Stripping Shoe Polish

[roo_ster]

Y'all know my penchant for black leather polished boots.  Well, I need to strip several pair for various reasons.

What is the best substance/technique?

[bedlamite]

[Jamisjockey]

Shaving cream and a stiff shoe brush.  Afterwards, redye them and then build up several layers of fresh polish.

[RoadKingLarry]

Fingernail polish remover.

[Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas]

I've found rubbing alcohol (especially the 90% stuff) to be very good at that.

[Leatherneck]

Marines use lighter fluid.

TC

[Balog]

Marines use lighter fluid.

TC

And one of these.

[thebaldguy]

Use an old t-shirt and alcohol. It works pretty good.

[Waitone]

Alcohol and lighter fluid are both solvents.  Just don't over do it as both are rough on leather.

[Monkeyleg]

Solvents will dry out the leather. Use a wet rag. Use hot water if necessary. If you want to keep the leather pliable, put some Neets Foot Oil on areas where the leather gets flexed a lot (the sides by your toes, for example).

[K Frame]

My college roommate, ROTC, used mineral spirits.

[freakazoid]

There is this stuff called Leather Luster. It is used to actually make your boots look permanently polished, but there is something you have to get and put on it first to remove wax, oil, and dies called Leather Luster Pre-Cleaner http://shop.leatherluster.com/product.sc?categoryId=1&productId=1

[Larry Ashcraft]

Fingernail polish remover is acetone + perfume.  Be careful with it, acetone is hell on paints and lacquer.  (And it's much cheaper to buy a quart of acetone at Lowe's.)

Lighter fluid is VM&P naphtha.  Buy the solvent grade naphtha at Lowe's instead of the much more expensive lighter fluid.  Don't use solvent grade in your Zippo, though.  Naphtha is a great solvent, won't hurt much of anything.

[RoadKingLarry]

I should have stated the non-acetone variety of fingernail polish, much less damaging to the leather.

[Jamisjockey]

Lighterfluid and a lighter is good, but tends to dry out the leather. 
Shaving cream and a good scuz brush works effectively enough.

[roo_ster]

I have met with success.

I first used the shaving cream (cheap Barbasol) & moderately stiff brush method.  That worked well at removing the old kiwi without stripping off the finish or dye.

I let them dry out for a couple days, then...

I went after them with a quick wipe-down with acetone.  Nothing too crazy, I just wanted to be sure that whatever they came impregnated with from the factory was removed, as it caused my polish efforts on these boots to be sub-standard and to prematurely get messed up.

Dry for two days, again...

Gave them a good, generous slathering and rub-in with regualr old kiwi.  Let them completely dry and suck up the kiwi.  Then, a I went after them with a quality horsehair buffing brush.

Results:  A better polish on them than I ever got before and it has lasted longer than ever before on that pair of boots. 

I expect a shoe polish to be acceptable for about a week at my work, which consists of wracking my brain in front of a monitor.  A slight re-buff every AM and then they are good-to go for another day.

Of course, I usually rotate boots to let then dry out a day between wearings.

Thanks for all the tips.

[Doggy Daddy]

Of course, I usually rotate boots to let then dry out a day between wearings.

Ditto.  That's the secret to my feets not stinkin' any more.  Two identical pairs of work shoes.  End of day, powder the shoes I just took off, put them in the shoe rack, and put the fresh pair out for the next day.  One day of drying out time kills them odor producing little critters.

DD

[Waitone]

Rotating shoes also makes them last significantly longer.