Even though I’ve owned horses most of my life, owning cowboy boots was never on my radar. I preferred Roper’s running shoes for riding because of the heel and it was comfortable for walking in.
The only time I owned cowboy boots was when a former employer gave me her old boots. They were about half a size too small and I rarely wore them. Sore feet afterwards!
After going through a divorce I decided to change my style, and for some reason that meant adapting more to cowgirl fashion. I know. Several decades too late. I found a wonderful online shoe seller (unfortunately it closed shop and declared bankruptcy in January 2017) with free shipping, that was having a 30% off sale on purchases over $100 just after Christmas 2014. I spotted a pair of purple Justin Gypsy boots and with the good deal on the price, snapped them up.
Depending on where you buy them and the style, Justin Gypsy boots run in the $100 range, give or take a few bucks.
They’re cute, fashionable, and comfortable, even good enough to wear while walking the dogs, and I often get compliments when I’m out and about wearing them. In the beginning I was very careful where I wore them so they wouldn’t get dirty. Eventually I figured out the Gypsys were excellent foot gear when I’m riding my Suzuki Burgman. When my last pair of Roper runners wore out, I started wearing the Gypsys to the farm and now I wear them every time I’m in the saddle.
The problem with wearing boots at the farm is they quickly become dirty and mud will cake on them. That’s life in the barnyard.
That brought me to a dilemma. How do I clean my Justin Gypsy boots? I found a few sites including Youtube videos put on by Justin Boots but none seemed to show how to clean my brand of boots. Most of the instructions went to the effect of polishing the cowboy boot until it shines. My Justin Gypsy boots are aged bark with a purple suede design. They don’t shine.
Here’s how I clean my Justin Gypsy boots.
Remove the mud that has caked on around the soles.
Find soft brushes. If the mud is really bad you might need a spoon to scrape the mud, but normally shoe brushes will work fine.
Clean the sides and the bottoms to remove all dirt.
When the bulk of the mud and dirt has been removed, take a damp cloth and wipe down the boot.
Next, I use saddle soap, applied with a cloth, to clean the boot. Any type of saddle or leather soap will do the trick, but I use Fiebing’s Saddle Soap that says it will “clean and renew saddles, shoes, boots, luggage, handbags, and belts”. Apply with a wet cloth or sponge – but not to suede, which means it can’t be used on the upper portion of the boot.
You can buy saddle soap at most tack stores or places that sell horse equipment. Or you can buy it online from Amazon for around $8 for the 3.5 ounce size like I buy.
(Disclosure: if you click the Amazon link and buy, I will receive a small commission for the referral.)
I leave the boots to dry a bit, not out in the direct sun. Inside the house or in the shade is where boots should dry out.
Then I apply Horseman’s One Step, a harness cleaner and conditioner. This product cleans and conditions leather products, and protects it against mold, drying and cracking. If you want, you can skip the step with the saddle soap and just use Horseman’s One Step. This product can also be purchased at tack and horse supply stores. Or you can pick it up at Amazon.
(Again, this is an Amazon affiliate link where I’ll receive a small commission if you click and buy.)
When it’s all done, you’ll have a nice, clean pair of boots that almost look new.
As for the upper purple areas, they don’t tend to get dirty. A quick brush or rubbing with a damp cloth is sufficient. Take care of the lower sections and the Justin Gypsy boots should last a long time.
If you have any more tips on how to clean Justin Gypsy boots, leave a comment below.
[…] One day I found my way to a website called ShoeMe that sold reasonably priced shoes and boots, with free shipping. Before you go looking, they declared bankruptcy in early 2017. It was just after Christmas when I discovered them a couple of years ago and they were having a 30% off sale. Yikes maybe those sales put them under, because almost every month there was a 20 to 25% discount going on, though some brands were excluded. Even before the discount, their prices were still pretty good. I discovered a pair of cute purple Justin Gypsy boots. Check them out on my post about how to clean Justin Gypsy boots. […]
[…] I asked the female clerk and she said they looked great, doesn’t matter your age. Seeing as how I’d recently lost 15 pounds, I wanted to buy jeans that fit well and look good for going out, not just for around the horses. She pulled another pair of jeans off the shelf that are boot cut with an inseam of 30”, about the maximum I go for when buying jeans, called 314 Shaping Straight. She said once I have boots or shoes on there won’t be as much difference. And yes, I sort of know that, but sometimes this length does drag on the ground. Anyway, so far so good. They sit nicely on my Justin Gypsy boots. […]