Top 10 Best Oil For Leather Boots to Keep Them Young

Everything in this world has an expiration date. For most things, we don’t have any control over it, but there are solutions to extend the life span of a few things that we love. 

For instance, your leather boots are starting to look old, frail, worn out, and have lost their initial charm from when you bought them.

Are you preparing to throw them out and buy yourself a new one already? You don’t have to do that yet, and there are ways of making them look young again. They just need some love and care to bring them back to life. 

When it comes to the best oils for your leather boots, you can never go wrong with mink oil, neatsfoot oil, obenauf’s oil, and some alternatives to them like jojoba oil, olive oil and coconut oil.

Let’s face it leather boots don’t come cheap, and if they do, it is safe to assume that they are not made of pure leather. Hence, instead of getting rid of them, you should treat them by applying leather oil. 

After my intensive research on the best boot oil, below is the table of how I would rank them.

What is leather oil, and what are the ingredients used?

Leather oil is a substance that moisturizes, conditions, and preserves the leather to keep it young and healthy for years to come. It helps in refurbishing the leather boots to its natural self if worn out.

Apart from using it as a repairing mechanism, it also helps in protecting the leather from harsh weather conditions and making it waterproof. Leather also becomes supple and soft when treated with leather oil. 

Leather oil is comprised of several different ingredients, such as – beeswax, propolis, mink, neatsfoot, pine pitch, minerals, and natural oils. Each of these components has a specific role to play when conditioning leather boots. 

Beeswax is a natural wax that bees secrete to make honeycombs.

Propolis comes from the tree resin that bees pick when they pollinate.

Mink oil comes from the pelts of minks.

Cattle’s shinbone and feet produce Neatsfoot oil.

Pine pitch is the natural substance that generates from a pine tree’s sap. 

Mineral oil is mostly a distillate of petroleum.

Natural oils are what come from plants and animals.

10 Recommended Leather Oil for Boots 

Not sure which leather oil you should purchase? I am here to help you make that decision with a list of top oil for leather boots.

1.) Sof Sole Mink Oil 

Sof Sole Mink Oil consists of mink oil, along with a combination of glycerin and fat. It is best known for its ability to waterproof leather goods of any kind, such as boots, shoes, bags, jackets, purses, etc.

Sof Sole Mink Oil also preserves and conditions your leather by going deep into the cracks of your boots, which, in turn, increases its shelf life. It is easy to use and absorbs quickly into the leather. 

Few cons: This oil does have a reputation of darkening the color of the leather, which is not much of an issue in black boots, but on brown boots, it is more visible.

However, the color reverts to its original color after a while, making it a temporary phenomenon. The oil does have a particular odor to it, which can be putting off for a lot of people. 

2.) Obenauf’s Leather Oil

Obenauf’s Leather Oil is made from a mixture of natural preserving oil, beeswax, and propolis. This oil has waterproofing properties due to beeswax being one of its key ingredients, which also allows the leather to breathe.

Other benefits of the oil are conditioning, restoring, and preserving old and dry leather. One of the more significant advantages of this oil is its capability to minimize the break-in period of new leather boots.

We all know how a new pair of leather boots can take weeks to break-into, to be finally able to wear them without any discomfort or pain.

Applying this oil on the boots will ease the process by making the leather soft and supple, which in turn will reduce the chances of getting blisters on your feet.

The bottle comes with a dauber applicator to apply the oil easily on your boots. Apart from boots, it can be used for automotive interiors, apparel, furniture, saddles, belts, and baseball mitts. 

Few cons: There is an unpleasant smell to the oil. It is slightly expensive but won’t burn a hole in your pocket. It does darken the boots to a certain degree. 

3.) Huberd’s Shoe Oil 

Huberd’s Shoe Oil consists of components like beeswax and natural oils. It does not contain any animal fat, solvents, and additives, which makes it quite safe for leather.

However, the brand keeps its unique formula classified to maintain its reputation as being one of the oldest brands to have come up with care products for leather.

The beeswax element in the oil helps in waterproofing the leather boots. It also helps preserve and soften the leather when they are brand new, making it more comfortable for the wearer. Apart from making leather boots waterproof, it safeguards the boots from dirt and rotting as well.

This oil has been in existence since the 1920s, making it a very reliable product for years on end. They still haven’t changed their packaging to date to keep their identity intact. 

Few cons: The oil does come with a mild smokey smell. It darkens leather as the oil itself is brownish, hence, not recommended for suede and white leather.

4.) Bickmore 100% Pure Neatsfoot Oil for Boots

The Bickmore 100% Pure Neatsfoot Oil is produced from the shinbones and feet of cattle. As the name suggests, it is 100 percent pure and natural without any petroleum distillates.

It can naturally repel water, as well as moisturize, and soften the leather. Thereby making an excellent choice of oil for treating leather on a range of products. Such as shoes, boots, belts, wallets, baseball gloves, etc.

One of the more considerable advantages of the oil is that it penetrates through the pores of the leather, nourishing it from within, which in turn gives a new fresh look to the boots.

Bickmore is a trusted brand as it has been in the business of making quality products for treating leather since the late 1800s. 

Few cons: Like most oil treatments, this will also darken the color of the leather boots. This oil is not for materials like suede, nubuck, or napped leather.

5.) Red Wing Heritage All Natural Boot Oil

Red Wing is a prominent brand that makes refined and top-end safety footwear for work. They also take pride in their premium all-natural leather boot oil. It is a blend of natural components like pine pitch and mink oil without any chemicals.

The former ingredient helps in preserving the leather by keeping it hydrated and healthy. As for the latter element, it assists in waterproofing the leather.

They created this oil specifically for Red Wing footwear oil-tanned leather; however, they work wonders on leather boots of other brands as well.

It is beneficial in treating cracked and old leather by giving it a new finish, further increasing its longevity. Made in the USA, it leaves a soothing pinewood aroma.

Few cons: Again, this oil also tends to darken the color, but it does go back to its original shade over time. 

6.) Jobsite Prime Neatsfoot Oil 

Jobsite Prime Neatsfoot Oil is made of the shinbones and feet of cattle. Its essential functions are preservation, waterproofing, conditioning, and protecting leather.

Your leather boots will benefit out of it as it works on loosening the stiffness by making it more soft and supple. It also gives the leather a younger feel.

The oil also works well on leather boots that are drying out by restoring it to its original self. It is an ideal product to treat leather and vinyl boots, upholstery, furniture, shoes, purses, belt, saddles, etc. 

Few cons: One of its drawbacks is that it can permanently darken your leather products. It cannot be used on suede and nubuck leather.    

7.) Fiebing’s Golden Mink Oil 

Fiebing’s Golden Mink Oil is a product manufactured in the USA that can be used on both leather and vinyl boots.

The formula used to create this oil contains silicone, lanolin, vitamin E, and of course, mink oil. It helps to preserve, soften, and waterproof boots that are used mainly for the outdoors.

This oil also helps to prevent salt and sweat stains that can cause damage to your boots after years of use in rugged conditions. It also works on other items like shoes, baseball gloves, jackets, horse saddles, and harnesses. 

Few cons: The brand overlooks while packaging as it is not entirely airtight.

8.) Angelus Brand Prime Neatsfoot Oil 

Angelus Brand Prime Neatsfoot Oil is a fantastic option for people living in areas with high humidity. It is also ideal for the treatment of boots that are exposed to the outdoors often and used ruggedly.

The oil helps protect the leather boots against water by making them waterproof, along with preserving, softening, and lubricating the leather.

This, in turn, increases its lifespan and intercepts future cracks and drying. Another positive point is its ability to prevent the rotting of stitches and laces. It works wonderfully on a variety of items made of leather. 

Few cons: It does not darken the leather as much as other products do; however, one of its most significant disadvantages is that it cannot penetrate deep enough into the material. Not meant for suede and nappy leather.  

9.) Kiwi Mink Oil

Kiwi is a trendy brand that is known for making very reliable shoe polishes. It also makes oil for leather goods that use components like mink oil, silicone, and lanolin.

This oil helps in smoothening and conditioning leather boots for a long time after one application. It gives a healthy shine to the boots and prevents them from cracking or drying out.

Like most of the leather oils mentioned above, this also acts as a water repellent. The most significant plus point of the Kiwi Mink Oil is that it doesn’t have to be used that often on boots as one treatment is good enough for several months. Hence, making it very cost-effective. Do note that it can also be used on suede and nubuck leather.

Few cons to note: The conditioning process is a lengthy one. The package doesn’t come with an applicator.

10.) Moneysworth & Best Mink Oil 

Moneysworth & Best Quality Shoe Care produces over 750 different products, specifically for your feet and footwear. Their oil for leather boots consists of multi-refined oil of mink, lanolin, silicone, and vitamin E.

These components put together, help in waterproofing, protecting, conditioning, and softening your leather goods. It also restores natural oils of the boots that dry out after repeated usage as it can penetrate deep into the leather. 

Few cons: The absorption of oil into the leather is a slow process.

Pros and Cons of Using Boot Oil

Everything has a good side and a bad side to it and so is oiling to your to your boots!

Pros of using boot oil:

• • • Oiling your boots will bring back the moisture to the boots
    • Oiling helps to nourish the leather fibers and bring back life to dull and lifeless leather
    • Oiling softens the leather fibers
    • It makes the leather more flexible
    • It saves leather from cracking
    • It brings back new look to the leather
    • It polishes the leather
    • It brings back shine to the leather
    • Oiling helps to break-in the boots faster
    • Some oils like mink oil helps to waterproof leather as well

Cons of using boot oil:

• • • Over oiling the boots will make the leather rot in the long run by locking excess moisture within the boots
    • Oiling may darken the color of the leather boots
    • Oils clog the pores of the leather and makes them less breathable

Alternatives to Boot Oil (Natural oils)

There are definitely certain great alternatives to boot oils which are as follows:

Jojoba oil on Boots

Jojoba oil is a great alternative to neatsfoot oil and is used widely in most hair care and skin care products all round the world!

It is a chemical free solution to soften the boots and also condition them.

Pros of using jojoba oil on leather boots:

• • • Jojoba oil is chemical free
    • It softens the leather fibers
    • It acts as a protectant for the leather
    • It nourishes the leather fibers and makes them supple 
    • Jojoba oil will never turn rancid and will never rot your leather
    • It does not leave behind any greasy residue on the leather boots
    • It absorbs into the leather quite fast
    • It does not change the color of the leather boots

Cons of using jojoba oil on leather boots:

• • • It might slightly darken the leather boots
    • It is tedious to get an even application of jojoba oil on your leather boots

Extra virgin cold pressed Olive oil on Boots

Olive oil is a great alternative to neatsfoot oil and especially the extra virgin cold pressed olive oil is used in case of leather goods because it never goes rancid.

Pros of using olive oil on leather boots:

• • • Extra virgin olive oil will not darken your leather boots
    • It gives an even and smooth application on leather
    • It absorbs pretty fast into the leather
    • It nourishes the leather fibers 
    • It softens the leather and makes them supple
    • It acts as a leather protectant
    • It is cheap and easily accessible

Cons of using olive oil on leather boots:

• • • Does not a long lasting effect on leather
    • Has a bit of heavy texture

Coconut oil on Boots

Coconut oil is a very good alternative to any boot oil because it is indeed the most naturally occurring oils and does the best job in conditioning leather fibers.

Pros of using coconut oil on leather boots:

• • • Coconut oil is definitely chemical free
    • It helps to condition leather fibers
    • It brings back shine to dull and lifeless leather
    • It gives a bit of waterproofing effect to the leather
    • It is very easy to apply and the cheapest option available

Cons of using coconut oil on leather boots:

• • • It might leave a white cast on the leather
    • It is hard to apply coconut oil in the cold weather

Vegetable oil:

Vegetable oil is a light oil and can be used often to condition leather. It conditions the leather, makes it soft and returns the lustre of the leather.

Lemon essential oil:

Lemon oil works great in preventing cracks in leather and also increases the shell life of leather. The best thing is, lemon essential oil leaves behind a refreshing fragrance in the boots.

Can you over oil leather boots?

Hey! No! Stop!

Like really?

Why will you want to damage your boots with over oiling?

Over oiling your leather boots will clog the pores of the leather, lock excess moisture in the leather and might rot the leather in the long run.

Therefore, every time you apply oil to your leather boots, make sure you wipe off the excess with a soft lint free cloth!

Things to consider while buying oil for leather boots

Leather is a natural fabric and the oil that is present in leather fibers is a natural one too. Therefore, when that natural oil is lost from the leather, it is best to restore it with only natural ones:

• • • The oil should be derivative of natural fat
    • Better if it does not have petroleum base
    • The oil should not be too heavy in texture or else it might rot the leather in time
    • The oil should not leave behind a white cast on the leather
    • The oil should not solidify on the leather surface after cooling
    • The oil should not necessarily contain any smell
    • The oil should not turn rancid with time

Oils to avoid on leather boots:

Leather is not compatible with all types of oils, especially the following:

• • • Vegetable oil
    • Perfumed hair oil
    • Olive oil

Wrapping up

Leather is practically like our skin, which needs to be looked after regularly. So it is always wise to invest in a good leather oil that fulfills the needs of your leather boots. 

Always remember to clean your boots thoroughly before applying the oil on it. Use a lint-free cloth or the applicator that is provided in the package to apply the oil carefully on the boots.

Once done, wipe off the excess oil, if any, and leave it in a warm place of your house for the night to allow it to dry completely. It is advisable to apply a little in an unnoticeable area first to see if the results are satisfactory. Repeat this process minimum once a month to expand the durability and life-span of your boots.