One day you realize that your cowboy boots are old and you no longer recognize the color that was once so impressive.
You suddenly have an intention, “Why don’t I make my cowboy boots darker?” This way, you can restore its cool appearance, the look that once took over your heart.
So, you turn on your phone and search for “How can I darken my cowboy boots?”. You see From The Guest Room, right here, in this post.
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How can I Darken my Cowboy Boots?
We will guide you through 3 steps and 6 most basic methods for darkening cowboy boots.
However, most cowboy boots are made from leather or suede, so we will show you how to darken both leather and suede cowboy boots.
The ways to darken leather and suede cowboy boots will have many similarities and differences. You should pay attention to this!
Step 1: Make sure your cowboy boots are clean
Before implementing the cowboy boot darkening methods, you need to make sure your cowboy boots are dry and clean. This will make it easier for you to take care of them.
The methods for cleaning leather cowboy boots and suede cowboy boots are also different. You should note!
Clean leather cowboy boots
Get a rag, leather cleaner, horsehair brush and possibly a spray of warm water.
First, use a rag to remove large and visible stains on the surface of cowboy boots.
Then spray a thin layer of warm water and apply the leather cleaner to their surface.
Use the horsehair brush to scrub the welt, seam, nooks and crannies of cowboy boots.
Finally, spray a thin layer of water on the surface of cowboy boots and use a clean rag to remove all stains and excess leather cleaner.
Clean suede cowboy boots
Get a dedicated suede brush, a dedicated eraser and a suede cleaner. That’s all.
If there is mud on suede cowboy boots, remove it while the mud is dry. Don’t let the mud get wet or it just makes your suede boots even dirtier.
Now, use the suede brush to scrub thoroughly the surface of the boots, paying attention to the nooks and crannies of the boots.
After cowboy boots are pretty clean, use a specialized eraser to remove bad colors on the suede surface caused by mud.
Use an eraser to thoroughly scrub seams, welt and areas where the muddy color appears.
Then apply the suede cleaner by using the suede brush to scrub the surface of the cowboy boots.
Then continue using the eraser to clean. Repeat applying the suede cleaner and scrub until you see the boots are clean.
Step 2: Choose the suitable methods to darken your cowboy boots
There are many ways to make cowboy boots darken. We will guide you and make it clear whether each method can apply to both leather and suede cowboy boots or just one of them.
Method 1: Dye cowboy boots
This is the most effective method to darken cowboy boots, choose a bottle of the dark dye you want and dye your cowboy boots.
This method will probably take your time but can give good results. It is one of the most effective ways to revitalize cowboy boots.
You can completely dye both cowboy boots made of leather and suede. Just prepare boot dye kits and follow our instructions here!
Besides, covering your cowboy boots with a new coat of dye will make you feel like you have a new pair of boots.
Method 2: Use conditioner
The fact that the conditioner darkens cowboy boots can make many people angry, but in this case, it sounds like a good thing. It is just what you need!
You can go to e-commerce sites and search for conditioner products that make many people “unhappy” by making their cowboy boots darken, then grab these products home.
In addition to the effect of darkening cowboy boots, the conditioner also helps cowboy boots to keep the color longer, softer, more comfortable, durable, and conceal small scratches…
Whether or not you want to make cowboy boots darken, every cowboy should have a conditioner in the house though.
After cleaning, apply a thin layer of conditioner to the surface of the cowboy boots. This method can be used for both leather and suede cowboy boots.
Incidentally, we also have instructions on how to condition cowboy boots here!
However, this method also has the disadvantage that the dark tone of cowboy boots will not last too long, but only temporarily.
Although leather conditioners can make the color of boots richer and darker, in reality, this dark color will fade over time.
Method 3: Use polish
The next way to darken cowboy boots is to polish them, as the polish has colors in its ingredients.
Choose a dark polish and polish your cowboy boots. Just cover them with new coats, and they’ll be darkened!
However, you should note that this method is only applicable to leather cowboy boots. Don’t ever polish your suede cowboy boots!
Polishing is one of the 3 basic methods to care for cowboy boots made of leather. It can help cowboy boots to recover color, resist water, dust… and make them darker if you want.
We have tutorials on how to polish cowboy boots here!
Method 4: Use oil – mink oil, neatsfoot, blends oil
Some oil products are processed and manufactured to serve leather care such as mink oil, neatsfoot, oil blend. It can be said that these oils are not much different from the conditioner.
Among these oils, mink oil and neatsfoot oil are very common oils used to produce cowboy boot conditioners. Some of these conditioners are used for leather, while others can be used for both suede and leather. You should read the instructions carefully before buying.
The way these oils work is the same as a conditioner. Just after cleaning the boots, coat the surface of the boots with mink oil or neatsfoot oil with a clean rag.
Besides, there is an oil specially designed to darken cowboy boots: the oil blend – also called leather darkening oil.
This is a special oil to darken leather with the same usage as mink oil and neatsfoot. This is the oil you’re looking for.
Method 5: Use black leather recoloring balm
Some black cowboy boots used for a long time will go pale, and that’s when you need a Black Leather Recoloring Balm to darken your cowboy boots.
The method is also very simple. Clean the cowboy boots, apply Black Leather Recoloring Balm to a clean and dry rag, then rub thoroughly and evenly on the cowboy boot surface.
You can check out our tutorial on how to polish cowboy boots and the same method for this product.
In addition, this product also helps condition cowboy boots, making them more durable, resistant to stains.
It’s done.
Method 6: Use household items such as vegetable oil, animal oil, vaseline, …
In addition to the methods of using specialized products above, you can also take advantage of some household items available in your home to darken your cowboy boots.
However, we do not encourage you to use household items too often as non-leather (or suede) products may damage the quality of cowboy boots in the long run.
You can use some animal oil, vegetable oil, or vaseline to darken leather cowboy boots.
For vegetable oils, you can use olive oil and coconut oil. In addition to darkening your leather cowboy boots, these oils can help the leather shine for a certain time.
For animal oil, it’s best to use mink oil. You can rest assured that mink oil is one of the specialized products that can darken your cowboy boots while maintaining their quality.
Moreover, vaseline might also make your cowboy boots darken. For your information, vaseline when used to polish brown cowboy boots for a long time can make them darker.
In general, the implementation of this household method is still very simple: pick the product you like from the above and apply it to the clean and dry rag, then rub and spread evenly on the surface of leather cowboy boots. Just like you are using shoe polish.
Step 3: Dry your cowboy boots
After you’ve darkened your cowboy boots, don’t forget to keep them dry.
Your cowboy boots need some time off to move through the darker state. There are darkening methods that will have to wait quite a long time.
Using a boot tree or boot dryer is essential to keep your cowboy boots dry after every caring process.
One of the reasons why cowboy boots lose their black color and become pale is because they are wet for a long time, which gradually damages leather and color.
Conclusion
To sum it up, you can use the following methods to darken cowboy boots: use conditioner, shoe polish, dye, or household items like animal oil, vegetable oil, vaseline,…
The steps to make cowboy boots darken are simple: make sure they stay clean, then coat them with a conditioner (or shoe polish, oil, leather recoloring balm, leather darken oil, vaseline…) and finally keep them dry. Then wait for them to change color.
However, with some methods like using a household item or conditioner, you may have to wait a certain time to see results.
In our opinion, the most effective methods are dyeing, using shoe polish, leather darken oil or leather recoloring balm. It may take time to do this, but you can get the results quickly with the even color of your boots.
Good luck!
Howdy y’all, and welcome to From The Guest Room, your ultimate guide to all things Western! I’m Jay Gatz, a lifelong cowboy boot enthusiast with over 5 years of experience in the Western style world. I’m excited to share my knowledge with you and help you discover the perfect cowboy boots and western gear to elevate your style. Let’s explore the rich history and timeless appeal of Western fashion together!