Shoe cream vs. polish - Page 2

Lexol leather cleaner (NOT the Lexol protectant) or a leather cleaner designed for shoes, such as the Allen Edmonds cleaner.

Dah 328, I think that a cream DOES have some effect of stripping off wax. I recently applied a netral cream to a pair of dark brown Alden cap toes that I had used wax on A LOT and had some wax buildup. It definitely had some effect removing the wax. By rubbing the shoe harder in certain areas, I was able to develop a bit of antique effect by leaving removing more dark brown wax in some areas than in others.

Would one use cream or polish (or both, at different times) on brown shoes with an antique finish such as the RL/EG Cardiffs?

I use neutral wax polish on my antiqued finish shoes. If there is a need to cover scrapes and scratches I will strip back the wax, use shoe cream of a matching or slightly lighter tone to mask the defect, then apply several layers of wax polish on top. Otherwise it's neutral wax only.

To strip a shoe I like Lady Esquire color remover.

Just to bump up: Talked with Tony Gaziano of Edward Green today. His view--- lots of Kiwi, skip the fancy stuff (although there IS an EG polish for sale). Every 8-12 months, strip off the polish and do the shoe cream thing. Repeat. Cleverley (Tony's former employer) gave much the same advice. To add context, I'd say that Tony likes a glossy shoe more than I do. There were a few on display in the NY trunk show that could have tolerated a more natural/matte finish. But he's been around enough to know what works.

Not a big fan of super glossy shoes. I almost always use only shoe cream, but I brush it with 1) brush, 2) cloth, 3) very soft cloth. This develops a decent shine, but it does not look glossy. Occasionally I add leather moisturizer (I'm not sure what it is, mostly lanolin I think). -boston

I normally (on black shoes): Will lightly buff them by hand with a clean white cloth to remove some of the wax buildup Lightly buff with a horsehair brush to remove any bits that might have built-up with the cloth, mainly in the area where the sole meets the shoe Apply black shoe crème as equally as possible to the entire shoe Let come to a dull haze, I want to make sure it adds a nice amount of moister to the shoe Buff with a dark horsehair brush Let sit for a bit Apply first coat of black shoe polish lightly as even as possible, and let that come to a deep haze Brush with horsehair brush Apply second coat of black shoe polish following same directions as the first coat Brush with horsehair brush Then I use a high quality shoe polisher, set at a low setting, and apply the shoe by hand to the clean black lamb's wool end and polish to a smooth finish This leaves my shoes looking polished, with a deep "˜brilliance' (for lack of a better word), but not glossy / glassy at all Jon.

I thought the C&J Weymouth was the official SF shoe?

Speaking of C&J, does anyone own the Weymouth in Black? Or is the preferred colour here the antique tan that BS sells or the dark oak (?) that Plal sells?

This gives you what the late Bill Blass called a "gentleman's buff". I prefer this look as well.

As far as I know Polish tend to dry out the leather more then a cream but if you allready have a great antique look the cream might cover it all up. I use different colors of cream to make my brown shoes lighter or darker but as soon as they get the antique look I´m after I´ll go with a Neutral or slightly darker polish then the shoe.

Because of the possible alcohol in the polish, make sure the cream you use as a complement is very moisturizing so the leather wont crack after time.

Changing the thread slightly but -- any recommendations on how to keep tan leather shoes the original tan color? Any time I use either a cleaner, creme or polish, the leather always darkens a couple shades. I've tried using a lighter color polish or creme (as Lobb suggest) but I get the same result -- a darker shade. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks.

For my tan leathers I use only periodic (once per month or two) applications of leather conditioner, let completely dry (1 hour), lightly brush, then buff with a flannel cloth. I apply not one drop of polish and have never needed to. The small scuffs that come with wear, I embrace as they add character. The key to maintaning the original colour is to let the leather lotion (conditioner) completely dry before brushing. Brushing while the leather is moist will burnish it and this means darkening it.

If you have too much wax polish build up on your shoes, you can take the plunge and strip all the wax off using Saphir Renomat - I have used this product many times, and if you literally want to start again with building your patina back up, then this is a great product.

It will leave the original leather colour and be ready for cream and then wax to your specification.