It is mid-February. Your boots are in sad shape. They have been ridden hard and put away wet, literally. They are dirty, dry, saggy, salted, and worn. But why put up with that? Restore that 15-20% of your outfit to stylishness in just 3 minutes with Honest Kim's dirty-sounding tips.
Clean: Wipe down inside and out. Use a clean cloth dampened with some all-purpose cleaner for the inside. If stink exists, add or replace carbon stickers, like FlatLiners. For suede boots, use a dry sponge (like Skid Out) to brush the outside clean. For leather, use a leather cleaner (like Sole Glow) to clean and add moisture. Make sure to pick out any rocks from the soles, as these will damage floors as you walk. (100 seconds)
Lube: Zipper maintenance. After having to replace a zipper on my favorite boots last season and ending up with one boot that is too small for my Popeye calf, I realized the importance of zipper care. There are a lot of zipper lubricants on the market, but I use a cheap unscented tea candle on my metal zippers or a drop of oil from the Sole Glow pack. Just make sure you don't overdo application of product as too much could get on your boots and make them look worse. (24 seconds)
Use Protection: Stop worn soles. Take a look at the soles and see if there is any visible wear. Some common places for wear are on the outer edge of the heel and under the ball of the foot. Keep the wear from getting worse and warranting an expensive and lengthy trip to the shoe repair by applying Heel Seals to the worn tips and heels and a nonskid pad (we use Gripalicious) to the ball. (24 seconds)
Get Erect: Saggy boots are like saggy boobs- unsexy. Give aging boots some support by sticking Boot Stays to the inside. Just peel and stick to the areas with the most wrinkles. If the inside of the boot will not allow adhesive to adhere, you might need to be creative or break out the duct tape. (30 seconds)
All Night Long: Store boots correctly. Prevent boots from getting saggy and tired in the first place by storing them with something rigid inside, like rolled up magazines or inflatable boot shapers, which are light and compact for travel. It takes almost none of your precious time and makes a huge difference in the long run. (2 seconds)
Do you have any other tips to share? Post them here and enjoy the rest of your winter.
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