Leather is a natural material obtained from the skin of certain animals. At Krono Polo, we always work with the best cowhide and buffalo leather for polo boots, as well as crocodile leather for some belt references. The leather, once treated by tanning, is used for the manufacture of products, clothing items and objects. The quality of the leather depends not only on the way it was transformed and tanned in the workshops, but more importantly, the quality and type of life the animal had while it was breathing.
Leather's properties of strength, flexibility and breathability make it a great raw material for making shoes and of course polo boots.
Today we want to show you a series of useful and simple tips to take care of the leather of your polo boots, so that they are more comfortable and last as long as possible in good condition. The steps you should follow are:
1- Cleaning the leather
Leather is a skin and therefore has pores through which it breathes. The first thing to do is to clean those pores. Glycerine soap is ideal for this task. You can find it on the market in bar and liquid form. This soap is applied with a damp sponge, but without excess liquid. We must remove all traces of dust, dirt and old grease, in this way the leather is clean and we prevent the polo boots from drying out, allowing them to retain their soft and elastic texture thanks to the glycerine.
This procedure of cleaning with soap should be done at least once a month. Once the boot is well dried, it is advisable to apply a grease that moisturises, nourishes and preserves the polo boots longer in their original state. You can find these types of cleaning products in a place that specialises in leather goods.
2- Things to avoid at all costs
Please, never get your polo boots wet. Water, humidity, mud, manure, excessive heat, are agents that will literally RUIN your polo boots, and in general, any leather article. For this reason, avoid getting your polo boots wet as much as possible.
Moisture causes the leather of polo boots to become stiff and dry. This is because it clogs the natural pores of the leather, accelerating the process of losing all its properties of flexibility and resistance. The leather ends up cracking and breaking.
Avoid bathing the horse with polo boots, take the precaution of taking them off beforehand. Try to use non-leather shoes to preserve them in any case.
Avoid stepping in mud and manure. Mud absorbs moisture and fine dust clogs the pores. Manure, in addition to moisture, contains acids that damage the leather.
3- How to store polo boots
That is precisely what polo boots are for: to practice polo. That is why it is impossible not to be in contact with humidity, mud or manure. When you finish playing a pair of chukkas, whether it is a tournament or just a practice, it is recommended to do the following:
- Remove from the sole any traces of dirt such as mud or manure that the polo boot may have.
- Brush them with a brush or, if necessary, a damp cloth to remove the dust. Clean especially the zip part of the boot so that it doesn't get stuck.
- Put some lasts in them to keep them upright, as the ankle area usually gets wrinkles that can be very annoying for you, especially if the leather is stiff.
- Store them completely dry, in a place without humidity, upright and protected from dust.
- To transport them, we recommend a special bag for this type of footwear. We recommend the Krono Polo, polo bag.
4- Custom-made or personalised boots
Polo boots should be high and tight fitting. This is not only for aesthetic reasons. Short polo boots do not protect you from the constant rubbing of the inner and upper leg against the saddle, just below the knee, and you can get a burn from friction.
A wide boot tends to pull down too much and is too short. In addition, a lot of wrinkles form in the ankle area which can rub and bother you and the boot is very likely to get damaged and end up breaking in that area.
At Krono Polo we create custom polo boots to suit your specific needs. Many people find polo boots that fit perfectly within the standard size, but if this is not the case, it is necessary to use custom boots, fortunately in Krono Polo we are specialists in creating this type of footwear.
Order through our website our polo boots at www.kronopolo.com