Frye Leather Conditioning Cream

Even though I already have several bottles/cans of leather conditioners, waterproofers, waxes, etc... that I've amassed over the years, I went ahead and bought a can of the FRYE conditioner to use on a new pair of Frye boots. After spending that much money for a pair of boots, it seemed unwise to use something other than their own leather conditioner. It seems to do a good job. I'm not sure it's any better than the others, but I don't regret buying it. The boots are Frye's "Evan" hiking boots in the whisky color (a lighter brown- almost honey- sort of color). I don't think it darkened them at all. If it did, it's so little that I can't notice any difference. The major benefit was the way it seemed to rehydrate the leather. I think the boots spent a while sitting in the box on a shelf in a fairly dry environment prior to being shipped to me. They really soaked up lots of the conditioner and looked so much healthier afterwards. I think it helped soften them up a bit as well. There is one spot where they rub the bridge of my foot and I've got cedar shoe trees in them- hoping they will take the shape and give me a little more room in that spot. One thing I've decided helps the leather to soak in the conditioner is to have the boot really warm when applying it. I get the oven up to around 200 degrees (F) and then TURN IT OFF and slip the boot in (laying on a towel-covered baking sheet) for about 10 minutes. Give the element a few seconds to cool down first- never expose leather to direct heat. I have everything I need ready to go so when I pull it out I can apply the conditioner before it has time to lose the heat it absorbed. If they are really dry, I might repeat this process 2 or 3 times (alternating the L/R boot) until it feels like the leather has absorbed all the conditioner that it "wants." That is just something I've picked up over time and always do now- particularly when leather seems too dry. There are lots of opinions about the best methods to care for leather. I spent a lot of time reading and watching videos when I first wanted to learn how to do it. If you've never done it, I really recommend taking some time to research before you get started. I experimented with a couple old pairs and got the hang of it before I felt confident about doing any new expensive ones. I wish I had done it years ago. It's clear to me now that you can have leather items last a lifetime (and still look great) by doing some regular maintenance.***Update***A few weeks after I initially treated the (new/unworn) Frye hiking boots to rehydrate the leather that seemed to have somewhat dried out during the time they spent on a warehouse shelf prior to being shipped to me, I decided to give them another conditioning with the Frye Conditioning Cream. The leather had fully absorbed that first treatment and I thought I'd see if they were sufficentlly rehydrated or if they would absorb more. I repeated the heating & conditioning process mentioned above. They readily soaked up two more rounds of heating & rubbing before they seemed sufficiently saturated and the conditioner began to collect on the surface rather than immediately disappear into the leather. After a couple days passed, I noticed that not only does the leather look better, but it's beginning to soften a little. The cedar shoe trees are starting to shape the boots and relieve the rubbing on the top of my foot. They still need a little more time, but I'm convinced the Frye conditioner is restoring the leather to the supple feel that I imagine they had when Frye originally manufactured them. The conclusion is that I'm very satisfied with the Frye Conditioner and don't believe any of the other products I've used previously would have done any better job restoring the leather. I'll likely use it on other things as well and I'm glad I decided to give it a try!

This conditioning cream is great! I bought it because I was worried with all the snow that the leftover salt on the roads would tarnish my leather Frye boots and damage them. I also got little scuff marks on the toes of my boots within the first couple days of owning the boots, and naturally, I wanted to reduce the appearance of those marks.My leather boots are the FRYE Patty Gore short boots in chocolate:  FRYE Women's Patty Gore-BLFLE Boot, Chocolate, 7 M US . I was worried that, given how dark the leather was, that I would not be able to completely eliminate the scuff marks on the tips of my boots. However, this product worked like a charm! I used an old hand towel to apply a little of the cream at a time, rubbing in circular motions. When the scuffs disappeared, I decided just to condition the rest of my boots as well to preempt any other dings and scratches that might happen. Then I let it dry for a little while and presto, great-looking boots!The cream does darken the leather a bit even though it is completely clear. Nothing too drastic honestly, but you will notice a difference so that's important to keep in mind. However, when it dries, it does dry close to the original color of the boot. This is NOT a polish, so don't expect your leather to be shiny when you're done--it won't, and your leather will still be a matte texture. As for waterproofing, I personally haven't tested it out yet but I don't think that it's a good idea to wear leather in rainy conditions anyway, so I likely will never need to test that aspect of the conditioning cream. For damp conditions, however, the cream holds up well and keeps your boot protected, from what I can tell.Overall, I'm super glad I invested in this product because I plan on keeping my Frye boots for a long, long time. I would highly recommend this product to preserve your leather clothing and accessories as well.

So far, very good experience with the product, as it's easy to apply and both on an older pair of boots and a brand new pair the leather looks and feels supple and healthy after application. The older pair were a bit faded and following application the color was restored to a nice deep brown. Hard to tell if the color changed or was just deepened and I guess if it's hard to tell then not significant (at least to me). Second pair was brand new and harder leather. There again no appreciable difference in color, at least to my eye. What I found useful (and have in the past with other waterproofing or conditioning products) is to apply the product with fingers (rubbing in to the extent the leather will take it) and then put the boots or shoes on a baking sheet in the oven on WARM for 10 or 15 mins (or shorter if the product absorbs sooner) until all or most of the product absorbs in to the leather. After that removing any left over with a cloth and buffing with either a clean cloth or brush puts a nice finish on the footwear (my experience is not shiny but nice and smooth). Overall, very pleased with how my two pair turned out!

Let me preface this review by first noting that I have never used a leather conditioning cream before. Why? Because I have never owned a pair of boots of such high quality before. I knew that I would need to perform occasional maintenance on said boots when I bought them and the weather lately had taken it's toll on them. The leather was starting to look dry. After using the Frye conditioning cream my boots look great again. Scuffs have been smoothed over and the leather itself looks fresh again. One thing to note is that the cream will turn your boots a darker shade. I knew this going in and think my boots still look great. I don't believe this is a side effect of just this cream, but I don't have experience with any other. I do feel better knowing this conditioner is going to help my boots last a long time.

I love this Frye weatherproof CREAM. Do not buy the Frye LOTION, it's garbage. In fact the lotion made my Frye bags look and feel very dry, but a week later I did them again with the cream and the attached before and after photos say it all. No more parched looking leather, just soft and supple with a hint of shine.

Darkens leather a bit, works well.

Great for moisturizing leather. Leaves an awesome shine.

OK so the product is good, no question. Buy it and you won't regret it. But you don't get a lot of it and that is why you get 4 stars -- the product does deserve 5 stars. You are better off buying a larger container of dubbin for a better bang for your money with equal performance. This is for the Canadian market -- being a consumer in Canada sucks!

Makes the boots look new everytime I use it. love this product.