What’s Saddle Soap? How to Not Ruin Your Leather Boots & Shoes

It’s not just for saddles, and it won’t ruin your boots — but if you use saddle soap incorrectly, it can indeed damage leather. Like fire, it can purify or destroy and must be respected, so in this guide, I’ll explain what saddle soap is, its pros and cons, and how to use it properly.

To debunk common myths and misconceptions, I reached out to professional leatherworker Weston Kay from Rose Anvil to get the facts on the alpha and omega of leather cleaners: saddle soap.

Why Trust Us? – Our Boot Care Experts

Stridewise.com brings together the leading experts in durable goods to provide helpful and balanced advice for our readers. Weston Kay, known as the “boot surgeon,” is a professional leatherworker and the brains behind Rose Anvil. His YouTube channels, with over a million subscribers, offer deep insights into leather goods and boot analysis.

We also reached out to cobbler Trenton Potter and Jason Schott from Schotts NYC to get their valuable advice. Together, we ensure Stridewise delivers the most reliable and insightful advice on durable goods.

Pros and Cons of Saddle Soap

Pros:

• Highly effective at removing ingrained dirt, stains, and grease.
• Suitable for various smooth leather goods like boots, shoes, jackets, and bags.
• Inexpensive.

Cons:

• It’s easy to permanently alter the leather’s appearance, as saddle soap can pull out the dye.
• It dries out leather, so shoes must be conditioned after use.
• Improper rinsing can leave a residue.

Saddle Soap is a Powerful Leather Cleaner

• Developed for the most hard-worn leather there is: horse saddles
• This means it was developed for practicality, not maintaining a leather’s aesthetic

As its name implies, it started as soap for cleaning saddles exposed to harsh elements. Saddles were traditionally made with extremely thick leather, but saddle soap can clean a wide range of leather items, including boots.

But you don’t want to overuse it or use it on suede or rough out leather. These are fuzzy, and the fuzz probably won’t look the same after exposure to these the harsh cleaning agents.

“It’s the quickest and easiest way to clean leather boots,” Weston says. “I learned this as a firefighter, where cleaning and conditioning boots was necessary for them to last more than one season.”

When you’ve just got a bit of dirt on your boots from a day outside, you can usually wipe them down with a towel and maybe use a gentle leather cleaner like Cobbler’s Choice, and they’ll be fine. But if grime is really caked on there, or your footwear hasn’t been cleaned in years, it might call for something stronger.

“Saddle soap is very strong and should not be used too frequently — and it’s easy to use too much,” Weston explains. “It constricts the fibers of leather and if it’s left on too long, it can remove dye and essential moisture from the leather.”

Used properly and sparingly, it is excellent for removing tough stains. Used too liberally without conditioner, it can damage your boots.

How to Use Saddle Soap: Application Tips

Clean the Leather
Start by using a brush or cloth to remove any surface debris. Then you can wipe it down with a wet cloth. This allows the saddle soap to work more effectively.

Work Up a Lather
Wet a horsehair brush or a dauber brush and rub it into the soap in a circular motion until you’ve built up a foamy lather, just like when you soap up in the tub.

Apply Saddle Soap
With a soft cloth, apply the saddle soap to individual panels of your shoe in a circular motion to create a gentle lather. Don’t cover the entire boot; it’ll be hard to wipe the whole thing off in time.

Once you’ve worked the soap into the leather, let it sit for just 5 or 10 seconds and then use another dry, clean cloth to wipe away any excess soap, leaving the leather clean but not overly saturated.

Rinse Off the Saddle Soap
Wipe the shoes down with a wet sponge or cloth to remove excess saddle soap and any residue.

Attack Stains Directly
If you’ve still got stains stuck to the leather, apply some soap to that spot and try to scratch it off with your fingernail. Wipe it down with that clean rag.

Condition
Apply a separate leather conditioner to restore the moisture and suppleness of the leather. Conditioning is crucial as it prevents the leather from drying out and cracking over time.

Dry
Allow the leather to dry naturally at room temperature for several hours. Avoid using direct heat sources like hairdryers, as these can cause the leather to become brittle and damaged. Patience is key here to ensure the leather dries evenly and thoroughly.

How Saddle Soap Works

Saddle soap is known for its powerful cleaning properties, but it also contains ingredients to help limit damage to the leather, like oils and waxes. These are common components in leather conditioners — and yet even with these moisturizing properties, saddle soap still risks drying your leather out.

So you’ll definitely want to use a conditioner to keep your leather from cracking or waterproofing spray if you want extra weather resistance.

What’s Saddle Soap Made Of?

Saddle soap gets its deep cleaning abilities from ingredients like tricyclic monocarboxylic acid rosin, which helps the soap stick to dirt and grime, making it more effective at removing tough stains. Sodium hydroxide adjusts the soap’s pH level, making it effective at cleaning without harming the leather.

Manufacturers typically add things like tallow and wax to soften the leather and lower the odds of damaging or drying out the leather.

Paraffin wax forms a protective layer on the leather’s surface to repel water and protect against moisture. Some brands add coloring to the soap, making it easier to see where you’ve applied it and for even coverage.

These ingredients work together to clean, condition, and protect your leather.

What is Saddle Soap Used For?

• Cleaning extra tough stains and buildup on smooth leather
• Not to be used on suede or roughout

While its name might suggest it’s only for saddles, it works on a variety of leather products, including boots, shoes, jackets, bags, and horse riding gear.

The key point is that it’s for use on hard worn, outdoorsy leather. It doesn’t make a lot of sense when your dress shoes or fancy opera gloves need a little sprucing up. For lighter jobs like that, you can just get a gentler and less risky leather cleaner. (We like Cobbler’s Choice.)

Also keep in mind saddle soap is not suitable for suede or roughout leather, as it can alter the texture and appearance of the fuzzy nap.

When to Use Saddle Soap

Saddle soap is ideal for heavy-duty, smooth leathers used in tough environments like work sites, firefighting, riding motorcycles, or hiking. It removes built-up dirt and oils, preserving the leather and extending its lifespan.

It’s great for fixing stained leather items as well. Not everyone knows that you can easily stain leather if you drop some oil on it — I did this myself when some chicken grease dripped on my natural horsebutt derbies. Without an astringent like saddle soap, an oil stain would be more or less permanent.

Many like to use saddle soap on old vintage leather as well, as part of a multi-step rejuvenation protocol that’s followed up with a lot of conditioning. (Resurrecting antique leather is an operation too complex to outline here, but saddle soap is usually a fixture.)

Just follow up your cleaning with conditioning to restore moisture and oils, make the leather look and feel softer and more pliable, and prevent premature cracking and splitting.

Best Saddle Soaps

OK, there’s not really a best saddle soap; they’re all made of similar stuff.

But I know there are a million brands out there and I was perplexed when I was told to buy some and had to pick a brand.

Fiebing’s Yellow Saddle Soap
Fiebing’s Yellow Saddle Soap is an easy answer when looking for the default saddle soap.

I’ve seen it break down all manner of muck and stains on footwear, and it’s what Weston at Rose Anvil uses himself.

Kiwi Saddle Soap
Kiwi’s Saddle Soap is another go-to. Pick Fiebings or Kiwi and you can be confident knowing that you’re using Saddle Soap.

Formulated with glycerin and lanolin, it effectively removes dirt, grime, and salt stains while maintaining leather’s moisture.

There are several types of saddle soap. You’ll typically find it in a paste, liquid, or bar form.

Otter Wax Saddle Soap
Otter Wax Saddle Soap is a good “in between” option for when you need an unusually deep clean. Otter Wax uses a natural Castile-based formula. It offers a gentle yet thorough clean, making it an excellent choice for those preferring natural ingredients in their leather care routine.

Even though we’re calling it gentle, be sure to follow the instructions to make sure you’re not leaving it on the leather for too long.

Saddle Soap Don’ts

The trick is to get your shoes clean without going overboard; moderation and patience are key.

Avoid Over-Saturation

“The way I like to use saddle soap is just by cleaning the very top surface of the leather and not getting the entire shoe completely drenched,” says Weston. “You’re just trying to clean the surface.”

Not for Suede or Rough-Out

Using saddle soap on these types of leather can ruin their appearance and texture. Some guys do it and it’s fine, but if you’re attached to that fuzzy and nappy kind of texture, know that it’s at risk of getting discolored or matted down.

Don’t Skip Conditioning

Always follow up with a good leather conditioner. Saddle soap can strip away necessary oils that keep leather flexible and durable.

“After using saddle soap, it’s crucial to condition your leather to replenish the oils,” recommends Weston.

Use Sparingly

Only use when absolutely necessary, as frequent use isn’t recommended due to its astringent properties. Saddle soap is very powerful but finicky. It’s best used as a last resort.

Debunking Myths and Misconceptions about Saddle Soap

The internet is a wild place, and over time, bad ideas stick. Here are some common ones.

Saddle Soap Can Clean Anything

Technically true, but again, it can be risky.

“In my experience, I just think there are other soaps better suited for some leathers,” says cobbler Trent Potter, who also makes leather sandals at Southern Polished. “I wouldn’t recommend using it on nubuck, patent, Nappa, and some other very soft exotic leathers. I prefer to use a nubuck and suede cleaner or just a soft damp cloth for these.”

Saddle Soap Can’t Damage Shoes

“I just think the potential to accidentally saturate and ruin the leathers, particularly Nappa, is always present if someone is scrubbing it with saddle soap and then not wiping it away quick enough and letting the soap begin to dry on it,” says Potter.

Don’t cover the entire surface of your shoes, and always use a good leather conditioner afterward with products like Cobbler’s Choice, Venetian Shoe Cream, or Saphir Renovateur. Some like using mink oil, just see our mink oil guide on tips for using it.

Saddle Soap is For Saddles

It’s called saddle soap because it’s effective enough for saddles, but that doesn’t mean it should be restricted to saddles.

You can use it on various smooth leathers, including footwear, bags, and furniture.

Wrapping Up

There ya go, giddy up and get cleaning. Saddle soap is strong and works great for cleaning super dirty leather goods. Just make sure to rinse it off, and don’t use it too frequently. If you want more tips and tricks to keep your stuff lasting longer, sign up for our YouTube channel.

Our Subject Matter Experts:

• Weston Kay: A professional leatherworker and founder of Rose Anvil. He’s known as a “boot surgeon” and has built a significant YouTube presence with over a million subscribers across three channels. His content focuses on leather goods and boot analysis.
• Trenton Potter: A professional shoe cobbler who co-owns Southern Polished sandals with his brother Heath. They run the YouTube channel “Trenton and Heath,” which has nearly half a million subscribers.
• Jason Schott: A 4th generation member of the Schott family, known for their iconic motorcycle jackets. Jason represents the company at industry events and is involved in developing new product lines and maintaining the family business tradition.
• Nick English: The founder and editor of Stridewise, a platform dedicated to reviewing quality casual boots, apparel, and accessories. Nick’s philosophy centers on helping people buy durable, stylish products that last a lifetime. He emphasizes independent evaluations and editorial integrity in product recommendations.

Sources

1. Weston Kay, 5 Leather Conditioners & Cleaners – (COMPARISON) – Saddle Soap, Chamberlain’s Leather Milk, Mink Oil, Rose Anvil, Oct 18, 2019
2. Trenton & Heath Potter, How To Clean & Condition Your Thursday Boot Captains (Smooth Leather), Potter & Sons,
3. Jason Schott, How to Clean Your Leather Jacket with Jason Scott, Stridewise, Jan 17, 2023