**The Official Shoe Care Thread: Tutorials, Photos, etc.** - Page 280

I recently bought this pair of Florsheim Veblens and am curious if this rate of toe wear is to be expected. This is after 2 wearings, each of which was a full day at work with plenty of walking using buses, trains etc. I've read that double leather soles do wear noticeably at the front, but this looks like as if they'll be worn through within the next 3 wearings! Should I leave them be or should I install some toe taps or such?

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Quote:

Originally Posted by GMMcL 

Anyone know how to get mothball smell out of suede? I have a beautiful, pristine pair of Alden suede shoes (black) that reek of mothballs. I've left them outside for a couple of weeks and even taken them to a leather cleaner. Smell is lessened, but not gone. I'm hesitant to use things like Febreeze, but I'm pretty desperate. Thanks in advance.

I haven't ever tried to get the smell out of shoes, but I would think some of the same rules would apply as clothing. Febreeze will only mask the smell, as will heat. The best plan is usually to put them outside in direct sunlight so that they will get enough fresh air and eventually lose the smell. It may take days in the sun to undo it, just as it would a fleece jacket. I don't think that amount of sun will wreck any leather portions, but you might want to keep them covered in lotion or just plain covered to avoid too much sun exposure.

Since you've left them outside, you might be well on your way. Maybe you could start wearing them. The moisture that would go through the suede and the motion might release some of the smell slowly.

Good luck, and don't take my word as gospel. Moth balls are a tragedy for the nose, but having stored things at a grandparent's house, I can appreciate your pain.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickwjd 

I recently bought this pair of Florsheim Veblens and am curious if this rate of toe wear is to be expected. This is after 2 wearings, each of which was a full day at work with plenty of walking using buses, trains etc. I've read that double leather soles do wear noticeably at the front, but this looks like as if they'll be worn through within the next 3 wearings! Should I leave them be or should I install some toe taps or such?

 

(click to enlarge)

Don't let that scare you too much.  The stiffness of double leather soles does contribute to some faster toe wear due to the shoe not flexing as well during walking.  They are adjusting to your walking style and gait, and the to wear will usually reach a point of being rounded off to the maximum extent that your particular walking style needs.  Therefore, it depends upon the person.  In the future, this can be alleviated to a small degree by giving shoes with double leather soles an extra long break-in period indoors.  However, they will always do this to a certain degree regardless of how broken in they are if your walking style naturally contributes to it. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by glenjay 


Did you let the boot dry after using the RenoMat, and before applying the cream polish? If so, was the black mark gone once the area was dry? This will help determine if whatever was in the black mark is still a factor in the stain.

I suspect what happened is that in your exuberance to remove the mark with RenoMat you applied too much, too hard. I love RenoMat, and think it is an essential in every shoe kit, but it is a very strong cleaner and should be used with care. Saphir does not list the cleaning agent used in the product, but from the smell I would say it is acetone or something similar. What probably happened is that the quantity of RenoMat you used opened the pores of the leather slightly and your rubbing opened them even more.

Here is what I would suggest doing to salvage this boot (actually I would do both boots to keep them even): Go over the boots with a light coat of RenoMat to remove what wax you can. Rub gently, don't scrub. Let the boots dry. Then flush the oils, and other artifacts, out of the boots with water. To do this you need a soft sea sponge soaked in warm (almost hot, but comfortable to hold) water. Soak the entire boot (actually both boots to keep everything even) with the sponge. You can add some saddle soap to this process as well to help remove any lose induced pigment (leather dye is different). Do not scrub hard with the sponge, but rather blot and rub lightly. Let the boots dry overnight. The next day clean the boots with Renovateur (or other cleaner/conditioner). However, if the boots are still wet the next day (you probably got them too wet) let them dry another day before cleaning/conditioning.

The water will tighten the leather pores back up to some degree, but it will also remove needed oils. This is why you want to use a cleaner/conditioner, or just a conditioner, after getting the boots wet to this degree. You can then polish the boots with the light brown cream polish once they have dried out from being cleaned/conditioned. If you do not have any cleaner/conditioner, then you can use the light brown cream only since it does have some conditioning oils in it.

This may not be the perfect solution, but it should work to some degree. You can cover up any color deviation using a shade darker polish if need be, and chalk the whole thing up to experience.

Thank you for your suggestions!

I think that most if not all of the black mark had gone, and I don't think it is at all a factor in the mark that is left - what's left is unfortunately much worse, covering a larger area. I suspect you are right that I applied too much and too vigorously. I probably didn't let it try fully before applying the cream.

I will give your suggestions a try and report back!

Thanks again

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoneyWellSpent 

 

Don't let that scare you too much.  The stiffness of double leather soles does contribute to some faster toe wear due to the shoe not flexing as well during walking.  They are adjusting to your walking style and gait, and the to wear will usually reach a point of being rounded off to the maximum extent that your particular walking style needs.  Therefore, it depends upon the person.  In the future, this can be alleviated to a small degree by giving shoes with double leather soles an extra long break-in period indoors.  However, they will always do this to a certain degree regardless of how broken in they are if your walking style naturally contributes to it. 

That's good to know. Having said that, if my gait does make the toe wear a bit more still, is there a danger that it might wear to the point that the stitching integrity is compromised?
 

These are actually my first pair of goodyear welted shoes, so I'm not too sure about this. Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickwjd 

That's good to know. Having said that, if my gait does make the toe wear a bit more still, is there a danger that it might wear to the point that the stitching integrity is compromised?
 

These are actually my first pair of goodyear welted shoes, so I'm not too sure about this. Thanks!

Yes, the stitching may very well get worn through.  However, that doesn't have to be a problem, and hopefully it won't be.  The stitching should be lock-stitched (see the lock-stitching description and diagram here: http://home.howstuffworks.com/sewing-machine1.htm).  If the stitches are worn through on the lower surface of the sole, there is still the lock-stitched loop intact in the middle of the stitch hole.  For further strength, the soles are cemented on prior to stitching, so some damage to the stitches in a few areas generally doesn't lead to sole separation, and you will still have stitching around most of the rest of the sole to keep in on.  A simple scan through picutres of used Goodyear-welted shoes for sale on ebay, or right here on SF will reveal plenty of shoes with the stitches worn through.  Now, that said, it is possible that the sole will separate from the welt, so I'm not trying to guarantee that they won't.  I'm simply saying that what you are experiencing is perfectly normal, acceptable, and expected.  There are cases to be found where the sole prematurely separates from the welt, but the overall design of the shoe is intended to prevent this. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoneyWellSpent 

 

Yes, the stitching may very well get worn through.  However, that doesn't have to be a problem, and hopefully it won't be.  The stitching should be lock-stitched (see the lock-stitching description and diagram here: http://home.howstuffworks.com/sewing-machine1.htm).  If the stitches are worn through on the lower surface of the sole, there is still the lock-stitched loop intact in the middle of the stitch hole.  For further strength, the soles are cemented on prior to stitching, so some damage to the stitches in a few areas generally doesn't lead to sole separation, and you will still have stitching around most of the rest of the sole to keep in on.  A simple scan through picutres of used Goodyear-welted shoes for sale on ebay, or right here on SF will reveal plenty of shoes with the stitches worn through.  Now, that said, it is possible that the sole will separate from the welt, so I'm not trying to guarantee that they won't.  I'm simply saying that what you are experiencing is perfectly normal, acceptable, and expected.  There are cases to be found where the sole prematurely separates from the welt, but the overall design of the shoe is intended to prevent this. 

Thanks for the thorough reply, appreciate it! I'll try to worry less about it and just wear the damn things.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickwjd 

 

Thanks for the thorough reply, appreciate it! I'll try to worry less about it and just wear the damn things.

Sometimes that is hard to do.   But I think you will enjoy your shoes more in the long run. 

Crat -

Love your site and your experimentation. It takes some cajones to mess around with shoes like that and they look awesome.