Best Boot Oils 2024 – Buying Guide

Boots, by design, are supposed to be the kind of footwear that apart from looking classy are also made to last through grueling tasks such as hiking, climbing, or other forms of physical activity. But boots are like any other material. They can wither with age, use, and through exposure to different elements of nature.

Fortunately, the longevity of boots can be increased by regular maintenance.  An essential grooming material for boots is oil. Depending on the type of boots, boot oils contain ingredients such as beeswax, mink oil, neatsfoot oil or pine patch. All these ingredients combine to remove grime from boots, condition them, provide a polished sheen, and make your boots look like you just bought them a weekend ago.

If you own a pair of boots, specifically leather ones, you too will need to give them regular cleaning and maintenance. While the act requires some discipline, it is not difficult. All you need to do is pick the right type of boot oil for your boots. Our breakdown of the best boot oils for the year 2024 is going to help you make the correct decision for the one you need to get. Read onwards to know which one’s meant for you:

As the name suggests, this product by Sof Sol contains the primary ingredient of mink oil. As far as experience  has shown, this one is incredibly popular for boot owners. For one, the Sof Sol Mink Oil not only wipes your boots clean but actually restores it to its original color. The oil exudes a pleasant odor when applied; something resembling the scent of a new car which I really am a fan of. It also imbues the leather fabric with waterproofing by covering the minuscule pores of the boot. The product is really simple to use, simply requiring you to squeeze a few drops of oil on a clean cloth and then gradually wiping them on to the leather of the boots.

You must take care not to apply it in excess because the mink oil would otherwise soften the fabric of the boot more so than you’d like. And while it is not a grave issue, some have noted that the Sof Sol Mink Oil can darken the color of your boots after a while. Though over time, the darkened shades do lighten again.

Still, the Sof Sol is the ideal all-rounder and leads the pack.

 

The Huberd Shoe Grease Company has been alive and thriving since 1929 making it a legend of the shoe-care industry. You could look at a bottle of Huberd’s Shoe Oil and the presentation will scream ‘Vintage Americana’.

Like the Saf Sol, this boot oil is an excellent cleaning product for all things leather. Huberd encourages that its products be used for maintenance of boots that are exposed to grit, grime, and are regularly worn for physically tasking activities such as hunting, camping, logging, riding, etc. The oil greatly conditions and restores worn leather to resemble its original look and imbues the fabric with waterproof coating. It also softens down leather until it is pliable to the touch. You can use the Huberd’s oil either by applying it to a cloth and wiping your boots with it, or simply splattering some on the boots and then scraping with a brush. While using the oil will darken the leather a bit, your boots will reclaim their light tone after a period of time. The oil is also skin-sensitive, safe, and made of natural ingredients.

Perhaps one downside of the oil is its slightly overpowering smokey smell that might put off some people while appeal to others. Nonetheless, the Huberd’s Shoe Oil is more popular with guys because of Huberd’s presentation and association with masculinity. If nothing else, this is definitely the boot oil your grandfather would love.

By virtue of its name, this boot-care product by Bickmore has a primary component of neatsfood oil which itself is rendered and purified from the shinbones of cattle. Neatsfood oil is a great cleaner, conditioner, softener, and natural preservative agent for all things leather. Bickmore proudly advertises this product as containing 100% pure neatsfoot oil that shuns any use of harmful petroleum distillates.

This boot oil not only cleans and conditions your boots but the neatsfoot coating also acts as a natural repellant for water and ends up protecting your boots from sogginess. The method to apply is the same. Just a quarter sized amount of oil applied to a clean cloth and wiped against your pair of boots will do the trick. Just make sure to wipe out any excess and wait for the oil to get soaked by the fabric as you apply.

Do note that the Bickmore Neatsfoot Oil really can darken your boots in a span of minutes. If that is a good thing or not, it is entirely up to your personal preferences though applying the oil excessively will result in the color of the leather being darker.

As long as you’re cautious though, this 100% pure boot oil will definitely help your worn down boots reclaim their lost complexion. One final point, this product should not be applied at all costs to boots that are composed of suede, nubuck, or napped fabric. So make sure you know what type of boots you own before you go applying it with any neatsfoot oil.

You might definitely have heard the name of Kiwi and if you haven’t then you need to address what rock it is you live under because it would be quite surprising. Kiwi has been operating since 1906 and grown to be one of the most well known shoe-polish brands around the world. Having originated from Australia, it soon grew to cater to customers in over 180 different countries.

This conditioning oil by Kiwi does a great job at what it promises to do. It cleans away dirt from the fabric of your boots and conditions it, making the leather more supple and pliant. Perhaps the best thing about Kiwi’s conditioning oil is that it can be applied to boots of practically every color and it will still not darken the fabric as much as other products on this list do. Yes, there will be slight darkening depending upon the material of the leather but the deepening of the color shade is very subtle and actually makes the boots look newer.

It’s great. Perhaps not as effective at cleaning as the aforementioned three boot oils but definitely a great all-rounder on the list.

The bottle of Obenauf’s leather oil is a beauty to behold in its matte black packaging and glimmering gold font. It seems like the ones working at Obenauf’s lovingly craft these oils with the sole purpose to restore old, stiff, and worn-down leather back to its original luster. Not simply limited to boots, this leather oil will also work on car seats, automobile interiors, belts, and other leather objects you might need to maintain.

This product is composed by mixing beeswax and propolis with other natural preserving agents. What the oil does is help maintain leather in extreme weather conditions, making it popular for those who wear work boots or engage in activities such as hiking, climbing, and camping. The Obenauf leather oil prevents dehydration and cracking on your boot’s fabric and helps the leather hold on to its oils that are necessary to keep it supple and shiny.

One drawback of the Obenauf’s leather oil is that because it is composed for leather of all kinds, it isn’t strictly a product for boots only. Yes, it works very well for touch-and-go cleaning if you need to quickly wipe your boots clean  before heading out for work. But if you need a more specialized product for maintaining your boots, try the Obenauf’s Heavy Duty Leather Conditioner.

Still though, for a day-to-day basis, this one does the trick just as well. The only downside for this boot oil is the odor. But if you need effective cleaning that does the trick, the Obenauf will surely suffice.