p>\n

If you see some “dulling” of the quills — that could be from build-up of wax or too much conditioner. In that case, get some leather cleaner (Lexol or Bick 1 leather cleaner<\/strong>), follow the label directions, and remove the build-up. Never use wax on exotic skins — only use paste shoe wax on real cow (or deer or kangaroo) leather.<\/p>\n

Yes, over time, the quill areas on full-quill boots eventually become a bit more dull as they oxidize when exposed to air. Using a good quality leather conditioner occasionally will delay or prevent that process from happening.<\/p>\n

The final word of advice: “a little bit” goes a long way. Use leather conditioner sparingly. “More is better” does not apply and actually makes things worse. <\/p>\n

This video by the makers of Bickmore products illustrates the process of cleaning and caring for ostrich skin cowboy boots:
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