**The Official Shoe Care Thread: Tutorials, Photos, etc.** - Page 5

I'd like it if someone could explain suede brushes and their different uses. When to use a bristle brush vs crepe brush vs brass wire brush.

Also, why do some suggest brushing suede in a single direction only, while others recommend a back-and-forth motion?

Thanks

Should pebble grain shoes be cared for any differently than smooth calf? Up till now, I've been using Saphir Renovateur and and chestnut-colored cream from a Japanese company called Boot Black.　I'm tempted to put wax on it, but have held back thus far due to a lack of properly colored wax polish and a fear that it ought not to be used on this type of leather.

Why is Allen Edmonds Conditioner/Cleaner more popular as a conditioner than their Leather Lotion? Even the person at the store recommended Conditioner/Cleaner. Does it contain solvents or soaps?

Question 1: If I've got a pair of black captoes with a white scuff line on one, and some white marks on the toe on the the other. Polishing doesn't seem to do much. Can a cobbler redye just those scuff marks, or is there an easier way to fix them? Question 2: Can you switch between waxes and creams on a single pair of shoes? From what Iv'e read, waxes cover and fill better, but creams give a smoother surface. In this case, I've got a spot on the toe that's just a smidgen lighter than the rest of the shoe, and conditioning and polishing with AE polish don't really fix it. It's not terribly noticeable, but I've also only had the shoes for a few months. I'm wondering if trying a wax might be better at evening out the color.

Would love to get an answer to this question right hyah...

The OP mentioned letting the shoe dry before using the brush. I use either cream or polish and don't usually let anything dry before brushing and then buffing with the cloth. I will let it dry using conditioner but that's it. Am I missing a step? What does letting it dry do? I have never seen a shoe shine do this.

Thanks, Moo. You're in the Bay: any cobbler recommendations? About your cordovan refresh above— you buffed with only the brush, sans anything, for ~5-7 minutes, and then applied polish and buffed again? Haven't seen that suggestion before. Does buffing without anything just remove old wax, or why'd you decide to do that? Beautiful loafers, btw. Rooster: I'm no expert, but I let things dry until the wax/polish coating looks dull, then buff it out. If I'm impatient, that's 3-5 minutes, but I've found the longer, ~15 minute waits give a better shine in the end.

Thanks for the rec. I realized, I haven't had the pleasure of owning cordovan since I cared about clothes, so I've not payed attention to cordovan-polishing procedure. Good to know, though...

Hi, first post here. I just picked up some AE Brantleys off ebay. They're a bit used (which is fine considering how much I paid), and it's clear the former owner was a smoker; they noticeably smell like cigarettes. When I first put some leather conditioner on them, a lot of brown residue came off onto the rag I was using which I figure is probably left from being in a smoker's home. What can I do to make them stop smelling and keep the leather nice?