How can I sort out my scuffed boots?

[BelfastSmile]

I have a pair of leather boots which are really comfy but getting on a bit - see the attached photo; I’d like to remove the scuffs and scrapes but don’t know where to start.

Any tips? I am absolutely new to this kind of thing and haven’t tried anything yet (I normally wear Converse/canvas shoes, so have never dealt with leather apart from when I was at school 30 years ago and I just polished those with black shoe polish).

Brown shoe polish. Might need a few applications, or maybe try a renovating polish.

Proper shoe polish in a tin and a shoe brush. Rub the brush in the polish and brush the leather ,quite hard, reapply the polish as needed. You can keep brushing till you get a shine on the leather, or let it soak in a bit then polish off with a soft cloth. They'll look so much better!

www.frenchsoaps.co.uk/collections/wax-polish-balm-oils

Thanks! Do I need to match the exact colour of the polish, or does it sort of pick up the colour from the leather?

I use leather dye on this type of scuff - rub it in so it blends rather than just paint it on. It's inexpensive online or you can get it from an old fashioned cobbler if you have one nearby. I always have a black one in. Particularly good for handbags that get a lot of punishment.

Thank you. Do I use polish after the dye, or just dye? And do I need to match the colour, or do I just get brown and then do the whole boot to blend it in?

You will need to try and match the colour, there are several shades of brown. Hopefully you won't need to do the whole boot. Try it out somewhere inconspicuous, use it very sparingly and rub it into the scuffed bits. Don't use the brush if it comes with one. A bit of polish should blend the colour.

They surely don’t need dye! Just regular care with decent leather cream. I get this from my regular cobbler. Obviously you need a good large shoe brush and cloths, too.

https://amzn.eu/d/hI90dPD

Also, if you don’t want to pay for proper boot trees, then at least stuff them with tissue paper or torn up old t shirts or something, to keep the shape and make it easier to polish them.

If you have, or know someone who has a leather suite, they usually come with wipes and cleaning products. I use those on my leather shoes and handbags. It’s clear so it doesn’t matter what colour the leather is.

As you’re out of practice you need this too:

https://www.grenson.com/how-to-care-for-and-clean-leather-shoes

Leather cream is really good for covering scuffs. Someone once told me it contains more pigment than regular polish, and that seems to be true.

This. I rejuvenated an aged leather handbag for a friend using this product. She was thrilled with the outcome

No. The neutral one will work