White coating worn off favourite boots - can they be re-finished?

[DebinOz]

I have a beloved pair of semi custom Jackson competitors that are still structurally good, but the white coating on the leather is wearing off at pressure points, on the tongue, and cracking over the ankles. Is there any way of re-finishing them?

[AlbaNY]

You can buy white leather paint (Angelus is one brand,) lightly sand them, and apply it according to the direction.  I don't know how well it holds up though.

[Loops]

Back in the day (80's) we used to polish our boots frequently- before every test and every competition.

Skates are now made with different materials than they were all those years ago, so I don't know how well they take polish. And to be honest, polishing didn't really look that good- especially after it built up.

I'd either let things be- those scuffs are a point of pride!  Takes a long time and a lot of work to get them looking like that, after all , or I'd cover the worn spots with white skate tape.

[tstop4me]

I have a beloved pair of semi custom Jackson competitors that are still structurally good, but the white coating on the leather is wearing off at pressure points, on the tongue, and cracking over the ankles. Is there any way of re-finishing them?

As long as your boots are leather, and not synthetic, you can take them to a shoe repair shop that handles refinishing (not just heel and sole repairs).  Ask around for referrals to decent shops.

[FigureSpins]

You could apply vinyl skate tape.  It needs to be changed regularly, but it also provides a little extra support.

[Kaitsu]

Have a look Edeas instructional video.
https://youtu.be/el3d2Mh8lPo

[DebinOz]

Here is what they look like… pretty drastic

[Loops]

Those are some well-loved skates!  It looks like they are leather, so you could take them into a shoe repair shop and see what they say.

fwiw, there is actually a commercial product called "sk8tape".  It comes in two widths and three colors for your skate-covering convenience. It also has the requisite figure-skating mark-up.  I save $$$ by getting regular old electrical tape from the hardware store.  The only color you can't get that in (at least that I've seen) is beige. 

I keep a roll in my bag- it has served me well for taping the laces during competition as well has serving in last-minute costume repair.  Handy stuff.

[supersharp]

Harlick sells their boot polish--they told me it is basically acrylic paint.  If you removed the old chunky polish and lightly sanded them, I bet you could restore them pretty easily.

[Query]

I've never had boots with as worn an outside layer as yours, maybe because I often use boot covers. So I'm not speaking from experience.

Is it possible you sometimes don't dry out your boots after use? I suppose that might create your issue, but am not sure. Likewise for leaving them in a hot car, in a bag or box or trunk where they can't air out? I tend to baby my boots - I dry out the boots and blades after use, then take them indoors, in a humidity controlled home.

Because the polish is coming off in places, the leather is no longer waterproof, so I think it will be damaged if you don't do anything.

Here is a skate boot taping procedure, from an expert.

https://geppettosskateshop.com/boottaping/

However, your polish is in such bad shape that I suspect when you remove the tape, it will take some of the polish with it.

An example of a polish for leather boots is

  https://www.amazon.com/Riedell-Figure-Skate-Shoe-Polish/dp/B07BVPNWWX

Though that may be more expensive than you need.

Jackson says regular shoe polish works:

  http://www.jacksonskates.com/html/care.html

I was told that if you sand off the old polish, it is common to apply a primer before applying polish, so it adheres longer. I don't know what kind of primer is used.

Likewise, after applying the polish, it is common to apply a "clear coat", so the polish lasts longer, and is easier to clean. But again, I don't know what type of clear coat.

I have no idea what kind of polish or other coatings is commonly used for boots with composite material uppers, such as are used in Edea and other ultralight boots.

Here is someone's video.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBumxwSAsyg

One of her pairs of boots has very worn toes. By the time she is done, the boots almost look new, but not quite.

Notice she suggests cleaning first, letting them completely dry, taping the sole and removing the lace so no polish gets on it, clipping off the places where leather sticks out to create a smoother finish.

Perhaps sanding would eliminate the need to clip, and create an even smoother surface.

But since I haven't done this myself, I can't speak from experience.

BTW I've looked into vinyl repair products for leather, but it looks like your leather is mostly intact, so you probably don't need to go that far.

[AlbaNY]

The video Query posted is exactly what you want to do for those skates.  I didn't expect them to be quite so well loved, haha.  That's a project, but if you do the preparation it should turn out quite good.  I'd definitely use some fine sand paper to carefully try and remove any loose finish and to smooth the edges of those areas, but be super cautious by the stitching... it gets caught faster than you might think.

You don't need it for your skates, OP, but to help anyone with a similar question if they have deep gouges...  There is a leather filler product that can be used before painting.  I forget the brand(s) I've used, but they all should be okay. 

[supersharp]

I've had good results with products from Furniture Clinic:

https://www.furnitureclinic.com/leather-care-products/flexifil

This product soaks in and helps strengthen the leather while keeping it flexible.  There are other products to fill gouges as well.  I've been impressed with how well they work, although they aren't magic...if the boots are dead, best to let them rest in peace. 

I don't think the OP needs these, though.  Removing the chunks of old polish followed by a light sanding and re-finishing would probably work great.

[DebinOz]

I bit the bullet and used the Angelus products - preparer, paint, and Satin finisher. The results were great! I did learn not to sand over the stitching though… and the rough lining behind the lace hooks is wearing away the paint when I skate, so I might have to glue some foam in there. Thanks for the tips, everyone. These boots are now repurposed as roller dance boots as they closed our ice rink. It’s wonderful to have my comfy boots back. I wish I could buy new ones the same…

[AlbaNY]

Wow!  That's an amazing transformation!  Good job, and I'm glad you're happy and comfortable. 

See, I warned you about the stitching.  That caught me up once too.  It's all good and then "whoops... yup.  Have to be even more careful."   

[Bill_S]

Wow! You did a great job!

[Query]

Amazing.

But how horrible that they closed your ice rink.

[supersharp]

Really nice final product , thanks for letting us know what worked and for sharing the photo!

[Loops]

You did do a fantastic job!!!  Nice!