ALTBERGALTBERG LEDER-GRIS MK.2 EXTREME LEATHER BOOT POLISH/ WAX 80g TIN

I bought some Grade 1 used Alt-Berg Defender Boots (from another site) which had literally been through the wars. They'd clearly been in storage for some time, and the leather had set like stone; I couldn't even open them to try them on at first for fear of the tongue cracking.After washing them in warm water, and warming them with a hairdryer (from the inside so as to avoid force drying the leather), I began to get a little movement back, but needed a more "Xtreme" solution.This stuff is not boot polish; it's very oily and although contains a fair amount of wax too, is purely for conditioning.I used a stiff (black bristles) boot brush to work it in, taking about 45 minutes per boot, going over and over the leather, paying closest attention to the seams, edges, tongue and where the toes flex. Then used a cotton cloth to work some more in with a little more force.The leather darkens significantly as the oil penetrates, and the softening is almost instant.A little goes a long way, and since this should only be used occasionally, I can see this 80g tin lasting much longer than the boots.After fully conditioning the boots, I used Alt-Berg Leder-Gris Original (clear) to weatherproof and protect the leather, and I can honestly say I am impressed at how well and easily the combination has turned a tired and war wounded pair of boots into spritely young things with a spring in their step.For a few reasons beyond the scope of this review, I won't be investing in more Defenders, but for leather care, I will be using Leder-Gris from now on. It's very good stuff.

I liked the tin greatly. The contents also really useful. Overall a fantastic product .

Very good and waterproof. The dog liked it - he keeps trying to lick my boots - LITERALLY :)

what can i say, it keeps your leather boots or trainers subtle and soft too ,who doesnt want your tough old dry leather boots too be nice n soft . soft leather and one little can can last you a lifetime, because you only need a very little, just rub it in your boots, shoes , sneekers , trainers once a year to preserve them. because after much researching like a nerd i decided on getting this leder gris stuff because i think thats the best.

So easy to use and so effective. apply regularly using a nail brush.

My boots had started to get soaked when crossing long wet grass and during heavy rain. Used grangers wax but this has worked much better ( I believe it is made by Grangers). Being more viscous it seems to really soak in. No need for new boots just yet.

This has got to be the best stuff I've ever used. Following the online instructions, I tried it out on an really old pair of Mendl Burma pros. It brushed on nice and easily with a good coverage, so I didn't need to use too much, and it's worked a treat. This is for restoring dried or water soaked boots. I tried a water test and it really did run off like water from a ducks back.

I have had many pairs of Altberg boots over the past 12 years or so which being military were treated to very regular applications of kiwi boot polish. However a few months ago I got my first civilian pair which are Altberg Tethera. I decided to follow the manufacturers instructions and use leder gris. Here is what I learnt -The product is more oily than normal polish or dubbin and consequently seems to soak into the boots more easily. This does make application easier although it didn’t inspire confidence because the product seemed to disappear. I put the boots through about 5 walks totalling 100kms in UK wet winter conditions and after each walk I washed the boots down thoroughly, left to dry, then applied a thick coat of leder Gris extreme. What I noticed was that by the end of each walk the boots appeared very dry and the most creased areas around the toes were actually beginning to look very cracked! I also noticed that by the end of a long walk the boots didn’t seem quite as waterproof as I was expecting.Consequently I have now returned to using tried and tested kiwi boot polish. On the first application of kiwi polish the boots absorbed a whole 50ml tin between them which tells me that the leather was not saturated with product and presumably the leder Gris has been getting washed out during use. Also of Massive benefit is the protection which kiwi polish gives - for example around the toe of any leather walking boots the leather can get cut and scratched quite badly. The leder Gris did nothing to prevent this, but one heavy application of boot polish around the toes has repaired and protected the now damaged area. On my most recent walk, the boots were perfectly waterproof, supple with zero signs of dryness and cracking by the end of it, and the leather is much better protected. One slight downside of using kiwi polish over leder Gris, is that the breathability of the Boots suffers, and now I’m using polish my boots do seem to have a slight whiff which they didn’t before. I can live with that though, they are walking boots not dance boots.So finally would I recommend Leder Gris Extreme? No I would not, atleast not for any boots intended to do regular and hard hillwalking. Stick to the old fashioned, tried and tested kiwi boot polish!