Why does it say to only wipe the leather room shoes with a dry cloth and no leather conditioner?
It is easy to think that leather shoes are usually cared for by applying nourishing creams, so seeing instructions to use only a dry cloth raises questions. One wants to check whether the leather's condition can be maintained without cream.
Because it is leather that has absorbed plenty of beef tallow during the tanning process and has sufficient oils of its own, it is recommended to wipe it only with a dry cloth without adding cream.
Usually, dedicated creams are applied to leather products to replenish oils and prevent drying, but for room shoes from ARTS&SCIENCE, a single dry cloth is enough.
The material of these shoes is Burnish nappa leather[1]. In the process of refining the leather, it underwent the Vachetta method, a vegetable tanning process in which cow tallow—beef fat—is infused into it[2]. Since oil is already sufficiently steeped deep inside the leather, the instructions direct you to wipe it only with a clean, dry cloth without applying nourishing cream over it[3].
Generally, applying leather conditioner on top of leather with a high oil content makes it easy for the surface to be unable to breathe or for excess oil to sit on top and leave stains. These shoes have undergone casein processing, which uses egg whites as a main raw material on the surface, giving them a subtle translucent luster and a smooth feel[4]. When dust gets on them in daily use, rubbing them with a soft, dry cloth allows the oil inside the leather to gently rise to the surface thanks to frictional heat, smoothing out the texture.
hmmm, rather than forcing nourishment in from the outside, it is a matter of gently waking up the leather's inherent oil with a dry cloth to break it in.
How to handle stains that cannot be removed by wiping with a dry cloth has not yet been confirmed.