**The Official Shoe Care Thread: Tutorials, Photos, etc.** - Page 201

I'm sorry but I have to disagree with certain aspects of your statement, but I agree with the general sentiment that less is better than more in the case of wax.

1) Wax should be removed periodically simply because it becomes more and more clogged with foreign particles (dust, dirt, acids, salt, etc..) over time. It is part of the nature of wax to stick to things (it is sticking to your shoe leather for example). Wiping dirt off of your shoes also pushes a very small percentage of that dirt into the wax, unless you are wiping hard enough to remove a layer or two of wax.

2) I haven't seen an adverse effect from my shoe care regiment either sooner, or later. I consider my shoe care regiment as rather aggressive for the wear/exposure my shoes get, but it works well for me. These shoes are around 15 years old:


3) Both cream and paste polish contain wax. If you are suggesting that only conditioner be used on the vamp it won't be long before you will not be able to get even a brush shine on the vamp of your shoe. If you have a picture of a shoe where you have never used polish (paste or cream) but have only used conditioner on the vamp over time, and it still has a brush shine, please post it. You did say that it was accetable to add wax sparingly to the vamp, which I agree with. There should just be enough wax there (using cream polish) to keep a brush shine (I have gone beyond that at times however).

4) I usually dry brush my shoes (and rub a moist cloth over the toe and heel counter if they have a spit shine) before I put then on. I usually wear a pair of shoes 3 to 4 times before they fall into my calendar shoe care regiment. So I agree that you should not be adding wax the majority of the time. However my shoes do get cleaned and repolished about every 3 or 4 wears which I think is probably not nessessary, but I enjoy the process and it seems to keep the shoes in great shape. I could probably get away with doing it half as often and it would still be fine.

good points.

I've honestly never given my shoes a full strip or a clean. If I were to I think i'd just use a bit of shampoo or saddle soap, maybe some turpentine.

Thing is, most conditioners contain a bit of solvent anyway that would provide a small amount of cleaning.

Conditioning of your shoes and regular brushing takes care of the dust clogging the wax. If you want your shoes to last you shouldn't maintain a "shine" on the vamp of your shoe. Shiney vamp and longevity is a fine line and are at odds with each other. I stand by my full statement.

Has this been your experience? I have circumstantial evidence that this is true with my army boots, but nothing definitive.

Perhaps glenjay negates this by cleaning the wax off so often. ST Crispins seems to recommend it.

Has anyone tried the Mink Oil Renovator of The Shoe Snob?
Does it work as well as Saphir Renovateur or might it even be the same thing?
Justin once said that his products were made by a French company, so this is highly likely, right?
He is a great guy and I'd like to support him with a purchase as soon as I run out of Renovateur.

i cant say for sure  but the jar of his mink oil renovateur looks lika a twin brother of the old Saphir renovateur(its mink oil based) jar!! i think that it's probably rebranded Saphir renovateur!thats my thought but i cant be sure about that!! in all cases i think u can ask him!

Da troof!

 

 

Hi all, this is my first bespoke shoe, i am trying to get proper products to take good care of it, but i am seriously not sure what to do now, there is so much advice going on, and my double monk, calf skin, burgundy dual tone handsew welt is giving me a headache about what product to use.

 

The color is dual tone, and i am afraid that by using a burgundy or bordeaux color cream will affect the dual tone?

 

This is the list of items i was planning to buy

 

1) Horse hair brush

2) Saphir Renovateur

3) Saphir Pommadier Cream - bordeaux (08)

4) Saphir Oate de Luxe Wax - bordeaux (08)

5) Chamois Cloth X 2

 

Is there any kind expert that can assist in telling me if the cream will affect the dual tone look? thanks

first of all welcome!

i am not consider myself as an expert but with my experience of taking care of shoes for some years  the thing i can recomend to you is to use a neutral cream and wax, and yes bordeaux cream will effect the dual tone!! the other things u say for me is a must have so you are in the good direction !!

just use a neutral creme and/or wax. or a light burgundy should be fine as well.

 

Neutral products have the undesirable affect of leeching colour from some leather finishes however.

 

I think so too. Except Saphir can be had a bit cheaper!

I have both brown & colorless wax by Kiwi (I know...it's no Saphir but I think Kiwi is sufficient enough for my old pair of AE).

 

I read a comment awhile ago that between coloured and colorless wax for non-black shoes, coloured is preferable over colorless. Can somebody elaborate this for me?

I would ask your shoemaker what he prefers to do for his shoes. Nobody knows better than them.

I prefer color. Some people say that neutral looks cloudy, but I haven't experienced this. I think it is good to deposit color, it hides scuffs and scrapes better and shoes do fade in the sun and such so no harm done.