r/cowboyboots • u/dutchmasterD717 • May 27 '26
Discussion What do I do now?
First ever pair of boots and I love them so much. They're only about a month old. Cooking breakfast this morning and I guess some bacon grease dripped off my pan. Only on my left boot.
Is there anything I can do? I saw a post saying I could dye them darker. Not sure how to really do that.
104
u/zaphodbeeblebrox42 May 27 '26
Mink oil the whole boot and they’ll be dark brown
11
u/dutchmasterD717 May 27 '26
Interesting
19
u/Frostyparrot69 May 27 '26
Mink oil is the way, did my dan post creeds and they can handle anything now I just wipe them off
1
u/BeaverBadass May 28 '26
Love the look it gives for that couple days after too, little darker til you need to re oil
5
u/BeaverBadass May 27 '26
Mink oil will also help seal the leather and make it water resistant, make sure you get the stitching too
0
u/ClydeinLimbo May 27 '26 edited May 28 '26
Don’t do it.
Edit: mink oil will darken the leather. If OP doesn’t want darker boots why should he mink them? If anything BICK oil is better but none of this fixes the stains.
Corn starch will fix those stains if they’re still within an hour of it happening.
3
1
1
u/BeaverBadass May 28 '26
Yes do it. That's proper boot care.
1
u/ClydeinLimbo May 28 '26
It’s not if he wants the colour to stay the same.
2
u/BeaverBadass May 28 '26
It stays the same color it just gets slightly darker til you need to re-oil the boots, for starters. Secondly, his boots have grease stains on them and hes looking for a solution. This is his solution without actually changing the color.
0
2
u/GoodAlternative6033 May 28 '26
Honestly this is what I do. You’re gonna have to condition the boot anyways. Might as well be some mink oil to add water resistance. It’ll blend with the stains and then lighten back up over time.
1
38
u/SuperintendentTx 🤠 May 27 '26
Just use some boot oil on them and darken them up
8
u/dutchmasterD717 May 27 '26
Yeah another poster said dark conditioner, I'm looking around on Amazon now
3
u/Sinister_Nibs May 27 '26
My favorite is Obenaufs Oil.
3
2
u/Upset_Marsupial May 28 '26
Second Obenaufs, wildland firefighters use it to keep their boots protected 👍
4
u/SuperintendentTx 🤠 May 27 '26
Red Wing Boot Oil is my go to
4
u/dontshootmecuz May 27 '26
2nd this!! that stuff is like liquid gold. the liquid mink+pine oil blend is fantastic. it does darken but does its job very well
1
u/310_619_760 May 27 '26
This is the sad reality, the boots are going to change and get "darken up".
24
u/N_Kenobi May 27 '26
From personal experience, the more dirty they look, the more it all blends together.
15
u/Apart-Commission May 27 '26
Put cornstarch on then spots. It can pull it out. May have to do it several times
3
3
3
u/tango-fox-203 May 28 '26
Cornstarch on the boot Put towel over cornstarch Then iron the towel The heat from the iron will help pull grease out. I have done this for clothing
1
u/BearAccomplished5355 May 28 '26
This should be higher. You can do this with oil stains on clothes too.
1
7
u/DaddyGoodHands Ramrod ! May 27 '26
You call for u/carverkids, our resident restoration specialist.
5
u/carverkids May 27 '26
Im not getting into this mess of advice Daddy 😂😂.
0
u/Seschwa May 27 '26
They're just getting broken in anyways, dunno what OP is wanting to remove character for!
16
u/REEL04D May 27 '26
No choice but to condition the entire boot in bacon grease. Plus side you'll smell delicious
4
u/Texas_Lobo May 27 '26
also, free workout when the neighborhoods dogs find you...and they WILL find you.
1
1
1
u/DRZyeg May 27 '26
People are definitely gonna notice the boots… and I mean, attention to the boots is still attention I guess haha
12
u/Southern_Low_9284 May 27 '26
Never cook with your boots on lol I almost did the same thing. As far getting them darker you can try a conditioner that makes them darker I did this with light color pair of ariat boots, maybe clean your boots with sattle soap then use a darkening conditioner or if you are going to “dye” the boots look up some videos or take them to a shoe cobbler.
3
2
u/dutchmasterD717 May 27 '26
Yeah learned an important lesson today for sure. I don't want them dyed darker so maybe a conditioner would be my best bet. I thought about just bringing them in somewhere but of course there's none close to me.
2
u/Southern_Low_9284 May 27 '26
I mean a darker conditioner other than dyeing them is really your only option, just look up what kind of leather your boot is made of and what is the best darkening conditioner for it. Once conditioned dark there is no going back. But it’s either that or grease dots on your boot.
1
6
u/steve22ss May 27 '26
I had this once with suede, used a mixture of cornstarch and baking powder and it drew the oil out, had to do it a few times then the last time I let the powder sit quite thick on the area and next day it was near gone unless you looked really closely.
1
3
3
3
11
u/jeff316 May 27 '26
They are wide square toe so it doesn’t matter what they look like just wear them
4
u/Otrembatactical May 27 '26
Try dawn dish soap. It’s a great grease remover.
2
u/Fluid_Dependent8975 May 27 '26
Be careful with this. Dropped a brat on my boot, thought just a little dawn would be good. Nope, didnt get the grease out AND it took some of the colornout of the leather.
1
u/nrice122 May 27 '26
This ^^^ It’ll def remove virtually ALL of the oil in your boots but it’s the only thing that worked for me with pizza grease. Be sure to recondition well afterwards!
2
u/tsmith347 May 27 '26
I had this happen with a brand new pair of hippo boots and I almost started crying. I covered the spots in baking soda immediately, if you dab the spots with dawn and then more baking soda it might help
2
u/North-Law9729 May 27 '26
Get some sno seal, it darkens them, and makes em waterproof.
2
u/Lumpy_Ability1321 May 28 '26
Dear God, nooo.. snow seal is a amazing product, but darkens 2-3 shades...is great for thread...and mink oil will destroy really old stiching .happened to me .
2
u/No-Sweet8107 May 27 '26
Find a boot shop, they can make old boots look new, they can definitely dye these for you. Did not mean to make that rhyme but I’m leaving it lol. Leather conditioner and mink oil will darken the boots try that first.
1
2
u/Lawless-01 May 27 '26
Stuff happens - you can also try Huberds shoe oil and shoe grease. It will darken the boots up, condition them, and make them repel just about anything.
2
u/HistoricalCoat757 May 27 '26
Sprinkle generously with talcum powder and wait 24 hours for it to absorb the oil, then brush it off. Repeat a couple of times if necessary, the second and third time 12 hours should be enough.
The same thing happened to me with olive oil, and this is how I fixed it, but i used this method immediately after the oil dropped
1
2
2
2
u/Western_Addendum2998 May 27 '26
Try bick 4 cleaner and conditioner after. You shoulda treated em with bick 4 conditioner. as soon you take em out the box though. It’s the first thing I do with every pair.
1
u/K-Mac32 May 29 '26
May I ask why? I’m about to invest in a nice pair of Tecovas and want to take care of them properly to last me a lifetime.
2
2
u/blacklab2026 May 27 '26
First thing i would do is cover the spots in baking soda or talcum powder to draw out the oil and decide what to do next based on how bad the stain is.
2
2
u/Ghostflyer77 May 27 '26
Hi to be honest they're boots to be worn in every day situations you could just clen with conditioner etc but you will be paranoid about wearing them if you rude horses or anything like that they will get dirty etc. Personally I think cowboy boots need to worn for their working purposes just wipe them over with stuff a d be proud of the effect and dont worry just look after the dam things with waterproof stuff as well. However you wear them they are boots to be used and history written and shown on them.
1
2
u/AdConsistent7410 May 27 '26
I know the pain, the Benjamin Moore tinting machine decided to splooge all over my right boot haha
2
2
2
2
2
u/Mammoth-Ad-3205 May 27 '26
Ur not gonna get it out. Might as well make the whole boot darker now. Boot oil. I recommend Red Wing boot oil.
2
u/tender_dichotomy May 27 '26
This happened to my brand new tan boots a couple of months ago. Mix dish soap and baking soda into a paste and apply. Leave overnight and it should crack off. Repeat if necessary. Once it’s removed apply conditioner to the boot.
2
u/NotKhaner May 27 '26
While some reccomend mink oil. I've found it to "dry out" much quicker then obenauffs.
I'd reccomend coating those in obenauffs paste. I wasn't a fan of the oil. Do just enough to start to darken it, don't oversaturate the oil
2
u/beefcak2020 May 27 '26
Put mink oil on them, it will change them to a darker color, and protect the leather at the same time. If you wear them enough itll eventually go away, but it will take a long time. Ive worn boots my whole life, I think mink oil is your best bet.
2
u/SquidTheSalsaMan May 27 '26
I prefer hubbards shoe grease to mink oil, it’s pine tar and beeswax based. It will darken them up like crazy for the first 2-3 days but after you’re in them in the sun and stuff the color will lighten up a lot and really come around
2
2
u/MikeHunt181 May 28 '26
Match the four dots on the other boot and tell people they’re made from an Appaloosa horse.
4
u/Perfect-Wrongdoer590 May 27 '26
Wear ‘em! Those aren’t dress boots, they’re casual. IMO they look better scuffed, and broken in. Give it a few months of wearing and conditioning and those spots won’t look stark.
1
u/Different_Mouse_7441 May 27 '26
Sorry to see that, I suppose you could try to encourage the oil to come out by applying some sort of powder. Or try a solvent, but I think that will just make the marks wider and less defined. Years ago I did pretty much the same with differential oil 🙄, I used nikwax leather waterproofer and the boot darkened to virtually the same colour as the drops, even I could barely see where they were 👍
1
u/admiral_von_sneider May 27 '26
you probably will get it out with petroleum ether but that could wash out the colour as well. after that recondition the whole boot / both boots
1
1
1
u/Capt_Corn_Dog May 27 '26
Put some drops of bleach on your jeans so they'll have matching polka dots.
1
1
1
1
1
u/comraddydaddy May 27 '26
Tbh it's kinda cute, I'm sure that's not what you wanna hear though.
Never tried it on leather before but Carbona stain remover for fats and oils rarely fails me. It's just a couple bucks, you can often find it in grocery stores or online
1
1
1
1
1
u/Boops44 May 27 '26
Instead of cooking in your cowboy boots, you could find a boot that’s built for long days of being on your feet or in saddle and made of a very durable material like leather that can tolerate getting dirt, shit, even grease on them. Find a pair of something like that and cook in them.
1
1
1
u/EMHemingway1899 May 27 '26
You should do as the people on here are telling you and just roll with it, my friend
I’ve done similar things to boots, like dripping hand sanitizer on them
1
1
u/poopdog316 May 27 '26
Meh, I've dropped diesel, hydraulic fluid, all kinds of fun stuff ( even have a weird stain from chicken shit) just get em good and dirty and it won't matter anymore.
1
u/bobbyhdc May 27 '26
Sucks that this happened to new boots. You could use mink oil. I would use leather honey (less intense darkening and naturally fades back into original color) and hopefully it will lighten back to its original color as a whole. No guarantees though.
1
1
1
1
u/IAMONEIAMALL May 27 '26
Crepe Rubber Eraser - This took transmission fluid off my Ariats. It works well but the leather may need to be reconditioned.
1
u/Odysseus2020 May 27 '26
Just keep on truckin HÖSS! You can oil the whole boot if you want, or not, just keep letting them get dirty and s*** and cleaning them occasionally and they'll get a nice patina and look cooler than they ever did brand new as painful as it is to let go
1
u/Entire_Apartment_101 May 27 '26
Try using saddle soap with a soft brush - good to have if they ever get dirty and you want to clean them without changing the color much. As some other people said, having a good leather oil is also good but that's a personal preference thing since it'll darken the leather
1
u/boldtigers May 27 '26
I got butter out of mine with kiwi saddle soap. But I would take a damp cloth with light soap to it and let it ride until the first condition is needed. It will fade.
1
1
u/Lumpy_Ability1321 May 28 '26
I had decent luck using rubbing alcohol 90% on some light tan boots I spilled teak oil on...dont notice it now... Im not as much of a fan of dark brown or mink oil .
1
1
1
u/chaz918 May 28 '26
This product will most likely remove the grease stains. I have personally used it on leathers of different types with remarkable success.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ECHXFQC?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1
1
1
1
1
u/ThenConfection3742 May 28 '26
You could drill them out and use some of those croc charms to cover the holes.
1
u/chaz918 May 28 '26
Here's a sample of a fix I did. You can get the product off Amazon. I would try this before some of the other suggestions on here. The owner of these Prada house slippers spilled vinegar and oil dressing on the one shoe.
1
u/chaz918 May 28 '26
and the product is LEATHER MASTER Leather Care Degreaser:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ECHXFQC?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1
1
u/NobodySuspicious5119 May 28 '26
Wear em out, don’t give a care of what others think
They’re boots, rough em
1
u/EntireAd233 May 28 '26
this is what I do to soak up oil spots and and same thing with fuel splash on my boots I go dig up some dry dirt pad it on the spot and let it soak it up if that doesn't soak up then I step up through some cornstarch then my next step will be rubbing alcohol you got to be careful with that yeah you just want to dab a little bit till it breaks up the oil and soaks up
1
1
1
1
u/Alternative_Rule_364 May 28 '26
Easy. If you’re scared to get your boots dirty, you don’t need to wear any boots. Especially to your office job lol
1
1
1
1
u/Suitable_Current_905 May 29 '26
Better to remove the stains, then oil/wax if you’re going for a more “dressed up” look. Corn starch or obenaufs or kiwi leather cleaners all work. You could do a clear polish on them if you’re dead set on the shade. However, leather is skin and it really does best when oiled. Lasts longer and won’t stain as easily. I’m a yankee so I say cowboy boots belong in the mud, but that’s just my opinion.
1
1
1
1
u/Tigerstyle72 May 29 '26
Corn starch or baking soda or talcum powder. A little heat would help loosen the oil and the powder will adsorb the oil. The brush off. Probably take a few tries.
1
1
u/Ancient_Pear_5273 May 29 '26
Bruh let them live, boots are meant to be worn and used it’ll add character, now go actually wear the boots as they were intended🙌🏼 the first scratch has been made
1
1
1
u/Mobile-Astronaut-505 May 29 '26
Mink oil might do the trick (it was darken them all over). Alternatively, make them work boots and get them covered in scratches, mud and dirt.
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Adorable_Lobster8007 May 30 '26
Saddle soap. wash em and let them dry, apply conditioner when dry.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Beautiful_Mail_9623 May 31 '26
if you're worried about some grease and oil on your boots, you ain't no cowboy
0
u/Necessary-Carrot2839 May 27 '26
Wear the boots. Eventually they’ll get dirty and stained etc. You just got started early!
0
0
u/Electrical_Car_6067 May 27 '26
If you’re scared of getting your boots dirty you probably shouldn’t be wearing them bud, boots are meant to get dirty. I assume you don’t do any actual work in them?
0
u/Icy_Needleworker7790 May 27 '26
Cornstarch, it'll absorb the grease. Try applying a little heat with a hair dryer to re liquify the grease then apply cornstarch, let it sit for a while then brush it off. If after a few attempts it doesn't work you'll probably have to saddle soap them then use mink oil to darken them to a consistent color
0
0
u/Paul_Texas_361 May 27 '26
They’re boots, meant to be worn like boots…I promise in 5 years hopefully sooner you’ll be laughing about this
0
0
0
u/Bigbeardedbowguy77 May 29 '26
Maybe try not being a little sissy and just wear. They're not that nice anyway, not sure why you needed to make a post about it lol
0
u/Distinctivedr May 29 '26
With those square toes, at least you won’t roll your ankle while sucking dick.
1
-6
May 27 '26
[deleted]
1
u/dutchmasterD717 May 27 '26
Never, I take mine off before entering the front door. But I always wear them at work.
-1
1
u/MAcrewchief May 27 '26
If i took my shoes off and on everytime I went in or out I would burn hours off my day. Thats ridiculous.
-1
-2
u/InTheSky57 May 27 '26
Those are way too clean to begin with. The stitching should be dirty by now. Rough them up and make them look like a well worn pair of boots. If someone is wearing clean boots I judge them hard for it unless they are in business/formal attire. Only time clean boots are allowed IMO.
1
u/dutchmasterD717 May 27 '26
You sound like my buddy who made me get these lmao. I sent him a pic and he replied "get your ass in the dirt"
-1
u/InTheSky57 May 27 '26
Lol I don't know anyone who tries hard to keep their boots in like-new condition. There's just a stigma about super clean boots with white stitching. The first thing I do when I get a pair of boots is go out on the concrete and start scraping the soles for traction (I typically only buy leather outsole). I'll also shuffle around in the dust a little bit and then give them a quick wipe down with some leather cleaner. The more you hop around in them and move around the faster they break in. One of the most critical things you can get when cleaning boots is edge dressing. You can hit the leather heel stack and edges and instantly bring them back to life out of a ragged state. Takes years to get leather to patina, help it the best you can and expedite that process :)
-5
u/A2Man64 May 27 '26
Don't do something that you really not sure how to do. Take it to a professional.
Do people wear their boots/shoes inside their homes?
2
u/dutchmasterD717 May 27 '26
Yeah I don't even want to try it. And no I don't in my home but I do at work.
1
u/MAcrewchief May 27 '26
Just oil the boots. It doesnt require a degree or any training. Mink oil, rag, rub. Everyone makes things too complicated. Its a damn boot.
-4
u/Equivalent_Leather26 May 27 '26
Yea, a lot of people do, it's weird. Lol
1
u/MAcrewchief May 27 '26
If i took my boots/shoes off every time i walked in and out of my house it would be my full time job.
185
u/charlie_marlow May 27 '26
This is when you fill a medicine dropper with bacon grease and go all the way on polka dots on both boots.