**The Official Shoe Care Thread: Tutorials, Photos, etc.**

I think chukkas are a viable, classier alternative.

So I took a pair of John Lobbs I bought on the ebay to a local cobbler to remove some salt damage that the previous owner had neglected. They took care of that well enough, but then they 'conditioned' and waterproofed them with a silicone spray (that I didn't ask for of course). I've never put such a waterproofer on my shoes before, but I know its not considered a good thing to do around here.

Should I be losing sleep over this???

But seriously, can or should I remove it and will it effect my ability to shine the shoes?

Ahoy gentlemen.

My fiancee recently got a nice new pair of boots from Frye (whose leather I believe is pretty solid quality, especially compared to what they usually try to sell to women at outrageous prices), and I want to help her take care of them properly, but am a shoe novice myself. They're in the "cognac" color, but they're a little lighter than that and they have a more consistent color (i.e. they don't appear as antiqued as those sample boots).

She had seen a pair on display with a more antiqued-looking toe and wanted that look. My question is which color would be best to get a subtle antique going on these: Navy? Black? Dark brown?

I also plan to use some Renovateur from time to time and I suppose I'll need to use a more properly matched polish to keep the rest of the boot up.



DrStrangelove said:

This is what I'm talking about...

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Anyone knows how to prevent these discolorations due to shoe polishing?

You may be forcing the wax into the leather, and using wax that are too dark for the shoes.

Any Saphir users with a pair of regular Alden Indy boots know the best color to keep the slight red tone to the leather? The medium brown is too chocolatey, unfortunately.

I don't have an answer for you, but when you say "regular" Indy boots do you mean 403 or 405?

I'd use neutral polish and renovatuer if I didn't need any color added. You can go a long time without any added color polish pretty often.



NotClever said:

I don't have an answer for you, but when you say "regular" Indy boots do you mean 403 or 405?

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405

Gdot said:

I'd use neutral polish and renovatuer if I didn't need any color added. You can go a long time without any added color polish pretty often.

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Well I figure I'm going to need it anyway so I might as well buy it now

I was digging through the garage and found a box I have been lugging around from place to place, city to city since I was 18. It has been unopened. Inside I found a bunch of old shoes. A pair of RL boots that I haven't worn since I was in 8th grade still fit but were in pretty ragged shape:



They were dry, crushed and they were scraped to total **** - especially the toes. I can't be that mad at my 13 year old self.

After reading the tips I found on this thread over the past few months I thought it was worth a shot to try and refurb them. Used a combo of Lexol, Saphir creme and Saphir Medaille d'Or paste. Put shoe trees in and replaced the old two-color boot laces with some brown waxed laces. Not quite done yet, but here's how nice they look at this point:



Still needs some more Lexol/Saphir creme. Will try antiquing them after they are fully "healthy".

Thanks SF for all the insights and wisdom. Had I found these a year ago before reading this thread, they would have ended up in the trash or at Goodwill.

Wow. That's really ******* impressive.



Rambo said:

Wow. That's really ******* impressive.

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Yeah. I wish I had been that stylish in 8th grade!



Rambo said:

Any Saphir users with a pair of regular Alden Indy boots know the best color to keep the slight red tone to the leather? The medium brown is too chocolatey, unfortunately.

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Saphir as a "cordovan" colored wax that is reddish. Also they have a "Mahogony" cream, which has an amazing color. My friend uses it on a pair of dark brown boots and they look fantastic now.



PL92106 said:

I was digging through the garage and found a box I have been lugging around from place to place, city to city since I was 18. It has been unopened. Inside I found a bunch of old shoes. A pair of RL boots that I haven't worn since I was in 8th grade still fit but were in pretty ragged shape:

They were dry, crushed and they were scraped to total **** - especially the toes. I can't be that mad at my 13 year old self.
After reading the tips I found on this thread over the past few months I thought it was worth a shot to try and refurb them. Used a combo of Lexol, Saphir creme and Saphir Medaille d'Or paste. Put shoe trees in and replaced the old two-color boot laces with some brown waxed laces. Not quite done yet, but here's how nice they look at this point:

Still needs some more Lexol/Saphir creme. Will try antiquing them after they are fully "healthy".
Thanks SF for all the insights and wisdom. Had I found these a year ago before reading this thread, they would have ended up in the trash or at Goodwill.

Click to expand...

Rambo said:

Wow. That's really ******* impressive.

Click to expand...

Here is a quick job that I did for my girlfriend some time ago:

http://www.styleforum.net/t/221634/i-couldnt-take-looking-at-my-girlfriends-boots-anymore/0_20



PL92106 said:

I was digging through the garage and found a box I have been lugging around from place to place, city to city since I was 18. It has been unopened. Inside I found a bunch of old shoes. A pair of RL boots that I haven't worn since I was in 8th grade still fit but were in pretty ragged shape:

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

They were dry, crushed and they were scraped to total **** - especially the toes. I can't be that mad at my 13 year old self.
After reading the tips I found on this thread over the past few months I thought it was worth a shot to try and refurb them. Used a combo of Lexol, Saphir creme and Saphir Medaille d'Or paste. Put shoe trees in and replaced the old two-color boot laces with some brown waxed laces. Not quite done yet, but here's how nice they look at this point:

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Still needs some more Lexol/Saphir creme. Will try antiquing them after they are fully "healthy".
Thanks SF for all the insights and wisdom. Had I found these a year ago before reading this thread, they would have ended up in the trash or at Goodwill.

Click to expand...

Cool, lots of character, and they have lots of life left it seems!