somebody send this to Nick at stridewise so he can finally lighten his iron rangers lmao

Channels like this are exactly why I no longer watch over the air, cable tv or subscription apps. This s is EXACTLY what I want to watch, when I want to watch it and the perfect length. 👍

For something a little less aggressive, sawdust seems to do a great job at pulling out excess oils. Found that my Chippewas were noticeably drier and lighter after doing a little post-hurricane tree work. I kept them heavily oiled with Huberd’s since I wanted them water resistant for hiking.

The Red Wing clerk recommended mink oil for conditioning my IRs, 6 years ago when I bought mine. It darkens the leather, for sure, but I don’t mind. I actually didn’t even think about it until I saw videos about it this year LOL. I used mine very hard for the first 5 years, every day, on my motorcycle and on job sites with a lot of drywall dust, which sucks the moisture out of leather. I really like the patina that has developed on my pair, but sure, they do not resemble new Amber Harness boots anymore. But they are in great condition and still protect my feet, and are old-school comfortable. I’m just gonna keep using mink oil LOL Thanks for the video Karl-

I give new boots a super condition with Obenaufs LP. It softens em up for a less painful break in. Then, I wear them until they appear a little dry and the color lightens up, then lube em up again. Rainy, snow wet season, I use Snow Seal. Easy, peezy. Can’t get too technical with this stuff…

I had a mishap with a bottle of liquid mink oil on my left Red Wing 875, and this video quite literally, saved my pair of boots. THANK YOU!

Nice hints because I've always been worried about changing the color of my boots when I condition them. I like to keep the supple and water resistant, but I don't want to destroy the color that I purchased them in, especially when I buy light colored leather products. Let Smiths know that the video worked, I already purchased some of their balm to test it out. Thanks!

Thank you so much for this. For some reason I got care instructions that said to condition every 1-2 months and I finally got my boots back to the color I loved when I got them. No longer dark dark brown.

Thank you. Everyone talks about how to condition leather but not many people talk about how to know when to condition boots or when the are over conditioned.

I have a ten year old pair of 1907s that I had way over conditioned with Herdeg's Shoe Grease. They were practically black. I have so far done two rounds in the sink with Dawn dish detergent. I think I'm going to try one more time. They are already back to a medium dark brown and seem to be getting closer. Of course I'm resisting the temptation to treat them again! Stand by for updates.

I use Saphier Renovator both on the outside and inside of all my boots.... literally the best conditioner I've ever seen.

That's how we used to strip our boots in the Army. A warm bathtub with dishwashing soap, let them sit in the soapy water for a few hours then scrub, and let dry. Good quality leather can take a lot of abuse and most oil-based products can be removed with minimal or no harm to the leather. Currently, I have two pair of Iron Rangers that I condition about twice a year. I don't care so much about color change, but for people that do it's an easy fix. Good video - thanks for posting it!

I'm glad you are getting more sponsors and this time around a really useful one. Seeing your channel growing is really great and I'm excited to what you will make videos on in the further. Happy holidays and Merry Christmas!

I got smiths leathers balm because of you. Love this stuff.

Thanks Carl! I've wanted to restore two different sets of boots now and now I know how. Love how manufacturers will recommend a conditioner that always ruins the color...

I just did that to my boots. Thanks for the tip

I picked up a second hand pair of Redwing 875's and used dawn powerwash and it worked perfectly then reconditioned them.

Thank you for taking one for the team.

This trick worked like a charm. I used dawn as my soap just make sure to not overdue it. You’ll be able to see all the oils and product lift from the leather.

I know this is an old video, but I just did this to my first pair of JK boots that I had gone a little too crazy piling up. Worked wonders.

Very informative, thanks!

Glad you did this video... finally received my Nicks Falcons and the recommend Smiths.. naturally I’m researching and you post this video! Thank you for the perfect timing

Great vid. I darkened my Thorogood Roofers and lost that beautiful reddish brown color. Will try this once the Smith's arrives!

Carl, I don’t know if you will see this, it’s an older video. Okay, I was in the Navy for 20 years. Pretty much every night I hit my boots with some kiwi black. Anyway fast forward to now, I bought a pair of Nicks Builder Pro steel toes and I have heard everything from oil them every week to wait until they’re screaming for it. I wear them 5 days a week, 40 to 70 hours. I know that they’re designed for guys that consider that a part time job. I work indoors hard surfaces lots of exposure to hydraulic fluid, oil, occasional gasoline etc. I have been brushing them with a nylon brush including the tongue, dressing the edges every week and a very light coat of oil every 2 weeks. Today I scrubbed them and put some nicks boot grease on them. They’re 5 months old, I hadn’t put any of that on them yet. Am I overdoing it? I don’t want to love my boots to death. After 20 years in GI boots one of the first things I did upon retirement was buy a GOOD pair of work boots. Thanks for any help.

Im about to put heavy duty lp on my ir hawthornes. I like the look of them when roughout gets dark

Makes a good beard balm as well, not kidding the same ingredients in that are used in beard balms because they work just as well hydrating and conditioning living skinas well as protecting it from the harsh elements. Only difference is beard balm usually uses essential oils for fragrance

I overoiled my danner mountain horween Rios with huberds, let them sit in oil for a year and a half practically, amazing color and finish... They are past past the severe overconditioning, they feel amazing and the leather holds up to near daily chemicals and solvents hitting the leather. I recommend it for certain cases, only issue is the boots freeze solid, and they sweat in the sun.

Smart guy you´re Carl.Good video man. Thank´s

Thanks for the video. I bought my first pair of RW IR and I work around bags of concrete… never fails some always bust and just cover my boots. I clean them almost daily because I had always wondered what the dry concrete powder will do to my leather. I never use conditioner just a damp cloth ?

Those are probably the best looking iron rangers I've ever seen!

Man I’m loving that resole!

Hello , great video ! I noticed the DrSole half sole supergrip and heel ! Great too :)

Lifesaver, thanks Carl

i used a finger nail brush, works great to get in all the nooks and crannies.

I condition my boots that I wear every day (I beat the hell out of them at work) about twice a month but I also clean them with saddle soap prior to doing so. My other boots that I wear casually, I just do it as needed

Question for conditioning Leather Jacket which is lamb leather. Was quite dry, used a very light coat of Aussie Leather Conditioner by Fiebing's, which worked very well before on many leathers, but this time after a day letting it sit, it came out with quite a big matte finish and kind of waxy feel even though it does not seem to be over conditioned or leaving any oily marks. Did I use wrong product on lamb leather? Should I try polish or wax it, warm it and wipe or polish, or simply wait a bit longer to see if it changes? Any suggestion are welcome, Thank you!

I condition my work boots once every 3 months, very light coat of mink oil and a coat of sno seal and I just brush them daily to get the dirt, mud and sand off. I will also wash my work boots with saddle soap once a year to get any motor oil or diesel and gasoline out of them and then immediately give them a condition with the mink oil and let them dry for a 24 hour period before applying sno seal. Casual or dressy boots I only condition once every 6 months as well and do a brushing after everytime I wear them. Seems to work pretty good for me.

I highly recommend Obenauf's Cleanit and Heavy Duty LP.

Update, Red Wing boots lose their color rather quickly, so if you go too hard on them with soap and hard brush, they will never be the same again, and you get a difference in color between the left and the right boot. I’ve been there, done that. Now I only use a bit of saddle soap and a soft brush for a quick cleaning 2x a year. After that a bit of Bick 4 and if you live in a wet country, you can protect the leather with Nikwax waterproof. The RW stay the same color, nice patina and no oily dark brown boots that can’t breathe.

I don’t mind the colors darkening, but I cleaned and conditioned for the first time in years and they have the wet look, is it going to mess them up over time or should I not worry about it

Nice video, and thank you.

That overcondition process, with every type of oils and creams the market has to offer, gave me an heart attack

Am testing out saddle soap. Can saddle soap remove leather creams and conditioners like dish detergent?

any suggestions on over conditioning Ariat turbo slip on waterproof mostly in the desert all day around alot of lawn chemicals so I try to rinse them off daily

So I have a pair of twisted X boots I’ve tried this with but Im getting this darker and could even say black discoloration. I should also mention that I’m impatient and may or may not have used a hair dryer to speed up the drying process. Could that be what’s causing the discoloration?

How does dish detergent compare to Saddle Soap for pulling out old conditioning/oils/fats?

Quick question, what type of laces did you use?

I just got new amber harness red wings and spilled water on them and got 10 darkened bits where the water dropets were despite wiping it as soon as i noticed. How can I get rid of them without darkening the boots? I have lexol leather cleaner and bick 4.

Best conditioner for redwing copper rough and tough leather? I've read it's a nappa leather.

Another reviewer @KimballCody did this to his Iron Rangers a few years ago and all the leather experts creeped out of the woodwork. Some of the most hilarious comments I ever read. I do this to my boots once every 6 months and it works great. Thanks for the video.

Is there more to over conditioning than just looks? My 606s are for straight up work, don't care about looks one bit and I want em to last so I oil the heck out of them with mink oil. Is this bad?

Thank you

To be honest; I didn't know there even was a thing as "over-conditioning" your boots. Guess from a cosmetic sense (or if you had an accident and soaked them in oil), but I always liked more conditioning on my boots to keep moisture from wearing them out. Just condition them well once a year and (gradually) the boot becomes lighter with use, until it's time to re-condition.

First pair I’m ever conditioning thanx for the warning not to get too crazy on the lotion

I've always used mink oil on my leather boots and cleats. My goal was always waterproofing or to reduce shrinking. I couldn't always devote a day of wearing my cleats after a wet game or practice, so I would scrub the grass and mud off each time, slap a generous slather of mink oil on, and wait. After about 5 minutes wipethe excess off and put them on the boot drier until you had to throw them back in your bag on your way to school in the morning. They'd relax and loosen up by the time warm-ups were done and survive the toe box abuse that a proper fitting cleat goes through between muddy days, as well as be supple after 7 or 8 months of sitting in a closet until soccer season rolls around again. For my boots, thirsty leather means leaky boots that are quicker to die when fine dirt particles get absorbed into the stitches and seams. Darker leather indicates they aren't thirsty. I found that darkness would fade during the dry months because I wouldn't be doing a weekly scrub of seams and stitching unless they got some kind of nasty on them or I just wanted to spiff them up. In the wet weather they would get hosed daily as needed, cleaned and conditioned on Friday, and maybe some more conditioning on Saturday or Sunday to get a good filling of the grains. I had to catch the bus at the end of a 1/4 mile basalt gravel driveway in the dark while navigating giant puddles most of the school year, barn chores that involved stepping in some kind of poop and urine concoction, and 30 acres of volcanic clay that was exposed all over the place from Thanksgiving until Father's day. Sharp volcanic rock dust, acidic volcanic ash clay, and fecal sludge were what I didn't want settling into my pride and joy yet daily wear Redwings. I mowed so many miles to save up for my first pair of boots and didn't want to destroy them because they were my most comfortable footwear. I really struggled in the military to get the kiwi wax polish to keep my boots in good condition. Mink oil is what I wanted to use but we were issued kiwi blackening polish pucks in basic for inspection regulations, I didn't even see my beloved Bee Natural Leathercare mink oil on the shelf in any base exchange my whole time stationed in Japan. Glad I don't need a "mirror shine" on my boots anymore, that was so fussy and boots still weren't water resistant let alone waterproof for basic standing water sweepers. For me, "over conditioned" means I've got life resistant footwear that is going to outlive their sole and every other shoe I own.

I’m hoping someone can help me out. I’m done scrubbing them out with some dawn. Gonna let them dry. I only have wonder balsam and Bick 4 leather conditioner. Which one should I use?

How does someone over condition a boot ? Did they condition everyday or what ? And waht about acetone ?.. my ostrich boots don't really get over conditioned their tanned honey brown and black.. but I'm about to get some awesome back cherry camion boots !

What about saddle soap; how would that work as compared to the method you describe here?

I have never had this problem. A heavily conditioned boot usually starts to wear out over time and so I never worry about it too much. I have the oxblood leather Iron Ranger though so it could be that that leather colour is more resilient to conditioning.

Hi Carl, what boots is that?

I actually didn't know this was a thing until I applied some Bick's HDLP to my boots an hour ago because tomorrow we are supposed to get a light rain/snow mix and I realized the boots were really tacky feeling and seemed to attract dust really easily. Since I'm lazy though I'm not going to wash the conditioner off I'm just going to wear them and the conditioner should over time wear off naturally. At this point though I don't think I'll have to condition my boots for atleast a year.

Hey Carl! I know this is a lot to ask but do you think you can review the Fison Beartooth camper jacket? Thank you for your time.

Where did you get that mug? It's 🔥

I cleaned my iron rangers once with renomat and dishsoap because I had used the wrong conditioner for a long time and the leather was cracking because it didn't do much. Went a bit overboard with the cleaning and then my boots turned yellow when some splashes of water get on there. Really had to grease them up to get rid of that behavior... pretty sure I'm doing all kind of things wrong there lol.

Great video. Those look like some good boot laces. What brand are they?

Very interesting video Carl! Love the stormwelt on these iron rangers! Is there a specific reason you chose dishsoap over saddlesoap? Or is it because everyone has some dishsoap lying around?

I’ve wanted a tin of Smith’s since I’ve seen Parker from Stock & Barrel use it. But instead of ordering a can and waiting for it, I just used some hand salve from Burt’s Bee’s.

Watches this: “wait, but that’s exactly what I want my leather to do. I like the darker color.”

Would this work on Iron Rangers that have been overconditioned for years? By that I mean, I have a pair of 6 year old Iron Rangers that have been darkened for years now, ever since I took them into a shop 4 or 5 years ago and they just slathered on the conditioners. I just kind of assumed there was no going back at that point and just accepted that they were going to be super dark and have continued to condition over the years, making them darker. Would doing this lighten them up at all, or do you think the years of conditioning are just way too worked in?

Have you tried SaddleSoap instead of dishwashing soap ?

i like mine oversaturated. with working in the woods mud snow rain etc. its the only way they stay waterproof. i don't know how its bad for them it eventually wears off. good video though. good tips for non work boots

What’s your reco for waxed flesh boots to restore the waxy look and condition ?

I think that a lot of the boot enthusiasts on internet forums overcondition their boots. They get this horrible " dipped in olive oil" look and the leather loses its structure. Not only does it look particularly unattractive, but I really wonder whether boots last longer when the leather has the feel of a dirty rag. Wear the shoes out of the box without conditioning. If it is a pair you wear a lot, condition them maybe once per year in my opinion. Less if you don't wear them or they are never used in harsh environments.

So is it just about the look or is there damage done to the leather and doesn’t crack or fall apart if over conditioned?

Hey, I am trying this for the first time with a pair of 875s. Ive had them for 5ish years and have conditioned them with mink oil id say 1-2 times per year…so yeah, a lot of conditioning. They were super dark and tacky. I have stripped them with Dawn in the sink 3 times now and they are finally starting to lighten up. However the coloring is a little inconsistent. There are clear dark and light spots. Is there anything I can do to even out the coloring?

Dawn dish soap does really well because it strips oils but it's not a harsh chemical hints using it on penguins and other animals and of course saddle soap will do wonders stripping oil as well.

so what i gathered is that overconditioning only changes the leathers colour and doesen`t actually hurt the boot, right? so if i have black boots for example i can overcondition them as much as i like?

Carl, use a large horsehair dauber and Dawn Platinum to get rid of unwanted conditioners. A stiff nylon bristle brush is very aggressive and unnecessary. Also, you could apply turpentine to a cloth and wipe the boots down prior to washing. This will really strip them. Best regards.

Saddle soap can help but for really deep cleaning notjingt like dish soap. Greasy cutter. A good brushes and the leather will drop everything..... The only thing is to re- condition the leather and let dry slowly in a cool place, hurrying the process can crack the leather. I recommend apply conditioner, with wax base like Saphir Cream and/ or oil and leave them outdoors for 30-45 min (sunny day) to let penetrate any substance deeply. PS: I like the resole! However, the heel do not hurt?

I saturate my boots with mink oil, Redwing boot oil etc and hit it with a hot blow dryer. and I wear mine hard. I have Danners, redwings, whites etc and some of them are 20+ years old. They’re boots. They are there to protect my feet! I never understood vanity in a pair of boots!!!

I put dubbin on my caterpillar nubuck workbooks. Please help!

Over conditioning? Did I miss something? Are you working in these boots, then who cares!

Smiths is good stuff. I just haven't figured out how much to use. Sometimes I'll use it and it leaves no residue the next day. Other times it leaves a waxy coating on for days. Good stuff regardless.

I drown my Chippewas (Cibola 8”) in rice bran oil. In six months the oil is gone and needs to be reapplied making the leather supple and waterproof. I previously used coconut oil and it went rancid and stank. Wouldn’t recomend coconut oil for this reason. Rice bran oil hasn’t become rancid yet after 4 weeks, so far so good.

I have that exact some dr. Soles half sole on a pair of mto renav Goods Co boots 💯

Will this method of cleaning the oil from the boots leave the boots stiffer material or will the leather boots still be mushy and very soft

I made the newbie mistake of using Obenaufs LP on my Ariats😬. Im sure its a great product for hard use work boots where looks are very much secondary, but i SEVERELY underestimated how much it would darken them. I dont like it at all.... im desperately hoping i can find a way to get them back to original. Their new color is a dreadful dark mud brown. Highly recommend not using LP on western boots!!!!

Would saddle soap do the same job of removing the build up of oils?

Great video! also beard is looking good

Before I watc, my answer is soap? Then towel it off…I’ve heard saddle soap can be astringent so wouldn’t cleaning it with soap and water then PROPER CONDITIONING work?

Is this just for a visual thing? For my work boots I don’t think there is a thing such as over oil

I overconditioned my right boot when a hydraulic return line blew out and drenched my right leg. Now that boot is almost black and noticeably heavier than my left one. Haven’t had much luck restoring it so far.

dawn!! i put it on and rub it in with my hands , doing it that way sence army 55 years ago

I honestly like it when my boots darken up.

Just so I understand, the only issue that comes with over conditioning is changing the color of the leather? Sorry kinda new to this and im just trying to understand. Doesnt more conditioning mean better water/weather resistances and longer life?

I actually just used some Smith’s balm to wax some roughout boots and I basically made homemade waxed flesh.

If you really use your boots, you probably want too much conditioner in them. As long as they aren't sticky... I like my boots to darken up with conditioner and repel water and dirt. If I overdo it, I'll usually hit them with a hair dryer and clean cloth until the surface isn't sticky.

I dunno, seemed pretty typical to me. The boots will be quite dark after oiling; just gotta let them sit. P.S. Nice re-sole...storm welt too?

I arranged my space for shooting videos never realizing it looks similar to yours 💀 Great video btw

I use wax. It conditions and waterproofs them the best. Is it not correct, don't know, but I have 15 year old boots that still look like new