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Care of tan shoes

mack

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Yesterday I finally received a pair of the C&J Weymouths and was pleasantly surprised to see that the color was a carmel tan rather than the brown shown on all of the web sites I looked at.

These are my first shoes in this color and when I tried polishing them, I noticed a few things.

First, beca
 

mack

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SORRY FOR THE ABOVE BLIP.

Because of the light color, it appears that any imperfections show on the skin.  Is this normal, or did I get a susbstandard pair of shoes.

When I tried to polish the shoes, I used C&J tan polish that was sent with my order.  The color of the shoes darkened slightly and I would prefer to keep the shoes as light as possible understanding that they will darken over time.  Should I use a clear polish rather than the tan color?

As I tried to polish the shoes, it appeared that different areas absorbed polish at a different rate.  The leather in some areas would darken as if I had spilled water on it and then lighten back to its normal color as the polish dried.  Is the leather simply absorbing polish and should I just keep adding polish?

Surprising, the shoes did not shine to a high gloss and they seemedmore difficult to bring up the shine than other shoes I own.  Any reason why?

Thanks again to all you experts.
 

jcusey

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Welcome to the wonderful world of antique tan shoes. Once you've been initiated, you'll never go back to plain brown shoes again (or at least not very often).

You're just not going to be able to maintain a uniformity of color on shoes like this, and I don't think that C&J intended for you to. Different areas of the shoe do indeed absorb different amounts of polish, probably not so much because of the properties of the leather as because you just can't apply polish or buff it uniformly. It wouldn't matter if you used clear polish; indeed, some manufacturers use clear polish to antique their shoes. This variegation gives the shoe character and enhances its beauty. Embrace it.
 

Kai

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Color variations on lighter leather are pretty much unavoidable. This is the nature of high quality vegetable tanned leather. It comes with the territory. This is part of the beauty of the shoe.

Use a lighter polish than the one supplied. I would suggest a paste wax, rather than a creme, in the lightest tan you can find. I've not used clear polish, but have had good luck keeping my light tan shoes light using a light tan paste wax polish.

I've had my eye on the Weymouths for a while now. They are really classy and beautiful. You clearly have good taste : )
 

MPS

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Mack,

I also have a pair of Weymouths in chestnut (i.e. lighter than the antique brown), and I've noticed the variegations that you're talking about. I ordered mine via PLal, who sent them to me when I was in Hong Kong. The manager of the Jermyn St. store told me once that the chestnut Weymouths are made for the Japanese and Far East markets. I actually use Edward Green "Old Cobbler Brown" polish on them, which has made them somewhat darker and given them an antique look. I'm sure you'll enjoy the shoes - the leather lining is the best I've seen on any shoe, and is certainly better than that of Edward Green.
 

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