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removing paint from leather sole

post #1 of 4
11/20/11 at 6:06pm
Thread Starter 
hey gents,
I've never been a big burgundy shoe guy, but I'd like to experiment, so I'm about to make an offer on a pair of AE cliftons that were apparently a retail return. As such, the soles were painted black. While this has no effect on the shoe, I think it looks crappy, so I'd like to remove it and get back to the natural tan of the sole.

Do you think acetone or denatured alcohol will take off this paint without injuring the sole?

Thanks:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ALLEN-EDMONDS-CLIFTON-CAP-TOE-OXFORD-SIZE-10-D-SHOE-BURGUNDY-295-MENS-/310352158621?pt=US_Men_s_Shoes&hash=item48426e1f9d

that shows the paint.
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post #2 of 4
11/20/11 at 6:36pm
I wouldn't mess with chemicals on the soles. Just wear them on a walk to the post office next weekend and most of it will come off.

EDIT - Although looking at that shoe I would question whether they were "gently worn once or twice." The interior looks like they've been worn more than that, and it's possible the black marking was done to cover up wear on the soles. I've never heard of AE marking the soles black to prevent returns. I would avoid.

Also, burgundy punchtoe derby shoes would not be among the first two dozen pairs of shoes I would purchase.
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post #3 of 4
11/20/11 at 8:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by harvey_birdman View Post

I wouldn't mess with chemicals on the soles. Just wear them on a walk to the post office next weekend and most of it will come off.
EDIT - Although looking at that shoe I would question whether they were "gently worn once or twice." The interior looks like they've been worn more than that, and it's possible the black marking was done to cover up wear on the soles. I've never heard of AE marking the soles black to prevent returns. I would avoid.
Also, burgundy punchtoe derby shoes would not be among the first two dozen pairs of shoes I would purchase.

+1 on everything.
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post #4 of 4
11/20/11 at 9:07pm
Looking at the tops I would say the seller is being honest enough. Minimal creasing suggests these shoes have hardly been worn.
He probably applied shoe dye to the soles so any novice buyer will not bother him with stupidly unfounded concerns such as 'gee the soles are scuffed..these aren't new.' The shoes look solid to me.
To the question of removing the dye on the soles, I agree with Harvey on this. If you purchase them, just wear them and it will wear off soon enough. I wouldn't be concerned about this at all. Acetone will not resolve your concern anyway. You may get some of the dye off but not all of it. Even if you get half of it off, there will still remain a ghosting effect so leave as is.
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