Damned salt!!! What the hell happened to my shoes???

sho'nuff · Jan 20, 2011

go make your sauce, Mr. Lee.

fwiffo · Jan 20, 2011

Frankly I would rather deal with the salt than walking on unsalted ice with dress shoes. I was in Atlanta last week and unsalted sidewalks were not fun at all.

Mac · Jan 20, 2011

Originally Posted by fwiffo

Frankly I would rather deal with the salt than walking on unsalted ice with dress shoes. I was in Atlanta last week and unsalted sidewalks were not fun at all.

When that happens, I tend to take the less risky path and walk on the road.

Mac · Jan 20, 2011

I had a pair of shoes that got absolutely wrecked from salt through winter - luckily they were a cheap pair though.

One tablespoon of vinegar in a cup of water does the trick. Wipe them clean and leave until fully dry. Then polish etc.

jrd617 · Jan 20, 2011

My two recommendations:

1). Read this article

2). Get these:

greekgeek · Jan 20, 2011

This thread is a good case for keeping a pair of Corrected Grain leather shoes on deck at all times.

REguy · Jan 20, 2011

Don't coddle your AEs. These Eastons are my go to shoes whenever the weather in Boston gets crappy (it's been a tough week). They're a pair of cheap seconds, so who cares. Some washing and polish, and 99% of the population thinks I paid extra for the patina. I'll have to give the vinegar thing a try though.

retozimmermann · Jan 20, 2011

Originally Posted by Man Of Lint

You should never expose leather footwear (especially leather soled footwear) to the elements (water, snow, salt or slush) in the first place.
Please purchase some galoshes.
Remember old wise saying: 'An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure'.

Are you serious? Shoes are made for walking, also walking in the rain and snow. Of course I wouldn't suggest wearing the most precious leather shoes purposefully in the most awful weather, but: If you take good care of the shoes after they've been exposed to the "nasty real world", they should be perfectly fine.

If you want shoes that always look unworn as statement pieces behind glass, then you can't wear them - ever.

MBreinin · Jan 20, 2011

I really can't tell anything. They look fine to me. Don't stress over it.

Mike

Cayne-Abel · Jan 20, 2011

Originally Posted by Mr. Lee

Bummer, but unlike many of the typical wise-ass, non-responsive replies this site is famous for and you got, let me offer an answer: the standard treatment for salt is a rubdown with a vinegar/water mix, although depending on the damage, it is not a 100% cure. I live in a city that uses more salt than anywhere and while I take extra precautions, my wife, with her 20 pairs of $229 "fashion boots" does not. I have used the salt solution with more success than anything else, but the ridge deal is a *****. You may have to strip the polish with saddle soap (sorry to take you backwards) so you can get to the goddamn salt. You should see what it does to cars here! Finally AE's are perfectly acceptable shoes, notwithstanding the snotty EG devotees on this site. You could put a pair of Lobbs through the same abuse and they wouldn't hold up any better. So, don't feel bad about that.
Thank you for a response that's actually responsive. And as for the snotty reply, mr Monty, consider the possibility that not everyone feels the need or has the means to spend $400+ on a pair of shoes. I used to think that only the spoiled Louis Vuitton-clad white girls at the mall had that attitude.

MyOtherLife · Jan 20, 2011

Salt happens to us all one time or another. I use this method with good results:
Half vinegar-half water in a bowl. Use a terrycloth (old towel or white sport socks).
Rub the salted areas leather ( rub meduim hard) using a fresh part of the cloth for each pass (soles too). let dry on some newspapers. If white film persists, repeat process until it stops. Let dry 12 hours, lotion, polish, let dry, brush, buff.

Marcellionheart · Jan 21, 2011

I have found that I can get most of the salt out with the vinegar solution, but there's still a slight blemish where the salt stain was; right now I'm trying to just drape the vinegarish rag over the stain for an hour or two to see if that goes away. It's barely noticible with polish, but still...OCD reigns. Fortunately, it's just on a pair of Loakes. Full-grain Loakes, yes, but nothing to cry over.

Tokyo Slim · Jan 21, 2011

Needs more salt.

Don Carlos · Jan 21, 2011

Originally Posted by REguy

Don't coddle your AEs. These Eastons are my go to shoes whenever the weather in Boston gets crappy (it's been a tough week). They're a pair of cheap seconds, so who cares. Some washing and polish, and 99% of the population thinks I paid extra for the patina. I'll have to give the vinegar thing a try though.

That's not patina, son, that's just straight wrecked.

ter1413 · Jan 21, 2011

You deserve that....
You live in NY son?? Try the local NY1 channel..they have weather on the 1's!!

Damned salt!!! What the hell happened to my shoes???

grrrrrrrr!!

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