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

[David Copeland]

completely new shoes a few weeks old, havent been worn. this is what happened after a week of shoe trees that were put in which had been sized by a cobbler. I am okay with the other creases but its just this huge stretch mark that is annoying the hell out of me. What can I do to reduce that mark?

left pair:



right pair:

Sorry, I don't recognize the manufacturer from the photo.

What store did you buy them from?

What is the manufacturer of the shoes?

What amount did you pay for the shoes?

David

 

[a recent grad]

a

 

[glenjay]



About suede shoes: when I find dirt that don't go away brushing I wash them with hair shampoo..the first time I tought "if this is delicate enought for my head it also be for my shoes". I find this works great. Any experiences?

Yes, I use American Crew shampoo because it uses coconut oil as the conditioning oils.

Most of the suede spray cleaners smell terrible and include mineral oil.

 

[kwhitelaw]

evening gents,

cross posting this from another forum, hoping someone can help out..

working on my first pair of AE shells (specifically seconds Patriots in brown) and cannot seem to get a shine up. I brought some renomat into the mix, and pulled some wax? off the shoe, then hit with a brush for quite a bit. improved over the none treated shoe, but I'm hoping to get a shine similar to what alden offers on their shell..

any ideas?keep stripping to try and get down to the original shell? start applying some wax (which seems contradicting to what I've read in the past in that shell should have minimal, if any product..

would love some ideas, I'm open to try anything as these are beaters so to speak..

thanks in advance!!

 

[masernaut]

^
Brush, brush, brush, brush, brush. Rinse and repeat.

I've got a pair of brown shell Patriots that were ridiculously dull from the AE factory finish. I did use Renomat/Renovateur on them but it didn't do the trick; however, I did not use the two extensively as I began to think their excessive use would be a waste of the product). I then started following the Mac Method (excluding the damp cloth wipe-down). I'll sit down in front of a documentary and brush away. Brushing doesn't remove the factory finish, but it does bring in a nice shine.

DO NOT use any wax/cream. Although it will help to make the shell shinier, it will simply add more wax/cream that you'll eventually have to get rid of.

 

[chogall]

^
Brush, brush, brush, brush, brush. Rinse and repeat.

I've got a pair of brown shell Patriots that were ridiculously dull from the AE factory finish. I did use Renomat/Renovateur on them but it didn't do the trick; however, I did not use the two extensively as I began to think their excessive use would be a waste of the product). I then started following the Mac Method (excluding the damp cloth wipe-down). I'll sit down in front of a documentary and brush away. Brushing doesn't remove the factory finish, but it does bring in a nice shine.

DO NOT use any wax/cream. Although it will help to make the shell shinier, it will simply add more wax/cream that you'll eventually have to get rid of.

You do realize that is effectively sanding down the shoe to a smooth surface thus "bring" out the shine...

 

[masernaut]

Is that detrimental to the uppers?

 

[chogall]

no.

 

[masernaut]

That is good to hear! Something new I learned today about vigorous brushing.

 

[chogall]

Don't listen to me or you might got burned by Alden fans for listening to a non cordovan loving pagan.

"Shining" is essentially smoothing out surfaces with abrasives; the smoother the surface the more shine it reflects. Adding wax to smooth out the pores will make life much easier.

 

[Chowkin]

Yes they are for graduation, from architecture and i didnt want to go black.

They are cheaney bealiue shoes , from crane brothers, about 900nzd

Any chance of returning them since they have not been worn? The shoe trees might be partly to blame but then it could be the leather not being of good quality

 

[MoneyWellSpent]

You do realize that is effectively sanding down the shoe to a smooth surface thus "bring" out the shine...

Is that detrimental to the uppers?

no.

That is good to hear! Something new I learned today about vigorous brushing.

Don't listen to me or you might got burned by Alden fans for listening to a non cordovan loving pagan.

"Shining" is essentially smoothing out surfaces with abrasives; the smoother the surface the more shine it reflects. Adding wax to smooth out the pores will make life much easier.

I may be nitpicking (but masernaut's follow up question shows that "sanding" may not be the best term to use.) I would just go back to the use of the word "sanding" and change that to something different (whatever that may be). I think the word sanding brings certain implications with it, which aren't true. Sanding is the removing of surface imperfections from the medium being sanded (such as wood), which creates fine particles of removed surface to make it smooth using an abrasive material like sand paper or steel wool. When you are obtaining a shine on a leather surface, you aren't modifying the leather surface itself, and no amount of brushing will harm the actual leather. You are modifying the soft polish (wax or cream) by spreading it over the imperfect leather surface, filling the pores, etc. A horse hair brush does not do anything to the leather itself, it only effects the polish.

 

[kwhunter]

Anybody knows what kind of wax is hot applied to the edge of the soles? It is a wax that hardens when cold and makes the edges shiny and water tight (not that edge dressing though...).
And where can that be bought?
Thank you.

 

[kwhunter]

Another question: I asked a couple shoe manufacturers about fitting metal toe taps to their soles and both said they neither do it, nor endorse it...
I wonder why?! It is a common practice to prevent the excessive and premature wear of the tip of the sole.

 

[Ecstasy]

Another question: I asked a couple shoe manufacturers about fitting metal toe taps to their soles and both said they neither do it, nor endorse it...
I wonder why?! It is a common practice to prevent the excessive and premature wear of the tip of the sole.

Which ones? The ones I know do it.