Leather is an attractive and durable material that is used for everything from shoes and jackets to bags and boots. Yet sometimes, instead of making the positive impression you were hoping for, an attractive leather jacket or pair of shoes can produce an embarrassing and distracting squeaky sound when worn. Often the sound comes from a stiff spot in the leather or a place where two pieces of leather are rubbing together. Using talcum powder or leather conditioner, you should be able to eliminate that embarrassing squeaky sound for good.

Determine where the squeak is coming from on your leather item. If you have squeaky shoes, you many need a friend to get on the floor and listen while you walk back and forth and move from side to side.

If the sound seems to be coming from a stiff area in the leather, apply a conditioner to the leather. You can use a leather conditioner, silicone spray or even Alberto VO5.

Use an old rag to rub a dime-size amount of conditioner into the leather until it softens, or spray lightly with silicone spray and rub it in.

If the leather is especially stiff, apply saddle soap to the stiff area. Using a damp rag, rub a small amount of saddle soap into the leather in a circular motion. Rinse the rag, and remove any lather. Dry and polish using a clean, dry rag.

If friction seems to be causing the squeak, sprinkle baby powder or talcum powder on the noisy area. For shoes, sprinkle powder in between the tongue and the upper part of the shoe or underneath the shoe's insole. For bags or saddles, sprinkle the powder where straps are attached.