Whenever i clean and polish my cleats the leather doesn't get any softer. I use chelsea leather food on my supernovas and it leaves a white residue on the leather and the leather doesn't get soft. Any tips? Also I would like to know some ways in which i could wash my goalkeeper gloves without ruining the grip. Any ideas?
The key for me was always treating the boot immediately after using it. Remove all of the dirt that can lock in moisture immediately with a brush. Don't try to dry the boot quickly as this will crack the leather even more. Do put some type of insert into the shoe to let it keep its form while drying. Wet boots tend to dry flat, because the leather is especially soft. So if there are no inserts in the shoe, the leather at the laces will actually sag to the insole. The puts stress on the leather on the outside, because it stretches a bit more and the leather becomes brittle around the edge of the shoe. Just make sure the inserts aren't very tall (from insole to the top of your foot) because this will stretch the leather the other way. Most inserts for regular shoes are too tall. You want something more flat. After it was sufficiently dry I used mink oil. I don't know if the stuff is still around or not. I think the chemical treatment is a little overrated anyway. Just like any nice leather shoe, the shelf life isn't going to be high when the leather is repeatedly exposed to moisture and then dries, so it's an uphill battle regardless. As for the gloves, I'd just be wary of putting anything strong on them. A little water and if necessary a MILD detergent (a little ivory soap and water). I don't know for sure but I assume the compound on the gloves is chemically sensitive, so you don't want to use something harsh or abrasive that would compromise the surface of the glove. I didn't say anything earth shattering, but I hope it helps.
For your gloves just wash them out tin the sink. Rub the latex with your fingers to get the dirt out. Check out this thread on Keeperzone...: http://www.michaelseufer.com/kzforums/viewtopic.php?t=810
- I wash mine in the shower along with myself. Most people say thats a bad idea, but it has always worked well with all my gloves, so I keep doing it.