There are many types of leather conditioners available. Common conditioners include Huberd's Shoe Grease/Shoe Oil, Lexol, and Leather Balm.

The purpose of conditioners is to provide moisture or oil to leather to keep it soft and supple. Without regular conditioning, leather will tend to dry and decay. Saddle soap and polish both have mild conditioning properties, but it is often necessary to provide supplemental conditioning to keep leather in good repair.

Conditioners are applied directly to the leather or are applied usings hands or a cloth. A generous amount of conditioner is applied to the leather, allowed to absorb into the leather, and (optionally) excess conitioner is then removed.

Selecting the proper conditioner to use is a matter of the thickness, tanning type (i.e., polishable or oil-tanned), color, and softness of the leather. Some conditioners can interfere with subsequent polishing, so knowledge of conditioner attributes and an understanding of one's intent with a pair of boots is important.