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

[chogall]



does anyone know if Saphire paste and wax etc has a use before date? Or I guess what I mean how long do they last, as in when does it go bad?

Wax will dry out with age, but some people prefer using dried wax for spit shine. Not sure about cream. Still using my Saphir wax and creams purchased around 2006 though waxes are a bit dried out. My Robsons wax from around 2002 is still oily/waxy as new due to its super high wax content; it's made by a beeswax farm.

 

[Numbernine]



Use cream for restoring or recolouring scuffs.

For the regular care, a good conditioner and wax polish are fine.

Avoid neutral wax, it should be used only as soft stripper or for waxing the welt.
It's easy to remove the factory finishing.

As long as we are on the subject I would like to discuss something I discovered the hard way . one should be very careful in the use of new previously unopened products as the solvents ,and they all contain solvents , have a tendency to concentrate themselves in storage after the containers are filled and sealed at the factory This concentrated solvent can and will remove factoy finishes of the type used on alden and probably most other shell cordovan shoes . I found this out after having done so to the toe of an essentially brand new $700 + indy boot . Not the end of of the world but it does necessitate stripping all the finish from both boots in order to maintain an even look . Hopefully this post saves someone else having to find this out the way I did I posted @it here a while back.
http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/...an-Care-Saphir-Products&p=1361575#post1361575

 

[dlind]

Wax will dry out with age, but some people prefer using dried wax for spit shine.

Not sure about cream.

Still using my Saphir wax and creams purchased around 2006 though waxes are a bit dried out. My Robsons wax from around 2002 is still oily/waxy as new due to its super high wax content; it's made by a beeswax farm.

Ok, so really they should keep at least 5-8 years?

Yea I heard partially dried wax is good for a spit shine, guess it would take some more work to "heat" up and spread evenly though...

 

[chogall]

I think they could be stored longer but I am not old enough to comment.

It doesn't take all that much effort to pick up dried wax and use them to shine. It's actually easier to shine IMO than fresh wax.

 

[David Copeland]

So is the majority opinion that Reno is safe for shell?

And if not, what are the negative effects?

Thank you, what a great reply. That post will serve me well and I appreciate it.

Kirby Allison, "Saphir Renovateur is . . . safe for use on all skins and leathers, even exotics, including crocodile, alligator and cordovan"

Link: http://www.hangerproject.com/shoe-care-guide/going-for-the-gold.html




Polishing Shell Cordovan:
http://www.hangerproject.com/polishing-shell-cordovan/

Other Saphir Cordovan Shoe Care links:

http://www.hangerproject.com/saphir-cordovan-shoe-polish.html#.UZAIg7Xvsnw

 

[SHS]



Use cream for restoring or recolouring scuffs.

For the regular care, a good conditioner and wax polish are fine.

Avoid neutral wax, it should be used only as soft stripper or for waxing the welt.
It's easy to remove the factory finishing.

Why does this happen with neutral wax? I thought it could be used instead of regular coloured wax?

 

[laufer]

After reading past 20 pages of this thread I am thinking ditching all of my dress shoes and wearing only sneakers. It is unbelievable how much disinformation and outright bullshit people are throwing out on these pages. So neutral wax strips color huh? Says who? Please provide sources examples etc etc. The only person here qualified to make statements is Ron , everything else is just opinion and he said she said old tales.

 

[chogall]

After reading past 20 pages of this thread I am thinking ditching all of my dress shoes and wearing only sneakers. It is unbelievable how much disinformation and outright bullshit people are throwing out on these pages. So neutral wax strips color huh? Says who? Please provide sources examples etc etc. The only person here qualified to make statements is Ron , everything else is just opinion and he said she said old tales.

It doesn't strips 'color' per se, but it does strip waxes.

Here's Olga Berluti herself. Maybe she is qualified enough herself for hosting her champagne polishing dinner parties.

At about 2 minute mark, she started her shoe shine process by using neutral wax polish to take off the existing black wax.
You are welcomed to consult DWFII or B.Stripe as well.

 

[chogall]

Why does this happen with neutral wax? I thought it could be used instead of regular coloured wax?

All waxes does dissolve somewhat the existing waxes. Neutral polish lacks pigment so it can be used to dissolve existing wax and take them away.

 

[JermynStreet]



After reading past 20 pages of this thread I am thinking ditching all of my dress shoes and wearing only sneakers. It is unbelievable how much disinformation and outright bullshit people are throwing out on these pages. So neutral wax strips color huh? Says who? Please provide sources examples etc etc. The only person here qualified to make statements is Ron , everything else is just opinion and he said she said old tales.

Agree with Chogall. Money Well Spent, DWFII, B Stripe, or Ron Ryder are all very knowledgable. Follow their regimens and you should be good.

 

[chogall]

Here's the WSJ article from several years back when Berluti had that video up on their website. For the non believers. Or small timers that dont get invited to the Swann Club. AFAIK, John Lobb RTW hosts similar polishing groupies at Tokyo as well.

From the WSJ today.

Olga Berluti doesn't take shoe-cleaning lightly. "A shoe is your companion. It is the physical imprint of your life," explains the creative director of the men's luxury shoemaker Berluti. "Cleaning shoes is a very noble act."


Ms. Berluti, who has hand-made shoes for the likes of Andy Warhol and John F. Kennedy, treats cleaning, waxing and buffing as a ritual. She even has a shoe-cleaning club made up of her favorite clients. It's called the Swann Club, and every few years, the members get together to dine and shine.

But you don't have to be a Berluti client to enjoy polishing a fine leather shoe. On any given Sunday, Ms. Berluti likes to get her male friends together for some group buffing. Where you do it doesn't matter, she says. "The important thing is to respect the shoe. You are the artist."

After placing the shoes on a waist-high table, she selects appropriate music. If they are moccasins, she may put on some Vivaldi; if they are boots, she will listen to Wagner. Bigger shoes need big music, she says.

Her next move is to place a suitable shoe tree inside the shoe. The shoe tree should be made of plastic, which is lighter than wood and less likely to deform the shoe. Once the leather is tight, she gives it a good dusting using a linen cloth.

After tucking the laces into the shoe, she takes a small brush, taps it in some white neutral wax, and rubs around the edges of the soles and heels. This ensures the stitching is well-greased and remains watertight. She doesn't wax the bottom of the shoe, because the wearer could slip and hurt himself.

Ms. Berluti then takes some linen -- she likes to use old Venetian linen sheets but any old shirt will do -- and wraps it tightly round her fingers. She rubs the shoes using white wax until all the dirt comes off.

Next comes the most enjoyable part: the polishing. This is where Ms. Berluti really hits her stride. After pouring out a small amount of iced spring water, she dabs her linen-clad fingers into a pot of colored wax. Red wax is best if you have black shoes. With a small regular circular motion she rubs in the colored wax until the leather "squeals with pleasure," she says. Depending on the polisher's skill and the size of the shoe, this can take up to 20 minutes.

She flecks some water on the shoe and rubs it in to ensure the wax is sealed in. It's important not to use too much wax or water, as that could damage the leather.

The finishing touch is to massage in some Chianti, Pinot Noir or vintage Champagne. This removes excess wax and makes the shoe sparkle. "It's not snobbism," Ms. Berluti explains. "The great officers of the Tsars used this technique to get their boots to shine."

 

[Numbernine]



After reading past 20 pages of this thread I am thinking ditching all of my dress shoes and wearing only sneakers. It is unbelievable how much disinformation and outright bullshit people are throwing out on these pages. So neutral wax strips color huh? Says who? Please provide sources examples etc etc. The only person here qualified to make statements is Ron , everything else is just opinion and he said she said old tales.

You should realize this thread is not an organized shoe care guide it is a rich source of raw information the facts are here it is your job to discern them from the bullshit

 

[laufer]

Guys I really appreciate some you putting a great effort to explain how to properly care for shoes but sometimes this thread feels like reading a nutritional advices on the Internet. I think the safest bet is to use wax on non-flexing part of the shoes and the cream on the flexing leather, I will save Pinot Noir for myself. There is something called a law of diminishing returns. At one point all the effort put in a shining and caring for shoes exceeds the value you get in the return. Do not get me wrong I appreciate artistry that is why I am getting my info here and not from advertising but really sometimes simple is better.

 

[sierra11b]

Recently purchased a pair of Alden NST boots in brown alpine grain leather. Love them, but it's my first pair with this type of leather.

My question is how to properly care for the leather and what color product(s) method should I be using?

I searched but couldn't find any information on this particular leather and color

Thank you,
Eric

 

[David Copeland]

Guys I really appreciate some you putting a great effort to explain how to properly care for shoes but sometimes this thread feels like reading a nutritional advices on the Internet. I think the safest bet is to use wax on flexing part of the shoes and the cream on the flexing leather, I will save Pinot Noir for myself. There is something called a law of diminishing returns. At one point all the effort put in a shining and caring for shoes exceeds the value you get in the return. Do not get me wrong I appreciate artistry that is why I am getting my info here and not from advertising but really sometimes simple is better.

I agree - and that is why it is best to keep expensive shoes and boots in good order - so that a polish routine can be limited to about 8-10 minutes - instead of up to 2 days.

(Reminds me of changing the car oil sooner than later - when massive repairs creep on the menu)

David