Black is the new Green
A bit of History
In our modern world where most things are mass produced and disposable, bootblacking can be considered the new "green." This old term comes from the act of "blacking boots." Prior to the modern shoe polish, shoes and boots had a mixture of ash and oil, fat, wax or grease applied to provide protection to the leather. When footwear was handcrafted, no one was tossing a pair of shoes in the trash at the end of the "season."
Recycle, Reduce, Reuse
Blacking brings life back to footwear. Conditioning with oils prolongs the life of leather. Personally, most of my boots are 10-15 years old; most people would guess them to be less than a year. I love my boots; they support me in my everyday life. I push them hard and take the time to give back to them with polish and conditioning. Occasionally I need to re-sole them, but I expect they will last for decades to come.
Tips
- Purchase quality crafted boots; spend the extra cash.
- Avoid synthetics: in polish and conditioner, as well as materials of boots.
- Spit shine: you really do spit (more like a mist), avoid drinking anything acidic (coffee, soda etc).
- Polish on your hands? Use Huberd's Shoe Grease to remove it (and moisturize your hands at the same time). Then use hand or dish soap to remove the rest.