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

[Gdot]

Molds require moisture of some sort to grow. However, the spores can persist for quite some time without moisture. Everytime you wear a pair of shoes the moisture returns and can be adequate to create a new 'bloom' of mold.

Try spraying them inside with Lysol after EVERY wear for a while.

Clean them with white vinegar on the outside (test a small area first to make sure it won't damage the finish.)

Sit them outside in the bright sunshine for a few days if it's available.

Persistence will be your friend.

 

[pfhtrad]

Regular or neutra-air?

If regular, do I choose "crisp linen", "spring waterfall" or "early morning breeze"?

I am nervous about this, but I give it a shot.

 

[hendrix]

Try some antifungal foot/shoe powder.

Failing that I'd try a topical antifungal cream, the stuff you buy for athletes foot etc.

 

[patrick_b]

Mold issue got me thinking. Informal poll:

Insert trees immediately after taking shoes off or let them air out before treeing? If you wait, how long?

I've done both over the years and never noticed ill effect from either method. I've therefore settled on inserting trees immediately. That way I don't forget.

 

[hendrix]

i tend to insert immediately.

sometimes i'll forget though. Let's face it, sometimes when you're taking off your clothes there are more pressing matters than putting some trees into your shoes.

Sometimes my shoes have gone 5 days or so without trees. I think it's fine as long as they go in fairly regularly.

Actually even if the shoes start curling up a little bit it doesnt bother me too much. I like things to look a little weathered.

 

[pfhtrad]

I used to do that. I've done some leather-work over the years and have a few books on the subject. Belts mostly, just because its relatively cheap for some hides, rivets and buckles to make your friends single button belts in a solid 8-9 ounce leather, no cardboard. Once every 2-3 years, Brettuns Village even has real 8-ounce English Briddle leather. And, every book deals with shaping leather which must be done when the leather is damp for it to maintain shape.

Ergo, I've been following the as soon as its off straight to the trees.

But then those Church's I screwed up with oxygen bleach... thought alcohol would do it (even poured an 1/8 of a container in, swished it around and emptied just a dark drop) and when it didn't mixed a strong batch percarbonate. The rest is a 350$ mistake for the history books.

I'm pretty frustrated right now, to be honest. I really don't want to treat my shoes with something that has "odor compounds" added because of the nice ceder smell. Granted, Lysol should work if it doesn't stain the shoes, but even with repeat treatments I believe I should be stuck doing this for the life of the shoe which is extra effort I thought I was purchasing quality to AVOID. Call me vain, but I thought tanned leather was very resistant to mold.

The better clothing I buy (thrift) the higher the maintenance costs.

On that note, I found a library preservation pdf which recommended 2-Phenylphenol in aqueous solution to combat mold. Active ingredient in Lysol. I wonder if I got some in bulk (~100$/kg) dissolved a bit and soaked my shoes for 2-3 days in a tub if would I destroy them...

Down this path madness and science lies!

 

[cbfn]

Fighting fire with fire.

 

[NOBD]

Rénavateur applied on the sole edges:

The suede still feels a bit damp, so I'm going to let it dry some more.


Also did the soles:

 

[bik2101]

why do you apply reno to the soles and sole edge?

 

[joiji]

why do you apply reno to the soles and sole edge?

Leather soles have been known to crack over time if they dry out too much. Reno might be overkill over something cheaper in this case, but the principle is keeping the leather plyable. I believe others use mink oil or similar products to do this.

 

[Hampton]

.

 

[NOBD]



Leather soles have been known to crack over time if they dry out too much. Reno might be overkill over something cheaper in this case, but the principle is keeping the leather plyable. I believe others use mink oil or similar products to do this.

Yes, I had some left over Reno, so I used that. The soles got wet while cleaning the shoes, so I thought I'd give them some extra attention.

 

[Winston S.]



Mold issue got me thinking. Informal poll:
Insert trees immediately after taking shoes off or let them air out before treeing? If you wait, how long?
I've done both over the years and never noticed ill effect from either method. I've therefore settled on inserting trees immediately. That way I don't forget.

Immediately for me.

 

[grendel]

Mold issue got me thinking. Informal poll:
Insert trees immediately after taking shoes off or let them air out before treeing? If you wait, how long?
I've done both over the years and never noticed ill effect from either method. I've therefore settled on inserting trees immediately. That way I don't forget.

I try to do it immediately for calf. I try to give shell an hour or so before I put the trees in because it doesn't breathe as well and I want to let some of the moisture get out before the shoe trees go in.

 

[NOBD]

Added some brown wax on to finish the sole edges: