Cadillac Boot and Shoe Leather Lotion, 8 Fl Oz (Pack of 2)

I used this Cadillac Boot and Shoe Leather Conditioner and Cleaner way back when I lived in the Detroit area. Cadillac shoe products is based in Detroit and I used when I lived there, but kind of forgot about it until I saw it on Amazon. It was like meeting an old friend. I wanted a lotion that could help me renew and restore the leather on a 100+ year old Mission style rocker. The rocker is made from solid oak with a leather seat and some leather on the back. There is a leather binding nailed to the back and around the seat attached with decorative brass nails. It's a very comfortable rocker and no one makes furniture of this quality anymore. This rocker was one of my dad's pride and joys. Unfortunately, it spent many years in a garage up in Michigan before we could get down to Texas, and then a couple of years in storage here in Houston. When we were ready to bring it into the house, I first cleaned and restored the finish on the wood. Next I needed something to bring back the leather and Cadillac's lotion did the work superbly. I put on several coats, working the lotion on the binding around the brass nails and in some tight areas around the seat with a soft tooth brush, letting the leather absorb it. After it seemed to absorb all it could, I buffed the leather out. I am more than pleased with how the leather (and the whole chair) turned out. The seat is smooth and pliable and binding looks as if its been diligently cared for for the past 100 years. I left the nails alone. They have a nice patina on them and I am happy with the way they look. So, does the chair look like new? No, it's over 100 years old and very well used. It is very presentable, though. It does look well loved, and that is what I wanted to accomplish. It's had a lot of use and neglect to overcome, but now it is a prize piece in our office. It reminds me so much of my dad. It's a wonderful, comfortable rocker to sit in and read a book. It's well on the way to last for another 100 years.

A designer bag is an investment. In my case, it was a black Chloé Hudson Mini Tasseled Fringe bag comprised of calfskin on the body and very very delicate lambskin on the flap with a suede interior and suede fringe and tassels. I bought the Cadillac Boot & Shoe Leather Lotion on the recommendation of lambskin Chanel bag owners. If it’s delicate enough for lambskin, it’s delicate enough for calfskin which is tougher. They say the Chanel SAs also use this in their boutiques. I may have been a little trigger happy when the directions said to "apply liberally." I used too much initially, didn’t know it at first because it seemed like the bag was happily drinking up all the conditioner. Eventually, it left a whitish cast on my bag that I didn’t notice until after it had dried down, despite all the buffing I did and even then, it was left on for a couple of weeks as I didn't use the bag right away. The white cast too noticeable, but it started to bother me in certain lighting. The bag just appeared dulled in some parts. In a panic, thinking I had clogged the leather’s pores which can weaken the leather and trap dirt and oil beneath, I looked for solutions. I wasn’t about to use dish soap or hand soap, bad idea as it can dry out the leather too much and cause it to crack (speaking from experience on a sofa). After researching several leather cleaners, I was overwhelmed by the choices and was about to splurge on Saphir Leather Cleaning Soap (gentler than their saddle soap version and what Hermes uses) from The Hanger Project, but with limited availability to no availability on Amazon and pricey shipping and the extra time it would take to receive the product, I decided to look further. Chamberlain’s Straight Cleaner No. 2 seemed to fit the bill and they even had an article on their site about applying too much leather conditioner on things. Their recommendation was to use a gentle leather cleaner (such as theirs) or as a possible substitute… alcohol. It made me nervous. I had some 70% isopropyl alcohol (the rest is comprised of water) and used that very hesitantly. I dabbed the cotton ball with the tiniest, TINIEST dot of alcohol, even letting some it evaporate before using, and gently in circular motions, cleaned parts of my bag that had the white cast under a lamp so I knew the spots to target, starting with an inconspicuous spot on the body of the bag that was comprised of calfskin first. To my amazement, it worked to remove the excess conditioner! I did not give the alcohol the chance to sit on the bag too long and it’s wet state and evaporate, I would work to use as much as needed then absorb with another clean, dry cotton ball, cleaning in a circular motion. I eventually felt confident enough to try it on the lambskin flap and it brought back the shine to my bag. Not 100% of the excess leather conditioner is gone but most of it is. I’m giving my bag a couple days of a break before I go at it again and next time I apply this Leather Lotion, I will use a very very tiny amount and let it dry. You can always apply more. I didn’t want to use a leather cleaner specifically because 1, some of them looked too harsh or were made for leather that had years and layers of dirt, grime, and polish on them. And 2, some people had issues trying to use the leather soaps too aggressively which lightened the leather or made it look spotty. That would be a nightmare on a black bag. 3, some said using a cleaner caused the leather to then absorb the leather conditioner unevenly, especially if you were spot-cleaning which is what I would’ve done. Also, I did not use this Leather Lotion on any part of the bag where the fringe or suede was, as this is not meant for that! There are different products, shampoos and brushes made just for suede and they must be treated differently. Also, take care not to have the Leather Lotion/leather conditioner go onto stitching of the bag or hardware. A little probably isn’t harmful (I didn’t cover my hardware prior to using since my bag has minimal metal components) but especially on older bags, leather conditioners can degrade stitching and possibly affect the metal plating (you can cover with blue painter’s tape). All in all, I’m pretty happy with the product when used correctly. A lot of it was just user error coming from inexperience. I hope this helps for those of you who may have applied too much Leather Lotion or leather conditioner. Again I used very very little alcohol, we all know how drying it can be on our own skin and always test on a small area like the bottom of the bag. Also note, where I used a little too much of the alcohol, a bit of dye came off but this happened while applying the Leather Lotion too so just be aware of that and be gentle!

Great product for anything leather!

I use it to care for my bag before and after use, and the leather doesn't dry out or change color quickly, so I keep using it.

I have been using Cadillac Boot and Shoe Leather Lotion for years now. I use it on my Lucchese western boots which get a lot of use and also on my leather motorcycle seats. It is wonderful at restoring dried out leather. I can't recommend it highly enough.

I LOVE this boot and shoe cleaner so much I am on my second bottle! It lasts a really long time, and a little goes a long way. I generally clean/moisturize my shoes, wallet, and purses on the same day when I pull this out. For butter soft and Luxury leather items, like my Hammit leather wallet, Gucci purse, and my 30-year old vintage Bally coin purse, I rub it in with my hands to really moisturize the leather. The feel is smooth, supple and moisturized when finished. There is no smell, and it doesn't change the sheen of the leather good. I also use my hands to rub it in the insides of leather shoes because the inside needs to be cared for like the outside. This is a great product, and it works better than the leather products I have purchased specifically for luxury couture pieces.

This is the best leather conditioner by far! Recommended to me by Skip, the owner of West Coast Leather located at 2060 Union St. San Francisco. I bought a jacket from him and I put this conditioner on it that night and it made it feel so soft and better looking. I used it on my 20+ year old jacket which was a bit dried and what a difference it made, looks like new again, I did it 2 times in 2 days. It was dried because I never conditioned it and it felt so good after that. So many actors, politicians, and rich people go there and he got plenty pictures on the wall to prove it. These are top quality leather coats and jackets. Tell him Fred from Hawaii sent you.

An easy FIVE STARS. I've used this lotion for years and it's everything the description says it is. I first found it at Walgreen's many years ago. Somewhere along the way theY stopped carrying Cadillac Lotion and I never found another retail source. I thought it had disappeared from the market and began using my last bottle very sparingly on my leather goods. When my bottle was nearly empty I checked Amazon and, ta daa, there it was !! It's the only thing I ever found that works on patent vinyl. That alone is reason enough to buy and use it. It's very easy to apply and to buff. It's a non-wax formulation and has no unpleasant odor. As many others have said, it works wonders on nearly all kinds of leather and vinyl. It will take care of 95% of your leather maintenance needs. (Do heed their advice to wipe any vinyl surface before it dries. Also, the bottle recommends that it not be used on suede or Nubuck) If many more of us "discover" this magic lotion for leather, the makers of leather cleaners and shoe polish may find their businesses in jeopardy. I'll add that it's very reasonably priced and Amazon delivers promptly (even faster if you're a Prime member).