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

[jd13jd13]

I have a pair of AE McTav's, which they recommend using their conditioner cleaner and saddle soap. How do I know when they need care, and how do I go about using the products? Is there anything else I should be using instead?

 

[ThinkDerm]

any more shoe shine sundays?

 

[Numbernine]



I have a pair of AE McTav's, which they recommend using their conditioner cleaner and saddle soap. How do I know when they need care, and how do I go about using the products? Is there anything else I should be using instead?

If you follow the factory recommendations you most likely cant go too far wrong . There are other products others , myself included , prefer but you must remember this is only a matter of opinion . As to when to use these products you will know because you will look at your shoes and think "I don't like the way my shoes look I should do something .
I recommend you read the first 2-3 pages of this thread it will give you plenty to consider . There is not a lot of really bad advice given in spite of all the childish bickering

 

[Numbernine]

David I heard a saying once " If the first person you meet seems like an asshole then you may have just met an asshole but if everyone you meet seems like an asshole you just might be the asshole . Now I'm not saying this applies to anyone it's just food for thought at least for those given to thinking

 

[David Copeland]

David I heard a saying once " If the first person you meet seems like an asshole then you may have just met an asshole but if everyone you meet seems like an asshole you just might be the asshole . Now I'm not saying this applies to anyone it's just food for thought at least for those given to thinking

My personal opinion is there are only about a half dozen guys that are regulars here . . . who have made it their mission to protect each other's opinions by posting highly uncivil remarks to anyone who has a different take. They gang up like hornets going after bacon on a patio.

Everyone has access to my posts and (to my belief) I have never crossed the line to deliberately belittle an honest opinion offered to a newcomer.

As for your quote, I would never call or refer to anyone with such language.

And yes, I wish you a safe and good weekend,

David

 

[David Copeland]

I have a pair of AE McTav's, which they recommend using their conditioner cleaner and saddle soap. How do I know when they need care, and how do I go about using the products? Is there anything else I should be using instead?

Congratulations on acquiring an excellent selection.

I suggest you do not wait until your new "babies" start showing wear. It's akin to waiting until a child is hungry with stomach pains - versus feeding the child on a routine basis to ensure both well being and stewardship.

You may consider acquiring at least three pair in order to rotate them if worn daily. Shoes need rest. And rotation is one of the best ideas I have found on this forum.

If you wear the same pair of shoes every day, then consider tuning them up each day with brushing. Conditioner and other routines can be explored in the following link: CLICK HERE

All my best,

David

 

[masernaut]

I have a pair of AE McTav's, which they recommend using their conditioner cleaner and saddle soap. How do I know when they need care, and how do I go about using the products? Is there anything else I should be using instead?

I've got a pair in black and it's my favourite wingtip. I don't own AE's cleaner/conditioner nor their saddle soap and because of that the only products I've used are Lexol Leather Cleaner and Conditioner (cleaner is probably not the best idea because it does strip quite a bit of colour). But you cannot go wrong with AE's recommendations as they are the makers of their shoes.

The most common recommendation as to when you should clean your shoes is once a month or every 15 wears. I've only conditioned my pair of McTavish about three times during the year I've owned them. I haven't worn them too much. I do give them a quick brushing before putting them on and after taking them off- just because I feel like it and it gets rid of any dust.

 

[Numbernine]



My personal opinion is there are only about a half dozen guys that are regulars here . . . who have made it their mission to protect each other's opinions by posting highly uncivil remarks to anyone who has a different take.  They gang up like hornets going after bacon on a patio.

Everyone has access to my posts and (to my belief) I have never crossed the line to deliberately belittle an honest opinion offered to a newcomer.

As for your quote, I would never call or refer to anyone with such language.

And yes, I wish you a safe and good weekend,

David 

Actually I care not a whit one way or the other about your shoe care advice and iirc I have not uttered a word of criticism regarding it . What I find objectionable is your paranoid , passive aggresive , condescending attitude of superiority toward anyone who dare comment on your off topic, incoherent gibberish and your total inability to see it for just what it is . Yes David they have all banded together to stifle your genius . What I find most annoying however is my own inability to just ignore you I promise I shall try to do better in the future .
Have a happy Fathers Day
Your pal Mikey

 

[jd13jd13]

Thanks for the responses.
David: I lurk a lot here and on the AE thread. Now, I don't want to seem like an ingrate, seeing as you took time to answer my question, but you should really turn down the rhetoric a couple of notches. I appreciate your contributing on SF, but the tone and verbosity ( I do, however, understand that this wordy post makes that grievance a bit hypocritical) of your posts do tend to be a tad grating on the literary senses.

 

[glenjay]



I have a pair of AE McTav's, which they recommend using their conditioner cleaner and saddle soap. How do I know when they need care, and how do I go about using the products? Is there anything else I should be using instead?

I am not fond of using saddle soap on leather shoes. I wrote a few paragraphs about why I feel this way earlier in this thread (http://www.styleforum.net/t/228153/...thread-tutorials-photos-etc/4335#post_6223935). I would use the cleaner/conditioner however.

Your shoes should need to be cleaned with a cleaner much less often than you polish them. In my opinion you should add polish to your shoes after about every three to six wears, but always brush before and after wearing.

Cleaner/conditioner is typically rubbed onto the shoe thoroughly, wait for a short period of time, then brush the shoe with a shoe brush vigorously. (When using conditioner alone, shoes should be allowed to sit over night before polishing.)

Cleaning should be done when the shoes have collected and retained external pollutants (like salt, smoke, dirty water, scotch and soda, urine, air pollutants (carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide) and so on. Some of these are obvious on the shoe, other just look like a dull film. You can usually tell If shoes looks dirty, so clean them then. Cleaning shoes just for the sake of the process is a waste of time and cleaner (not that I haven't done that).

 

[chogall]

Without going full marsupial presidential, what cleaner do you recommend?

I tend to just use renovator to clean but am wondering other alternatives in addition to lexol.

 

[glenjay]



Without going full marsupial presidential, what cleaner do you recommend?

I tend to just use renovator to clean but am wondering other alternatives in addition to lexol.

I have used the leather cleaner by Lexol for years and it works fine in my opinion. I have also used renovator, but now I just use my own cleaner/conditioner. What are other members using?

 

[cbfn]

Could you explain how you use the Lexol cleaner? I use it when my shoes are in need of cleaning, but I often just run some water over the uppers, dash on some cleaner and scrub lightly with a brush, and then wash them of with some water and a light scrubing to get rid of any soap residue. After, I let them dry for some time before applying Lexol conditioner.

 

[glenjay]



Could you explain how you use the Lexol cleaner? I use it when my shoes are in need of cleaning, but I often just run some water over the uppers, dash on some cleaner and scrub lightly with a brush, and then wash them of with some water and a light scrubing to get rid of any soap residue. After, I let them dry for some time before applying Lexol conditioner.

I did almost exactly what the instructions on the jug say. Rub on with a damp cloth, rub off with a clean damp cloth, then I would brush the shoe lightly after about 10 minutes. Since I didn't get the shoes that wet, I could condition them after an hour or two.

 

[cbfn]

But I feel the cleaner is absorbed by the leather, and using just a damp rag afterwards only removes the top layer of the soap, not what has been absorbed. However, I feel that light brushing while wetting the leather removes every bit of dirt and soap. Nevertheless, water is still not good for the leather, and I'm quite certain I strain it more than I should with my method.