A method has been developed, on a pilot-plant scale, which restores the original appearance of vegetable-tanned crust sole leather after it has been impregnated with various types of impregnants. Laboratory tests indicate that the leather can then be dry or wet rolled and finally waxed and brushed as desired. This method operates by first treating the air-dry impregnated leather with one or more good solvents for the impregnation material, used successively to effect removal of the impregnant from the leather surfaces. Then the leather is immediately placed in one or more poor solvents for the impregnant, used successively to dilute and remove the solvent or solvents originally employed and to stop solvent action on the impregnant. It is necessary that each successive solvent be miscible with the preceding solvent.