How to Properly Clean Ostrich Boots

Caring for your exotic boots is important to extending the life of your footwear. Here is a guide on how to properly clean ostrich boots.

Did you know that Americans spend anywhere between $26.2 to $30 billion on footwear every year? Not only do shoes let us to walk around comfortably, but they also allow us to express our personal styles and fashion.

For some, cowboy boots are where it's at. And more specifically, they love going for the ones made of exotic animal skins, such as ostrich.

There's no doubt about it: ostrich boots are beautiful and unique footwear. So if you have a pair, you'll understandably want to take good care of them.

But while ostrich is a type of leather, it's not quite the same as cowhide leather. As a result, care instructions will be a little different.

So read on to find out what you need to know to make your ostrich cowboy boots look great!

Basic Cleaning

Even if you're very careful whenever you're wearing your ostrich boots, you'll still probably get some dust and dirt on them. For this reason, you should give your boots a light cleaning after each time you wear them.

To do so, have a clean and soft cloth on hand, as well as a horsehair brush. Brush it down lightly with the brush, get the cloth a little damp, and then gently wipe down your boots whenever you get back inside.

Let your boots dry off properly before you store them. If you don't wait long enough, the moisture might wear down your ostrich boots prematurely.

Conditioning

Just cleaning your boots won't suffice. To make sure yours stay in great condition, you should properly condition them every 1 to 2 months. The more you wear them, the more often you should condition your ostrich boots.

Before you condition your boots for the first time, you should try it out on a small patch first. Ostrich leather is a bit more sensitive to oils than other types of leather, so you want to make sure your boots won't be inadvertently ruined by the conditioner you choose.

When you've figured out that the conditioner you've chosen is safe to use, you can then condition your boots. To start, follow the same care instructions for basic cleaning.

Once your boots are free of dust and debris, and you've wiped them down with a damp cloth, go ahead and apply an exotic leather conditioner across them. This should be a thin layer but it should cover the entire boot. You can use your fingers for the job, but if you wish, you can also use a brush to apply the conditioner.

Now, wait for the boots to dry completely. After they have, then buff it with your horsehair brush. This will give your ostrich boots a bit of a matte finish.

Polishing

This should step should only be done after you've already conditioned your boots.

Make sure you pick a neutral-looking polish and that it's wax-based. If you don't, you'll have to take extra care to pick a polish that matches your boots' color exactly. Otherwise, you risk having mismatched colors.

After buffing your ostrich boots, apply the polish all across your boots in a thin coat. Once the polish has dried off, use a clean soft cloth to brush your boots.

Get your horsehair brush and then buff until your ostrich boots are as shiny as you want them to be!

How to Store Your Boots

Are you guilty of throwing your boots into the closet and rummaging through everything to get them out again when you want to wear them? This is a huge no-no!

For one, you need to store your boots in a dry and dark place. The closet is fine, but if your pair is floating around in there with other shoes, it's bound to get scuffed and damaged.

Think about designating a special shelf for your nice boots. To keep your boots' shape, you should stuff them with materials that won't stretch them out. Some good things to try include newspaper, tissue, or cedar shoe tree.

Other Tips for Your Ostrich Boots

If you want to be a responsible boots owner and would like to make the most of your footwear, here are a few other tips to help you out.

If possible, you should avoid wearing your boots every day. Have at least 1 day in between wear so your ostrich boots can dry out completely. As with any type of leather, moisture is one of its biggest enemies, so the more airing out you can do, the better.

If you take good care of your ostrich leather boots, your effort will pay off. Ostrich leather (as well as cowhide and crocodile) will age very well and even look better as the years go by.

Lastly, as with any pair of shoes, there comes a time where you'll eventually wear out the soles of your boots. Because ostrich boots are so expensive and unique, you probably don't want to just throw them out when this happens.

So what we suggest is taking them to your cobbler to have a half resole done. This is more beneficial than an entire resole because it lets you keep the original peg construction. If needed, you should also recap the rubber heels.

Keep Your Ostrich Boots Clean

After reading this article, you should now have a better idea of how to keep your ostrich boots looking clean and pristine for years to come.

Ostrich skin boots are definitely a sight to behold, plus they're not the cheapest boots around. So you want to do your best in keeping them in great condition so you protect your investment as best you can. With our tips, this is possible, so be proactive and

Are you interested in getting other types of exotic boots? Then shop our selection now! In addition to ostrich boots, we also have snakeskin, alligator, and more unique boots!