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

[dddrees]

I have a pair of black cordovan Alden loafers and cant seem to find a straight answer -- should I use saphir reno, or the dedicated saphir shell cordovan formula in the black color?


Also, how do I care for the matching black cordovan belt?

Saphir Reno works real well with Cordovan. They also have a black polish that will work with cordovan as well, and I would encourage you to use both products just as you would use them on calf shoes just posibly less often. One which is for cleaning and conditioning, and the other for protecting.

You can also use reno on the belt as well.

Do yourself a favor and conduct a search for the Mac Method.

 

[charliebrown2]

Disclaimer: noob shiner

So I've been under the impression that the general steps are 1) apply cream or paste to nourish the leather and 2) wax polish to create a shiny layer.

I bought one of those kiwi shoe shine kits that come with a black and a brown tin can. I've been presuming that the tin cans are wax polishes for step #2 (i apply cream, then polish from the kiwi tins). Upon closer look at the tins, I just now notice that the tins says "Premium Paste"



So have I been doubling up on the first step listed above where I applied both cream AND paste instead of cream OR paste and then wax? And if I did double up, is that bad for my shoes?

Thanks.

 

[Petepan]

Disclaimer: noob shiner

So I've been under the impression that the general steps are 1) apply cream or paste to nourish the leather and 2) wax polish to create a shiny layer.

I bought one of those kiwi shoe shine kits that come with a black and a brown tin can. I've been presuming that the tin cans are wax polishes for step #2 (i apply cream, then polish from the kiwi tins). Upon closer look at the tins, I just now notice that the tins says "Premium Paste"



So have I been doubling up on the first step listed above where I applied both cream AND paste instead of cream OR paste and then wax? And if I did double up, is that bad for my shoes?

Thanks.

LOL.

You need to understand "why", the function of cream and the function of wax.

I hope you did not go, cream, then wax, then cream, then wax! LOL

Cream first. Moisturize the leather. Let it dry, brush or buff.

Repeat cream if necessary.

After leather is moisturize, apply wax. Let it dry, brush or buff.

If you want spit shine, continue with wax in thin layers and water.

I find that a whiskey and a cigarette also helps.

If you are confused as to whether the "paste" is actually cream or wax, just look at the ingredients.

Cheers.

 

[dddrees]

Best if you use wax on only the heel and toe, and cream only on the rest of the shoe.

 

[dddrees]

Any recomendations on what I should be using on the white portion of these shoes.

Saphir reno I would think would be ok, but what about cream.

Is their any white shoe cream out there?

Picture from Ben Silvers website.

 

[Petepan]

^^^Neutral. Saphir Pomade. Collonil Gold Cream.

 

[dddrees]

^^^Neutral. Saphir Pomade. Collonil Gold Cream.

Thank you sir.

I wonder if using the Saphir Reno will have any ill effects on the white portion of the shoe?

 

[charliebrown2]

LOL.

You need to understand "why", the function of cream and the function of wax.

I hope you did not go, cream, then wax, then cream, then wax! LOL

Cream first. Moisturize the leather. Let it dry, brush or buff.

Repeat cream if necessary.

After leather is moisturize, apply wax. Let it dry, brush or buff.

If you want spit shine, continue with wax in thin layers and water.

I find that a whiskey and a cigarette also helps.

If you are confused as to whether the "paste" is actually cream or wax, just look at the ingredients.

Cheers.

I went cream then wax (or so I thought).

What I'm asking is that what I thought was a tin of wax was actually a tin of "kiwi premium paste". So I'm worried if instead of going cream --> wax, i mistakenly went cream --> paste and if that's bad for my shoes? like maybe over doing the cream and paste or something?

 

[aneyeforaneye]

Some shoe cleaning p0rn:



Just got this today - I'm looking forward to a weekend of polishing!

Where did you bought this shoe shining leather carpet from? It's really nice.

 

[glenjay]



I went cream then wax (or so I thought).

What I'm asking is that what I thought was a tin of wax was actually a tin of "kiwi premium paste".  So I'm worried if instead of going cream --> wax, i mistakenly went cream --> paste and if that's bad for my shoes?  like maybe over doing the cream and paste or something?

It would be very helpful to you to spend some time reading through this thread in your spare time. You will learn a great deal about shoe polish, and shoe polishing. If fact, your question has already been asked and answered in this thread some time ago.

The short answer is that there is really only two types of shoe polish: 1) Cream, and 2) Paste.

All shoe polish contains wax to some degree. The terminology has to do with the wax density of the polish. A paste polish has a higher ratio of wax to the point of becoming a medium hard solid. Because of this it is often referred to as a wax polish.

 

[dddrees]

Has anyone here had any actual experiences with trying to use Saphir Renovateur on white shoes.

Right or wrong I am starting to have doubts tyhat this might not be such a good thing and may change the nice white to something a bit to dull.


Anybody have any thoughts?

Actuall experience of course would be alot better.

 

[nutcracker]

I recall that Saphir Reno is beige-ish in color

 

[dddrees]

I recall that Saphir Reno is beige-ish in color

Its actually white in color in the jar.

I've ordered the Saphir neutral cream, but I'm wondering how I should clean and condition the shoes.

 

[Gerry Nelson]

I have a few questions for those of you that achieve a mirror shine on a regular basis (and I know that there are quite a few here):

• How many layers would you expect to put on bench grade leather starting from scratch before you get a true mirror?
• Do you consistently get a mirror shine in the same amount of time when starting from scratch?
• Time-wise, when you take that little dot of polish and start swirling it around on the leather with the water droplets, how long do you do this before you breath on the leather and continue?
• How much pressure do you use - the weight of your hand or lighter/heavier?

Sorry for all the questions - I find that I'm not getting consistent results and want to drill down on where my technique is going off. I don't do this on all my shoes but I'd like to be able to get a consistent result when I do.

Many thanks in advance.

 

[glenjay]



Heat to remove creases.

I know some SF people hate the creases that develop when they use their shoes. I don't care, but I thought I would pass along this bit of serendipity. Nick V recommended a treatment in which you saturate the creased area with stretching compound then heat them with a hair dryer until completely dry. By chance I happened upon a method that is easier, does not require using stretching fluid (which scares me for what it might do to leather), and uses gentler heat:

I was Sno Sealing a pair of shoes that I use for inclement weather. Obviously not even the nicest shoes I have, let alone the high end shoes many SF's favor. I am not sure I would Sno Seal such shoes.

Anyway, With shoe trees in, I placed them in an electric oven for heat, rather than using a hair dryer. This was too avoid overheating them, which is a worry for me with the dryer.

Using the oven, I set the temperature to 130 degrees. That warmed them uniformly, but never got any part of the shoes actually hot.

I did not check the real temperature since my oven thermometer does not go down that low. It was warm enough to melt Sno Seal, but cool enough that I could remove the cookie sheet on which I set the shoes with my bare hands, and handle the shoes immediately.

As usual with Sno Seal, it took several applications until the leather would take no more. By the time the sealing was done I found that the creases in the vamps had almost completely disappeared. I have not worn them yet to see how quickly they return, but those who hate creases may want to give this a try.

I have not tried heat alone, or heat with conditioner used for dress shoes, so I don't know how much the Sno Seal contributed. Perhaps some shoe afficionado will want to try it. I am pretty sure the heat would not be harmful to the shoes, it just was not that hot.

I would really not suggest this course of action.

What is really happening here is that as the oils liquefy from the heat they fill into the areas of the creased leather that they have been pushed out of. This is a short term fix at best, but the real down side is that as the oil is heated it begins to oxidize. The more heat the greater the oxidation. Oxidation is how oil becomes rancid. And, while this happens naturally over time, sticking your shoe in a 130F oven will accelerate the process.

Think of pouring some cooking oil in a frying pan, heat it to 130F, then pour it back into the bottle and stick it in the pantry. In 6 months you won't want to open that bottle and take a sniff.

If there is any moisture in the shoe (from perspiration, etc...) the problem is even worse because the moisture that is quickly evaporating from the leather is also pulling some of the lubricating oils out of the cellular structure as the moisture is pulled to the surface. Which is why you don't want to rapidly dry a wet shoe.