**The Official Shoe Care Thread: Tutorials, Photos, etc.** - Page 255

Originally Posted by unbelragazzo 

brush? I have only heard tell of using finger inside cloth for buffing.

Originally Posted by los_face 

Hey Team,

Have been lurking this thread for a while and have been learning a lot. Walking through the thrift a couple weeks back I found a candidate to get some hands on training. A solid pair of Church's Stafford in dark brown size 10D. A google search produced absolutely no information on these shoes and no pics either, I contacted Church's CS and found that these were made for the US market in the early 80s and then discontinued.

There was blatant cracking at the creases which I thought was too much wax and thought this would be a solid project shoe.
Up close you can see a bit of discoloration in the cracked wax. Didn't think much of it and for $8 I was willing to get aggressive with the fix

Used Lexol cleaner and it did virtually nothing so I had read nail polish (non-acetate) would get the job done and as long as I used lexol conditioner after it would be fine. Started taking off the polish and look what I found!

Is this normal? Layering on enough dark wax to cover up the true color of the shoe???

I tried to go easy on the nail polish but for some reason the polish seemed to soak into the leather and darken it in spots. Didn't think it would be a huge deal because the Lexol would darken the light leather a bit (in my experience). It did not work, the leather would not absorb the lexol and I soon realized (and with confirmation through Church's CS) that this was made of bookbinder and not calf. Was a bit concerned I wouldn't be able to save these as they were looking dry and boring so I went and tried a bunch of things.

I realize that what I did next is not the recommended SF SOP but it has improved the shoes quite a bit. So because the shoes would not absorb Lexol, I assumed that cream would not work either. A layer of brown kiwi wax polish helped bring back the shine. For no good reason I placed a bit of brown shoe cream on it afterwards and it absorbed/dried well, did a full coat and this is how they came out.


Project isn't done yet. I have tried Lexol again and in small quantities it is absorbing so will ad a couple of coats and then another coat of brown cream and maybe another layer of wax. The discoloration is still there but it is growing on me, a pseudo-antiquing if you will. The pics highlight the contrast between the different shades of leather but is a lot more subtle and blended IRL. I will update in a couple weeks after some work gets done.

Essentially, i have done the conditioner>cream>polish in reverse order and it seems to be working?! Maybe the lesson is doing any kind of upkeep to your quality footwear can help.

FYI, I typically follow the SF approved "normal" conditioner, cream, wax routine on my other footwear.

I know Church's doesn't get much love on SF but I for one am impressed that a 30 year old pair of shoes (with bookbinder leather no less) is still in solid condition and look forward to putting it into my rotation. These are definitely a bit aggressive and busy in terms of styling but a lot more fun then my plain captoes.

Originally Posted by m0bbie 

I have a question. I have these shoes and wonder if the cracks are repairable? or they are done?

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

 

Originally Posted by SoGent 

screwy situation . . . .

i have a pair of AS Exclusives being polished for the first time.
has anyone ever had a pair where one shoe was polishing a shade darker than the other.
i've used the same amount, applied the same way.   i've never seen this before.

Originally Posted by Louis XIV 

I would like to understand if the care for my chelsea boots is wrong or if what I can observe is common.

When I bought them I received a tin of Saphir MdO neutral wax and applied it heavily to the shoes.
Imo I used a whole lot too much of it and thus have stripped the shoes two or three times with nailpolish remover.
At the moment I only use Renovateur on them.
After the application of Renovateur, some time to let the shoes dry and some brushing they look all shiny and fantastic.
Apart from lighter color creases where the leather folds, they maintain their shine nicely for several wears, what I am happy with.
Now please have a look at what they look like after I get into a moderate rainfall.



Is this white shading a sign of excess wax that gets washed out of the leather by the rain?
Is it the deposit of the associated material in the rain?
Would you buy leather soap or Renomat and strip the shoes once again to see if makes any difference?

Here is a side to side comparison of the left shoe after only a few seconds of brushing vs. the right shoe after the rain.
The white shadows in the creases would disappear with an application of Renovateur

Originally Posted by irelentless 

I have Saphir Reno and cream polish. Am about to get a new pair of Allen Edmonds loafers and was wondering should I do something to the loafers before wearing them? Should I apply some polish or reno? Also, as far as the procedure is concerned, could you lay something out when using the the saphir products? Also, when using a horsehair brush, is there some special technique like in circles, up and down, side to side, or does it matter?

 

Thanks!
 

Originally Posted by Louis XIV 

When I bought them I received a tin of Saphir MdO neutral wax and applied it heavily to the shoes.
Imo I used a whole lot too much of it and thus have stripped the shoes two or three times with nailpolish remover.