How do I care for leather boots?

The basics extend a boot’s life a lot for little effort: let them dry naturally and rotate pairs so leather recovers between wears, brush off dirt, condition occasionally to keep the leather from drying and cracking, and protect suede or nubuck with an appropriate spray. Use cedar shoe trees to hold shape and absorb moisture. Follow the maker’s published care guidance for the specific leather rather than a generic routine. Care is the other half of the cost-per-wear equation — a welted boot only reaches its decade if the upper survives to be resoled, and simple maintenance is what gets it there.