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

[Gdot]



How many time should I use Saphir Saddle Soap on my shoes? I mean this soap has the same function as the Saphir Reno Matt, is this true? I read on Hanger website that the Reno Matt should only be used once or twice a year.

You should only use Saddle Soap when your shoes need to have the wax removed. Waxes tend to hold dirt and dust and eventually needs to be removed. This would be about once a year if you wear your shoes every week or so. But much less frequently for shoes that only get occasional wear.

After you've been taking care of your shoes for a while you will begin to be able to see when the wax seems to getting built up.

 

[nickwjd]

Brush then buff it. Brushing it with a horsehair brush helps the Reno further permeate the leather (same goes for Medaille D'or creams), but a horsehair brush can never get all the Reno off from the shoe, thus buffing it afterwards or else you will end up with residue/stickyness.

Well this explains my "sticky situation". I typically only brush and not buff. This works fine for creams, but I guess not for Reno.

What would be the best material to use for buffing? I mostly use those lint-free cotton cloths for shoe polishing. Should the buffing cloth be dry or moist?

 

[Gdot]

Reno will make your shoes sticky sometimes. This happens because it is designed to gently 'melt' the existing finish a bit so that it can lift off surface dirt and polish build up.

It can always be brushed off to good result - no matter how sticky it is (at least I've never had to take any action other than brushing).

If your shoes are especially built up you will do well to rub the reno firmly with a soft clean white cotton rag. You will notice that this lifts up a good bit of 'color' from the shoe. At least your rag will show color. Doesn't mean you'll see much difference on the shoe other than it just looking brighter.

This is a good thing now and then.

As for brushing/buffing - I brush - LOTS, buff little.

 

[nickwjd]

Reno will make your shoes sticky sometimes. This happens because it is designed to gently 'melt' the existing finish a bit so that it can lift off surface dirt and polish build up.
It can always be brushed off to good result - no matter how sticky it is (at least I've never had to take any action other than brushing).
If your shoes are especially built up you will do well to rub the reno firmly with a soft clean white cotton rag. You will notice that this lifts up a good bit of 'color' from the shoe. At least your rag will show color. Doesn't mean you'll see much difference on the shoe other than it just looking brighter.
This is a good thing now and then.
As for brushing/buffing - I brush - LOTS, buff little.

Thanks for the info!

I'll have to be more careful in applying Reno sparingly from now on.

 

[azumi]

Dear Gdot: Which is better to remove old wax or polish cream in your opinion, Reno Matt or Saddle Soap. And what kind of polish do you prefer to shine your shoes, cream shoes polish or wax shoes polish?
Thank you.

 

[P. Bateman]

Does anyone have any tips on removing an oil spot from suede? While cooking a drip fell on my Aldens . I just finished washing the shoes with Saphir Omni'Nettoyant Suede Cleaner per Kirby's guide and as they're drying it appears the oil spot persists.

 

[joiji]

Does anyone have any tips on removing an oil spot from suede? While cooking a drip fell on my Aldens

. I just finished washing the shoes with Saphir Omni'Nettoyant Suede Cleaner per Kirby's guide and as they're drying it appears the oil spot persists.

I'd try some degreaser. However, I'm unsure how the suede would react to it.

 

[azumi]

They said:

Quote: I wonder how I apply two coats of polish cream and wax. I mean after applying a coat of polish on the shoes, the next step is immediately applying another coat of polish cream or brushing before applying another polish cream coat? Then I shall brush again and apply a coat of wax, brush again and another coat of wax?
Anyone can help?

 

[grendel]

They said:

I wonder how I apply two coats of polish cream and wax. I mean after applying a coat of polish on the shoes, the next step is immediately applying another coat of polish cream or brushing before applying another polish cream coat? Then I shall brush again and apply a coat of wax, brush again and another coat of wax?
Anyone can help?

Yes, apply, let sit, then brush. Then repeat. Then move on the the wax. Although, personally, I would only use the cream on the shoe then the wax just on the toe and heel. The cream will bring up enough of a dull shine without the extra wax and the build-up in creases you can get.

 

[ezlau]



Well this explains my "sticky situation". I typically only brush and not buff. This works fine for creams, but I guess not for Reno.

What would be the best material to use for buffing? I mostly use those lint-free cotton cloths for shoe polishing. Should the buffing cloth be dry or moist?

Even for cream, I feel that brushing does not necessarily get all the cream off. I buff my shoes with some cut up white t-shirt from ralph lauren, nothing too fancy. You could even get those 3 for $15 CK white shirt available at Nordstrom racks etc, you get the idea. For buffing I keep the cloth dry,, but I would use a slightly damp cloth when doing a mirror shine with black wax polish.

 

[Gdot]



Does anyone have any tips on removing an oil spot from suede? While cooking a drip fell on my Aldens . I just finished washing the shoes with Saphir Omni'Nettoyant Suede Cleaner per Kirby's guide and as they're drying it appears the oil spot persists.

Fulller's Earth. Rub in gently, let sit overnight. Repeat until stain disappears.

Worked for me with olive oil on white bucks.

Do a google search, it's not too hard to find.

 

[captainfalcon]

Is kiwi leather lotion any good?

I was think of applying a coat of that before polishing a pair of shoes.

 

[GentlemanJohnny]

Hey everybody,

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread with pictures and helpful tidbits of information.

I recently went on a little Christmas-inspired and Poker-fueled boot shopping spree to get ready for the Bavarian winter and purchased the following boots:
Wolverine 744LTD (on the way)
Wolverine Krause (on the way)
Some inexpensive boots I found on eBay (on the way)
and a pair of Red Wings boots I found on etsy (arrived a few days ago)

The Red Wings boots were in pretty good condition for a vintage piece, however, it will also serve as my test bed for applying some of the techniques and instructions strewn about throughout this thread. I never really polished shoes because the military got rid of the black boots in exchange for tan rough-out leather boots and the old school black low quarters have been replaced with patent-leather equivalents. I figure these boots - while still in great shape - will be my work/rain boots and will help me get my polishing/maintenance routine perfected for when my Wolverine boots arrive.

Here are some before pics:





Does anybody know what style of Red Wings boots these are and what kind of leather it is? I don't have much experience with CXL or Cordovan yet...

Some after pics:







The products I used (locally purchased since I didn't want to wait for international shipping)...Anyone here have experience with Solitaire?

A realllllly old pair of shoes that have been my favorites for years...I know they won't appeal to many others but for some reason I love these shoes. Unfortunately, I got them when I was very young and knew nothing about shoes let alone proper maintenance. They were very old and rough looking and the genuine snake scales are starting to peel from abuse. I know a lot of places advertize specific products for use on exotic skins but I went ahead and used the leather lotion all over the shoe and used some of the spezialpflege for the smooth calfskin parts.

Also, I remember really hating shining my low quarters for inspections but, as some people here have mentioned, there's something calming and almost zen-like about polishing...I spent a few hours the first night and an hour last night working on the boots after working out and it is extremely gratifying to see something improve due to your own handiwork and effort.

Just thought I'd share since so many of your posts helped me. Maybe this will help someone else. Also, if anyone knows more about this style of Red Wings boots or has any experience with Solitaire products I'm all ears.

Thanks

~Gentleman Johnny

Edit: In natural light:

I realize the toe boxes are scuffed and damaged but compared to what they looked like out of the box I think I did a decent job.

 

[Louis XIV]

Gute Arbeit an den Red Wings, hast ihnen auf jeden Fall eine Menge neues Leben eingehaucht.

 

[GentlemanJohnny]

Gute Arbeit an den Red Wings, hast ihnen auf jeden Fall eine Menge neues Leben eingehaucht.

Vielen Dank!