I just bought some nice leather boots. How can I keep them nice without changing the color?

Oil is overkill I think. It softens the leather too much.

I use Aqueous Wax (the brand is Nikwax). It will darken the leather a little, you would have to test it on an inconspicuous spot to see if the change was acceptable or not.

The Specialist: How to Make Your Boots Last…the Seattle-based cobbler has revived thousands of pairs of shredded kicks in his 40 years on the job..he recommends applying one annual light layer of a waterproofing product, such as Nikwax or Granger’s….Backpacker Magazine

Look into the Coach products for leather care. I have had success with them.

Doc Marten’s makes some good care stuff too. I tend to use some sort of oil/wax combo product.

Esquire Boot Polish in a neutral color is all you need. I have applied this boot polish to about 12 pairs of police boots in 44 years, with great success.

The trick with keeping your boots and shoes nice is to shine them once a month. Don’t wait until the start getting scruffed up to take care of them; that’s too late. Keep in in mind that the boot polish or wax is a protectant; it only works if it’s on the leather.

1. Wear them indoors only.
2. Keep them in the box.

Personally, I prefer the look of leather that has worn a bit, and worn well. I like my leather like I like my women, soft, supple, brown and… um… leathery.

Saddle Soap…

saddle soap or lexol
@boffin sorry missed it