Clean, Oil, and Store the Soccer Boots

Referees need shoes that glisten and players want shoes that respond.  For this reason How To Soccer prefers leather shoes for game conditions. Leather responds to the shape of the foot and allows for the foot to feel the ball like a second skin.

Synthetic materials remove the ethical barrier of harvesting animals for sport, yet plastic is far from an ethical choice when choosing replacement shoe material.  Synthetic materials are lightweight and host player feedback technology in the shoe. 

But before shoes had a chip, the very best had an upper made from kangaroo leather--hence, the ethical dilemma.  Players bought their shoes a half size too small, then wore them in the bathtub with soccer socks to give them a good soaking.  The leather responds to the shape of the foot, and the balltouch is amazing.

These are the tools to take care of your shoes, and the following videos will walk you through the process to clean and oil your soccer boots.

Here is the Setup--We see a tool common to a farrier on the left, along with a stiff brush above it.  These are for removing dirt on the bottom and the softer upper of the shoe.

Then there is a tub for water at the top of the screen, Saddle Soap and a soft brush, a towel, and Mink Oil (in the video).

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Here is Step 1--Dirt Removal with pick and stiff brush.  The flip side of the pick has a black brush which is used on the bottom of shoes for encrusted mud that the pick can't reach.  The brown stiff brush is used only on the shoe upper.

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Step 2 involves Leather soap--I will use this even on shoes with an artificial upper-- along with water and a soft brush...

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Step 3 happens when the shoes are a bit damp from the soap treatment.  Apply Mink Oil and work it in as you move around the upper of the shoe. Then go back and remove excess.

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Step 4: Stuff the shoes with newspaper allowing air to breathe. If the shoes are wet, this newspaper will have to be changed daily for a day or two until the shoes are completely dry.

 Do not store wet soccer shoes.

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Keeping a Shoe Care Kit is quite handy.