Why Shell Cordovan Is The $#!+

[taxgenius]

Holy shi% !

 

[Ich_Dien]

Does the medallion look similar to C&J to anyone else?

 

[kolecho]

Shell shell shell!!!

 

[kevina]

those look exactly like a pair i bought new in san jose from the store in san jose (santana row) just this year.

it was in a different looking cordovan box. it was one of a kind in the back of the store, and in my size too! I wear them all the time to work.

anyway, it's got a Brooks Brothers New York sole, and made in the usa insole.

 

[justsayno]

you can tell by the serial number when the alden made shoes are made

 

[upnorth]

Originally Posted by nate10184

Used a combination of Crema Nubiana and Creme Cordovan to condition and polish these up. Added a new pair of laces as well. Once again the depth of the outers just blew me away. I've sold probably 15+ cordovan shoes from Alden and AE and nothing even approaches these. The weather has been terrible but I'll try to get some better shots when the sun comes out.

After

You just made the original owner ******* upset for selling it. Great work on the polishing.

 

[kalanigee]

WESOME BEFORE & AFTERS

 

[ManofKent]

Originally Posted by nate10184

I've never really liked cordovan, but those shoes could convert me.

 

[taxgenius]

What was your method used?

 

[nate10184]

Originally Posted by taxgenius69

What was your method used?

My first step is always to use the inside of an athletic sock and buff like crazy. Keep buffing until nothing is rubbing off on the sock any more (can take forever some times). This removes any polish buildup that's accumulated over time and is obscuring the natural beauty of the leather underneath. As you can see in the "during" shots, this step makes the biggest difference in the appearance. I could have stopped here but there were still a few dry spots and scuffs that I wanted to knock out.

Next step was to use Crema Nubiana to condition/polish (Ron Rider said Saphir Renovateur works great as well, I wouldn't use Lexol as I feel its too harsh to use on shell). I used a cotton t-shirt to rub a thin layer of the conditioner over the surface. You have to really work the conditioner into the suface until most of it's absorbed. Then again I used the inside of the sock to buff off the excess. This took care of the dry spots that appear where the shoe creases. Did this for the whole shoe then used a horsehair brush at the end to really give it that pop.

I used small amounts of the new Saphir Creme Cordovan (bordeaux) in places where there were scuffs. It seems like a good on-the-spot product for masking nicks and scapes that won't come out with the conditioner alone.

 

[countcount]

Don't want to be a wet blanket. But the idea of buying old cordovan and polishing and buffing it back to beauty isn't a surefire technique.

I had the same idea in mind and picked up an old pair of J&M shell longwings on ebay for around $30 (first picture is from the auction). The second picture is after I received them before I began rubbing and brushing them.

[/IMG]

I spent a little time each day over 2 weeks gently rubbing them with a cloth and brushing with a horse hair brush. As everyone mentioned there is a tendency for people to over polish shell for some reason. I spent hours with the rag removing gunked up polish until finally there was no longer residue coming off **********.

I brushed them and applied polish sparingly to bring out the shine. I was really pleased with the final job that I had done. I planned to wear them, polish again and take pics for my records.

I wore them for the first time yesterday. After I arrived at my desk I looked down to appreciate the beauty of the shell and noticed cracks everywhere. The shoelace holes split open on the right shoe. On the left shoe there were cracks at each of the crease points.

Here are the cracks to the lace holes on the right shoe:

Cracks the crease areas on the left shoe:

It seems that the take away lesson here is that shell cordovan, with all of its great qualities, is still subject to drying out and cracking, even when the pictures look fine. I can only imagine what kind of treatment the shoe went through in its previous ownership to become so severely dry. The shoes seem to have been resoled and re-heeled in the past so I would think that they were well cared for.

In any case, for those who want to replicate nate10184 and gregaz, it may not be a bed of roses.

 

[Chips]

Surefire technique or not, the problem with the shoes you bought were not the way you cleaned them up, but the fact that they were cracked and dried out to begin with.

Shell is about as bulletproof as you can get. But anything neglected like your shoes were in the past will lead to drying out and cracking.

 

[countcount]

Originally Posted by Chips

Surefire technique or not, the problem with the shoes you bought were not the way you cleaned them up, but the fact that they were cracked and dried out to begin with.

Yes, they looked great after I buffed them up--until I wore them, then the cracks popped out. I think whoever over-applied the polish was doing so to cover the cracks.

To the forum:
Any ideas what would cause cracking like this? Saddlesoap?

 

[Chips]

likely just poor maintenance. Not using shoe trees, perhaps letting soaked shoes dry out in a hot dry environment. Some unknowing victims place wet shoes in front of the fireplace overnight to dry them out. Most of the cracking starts as expanding and contracting of the leather as the moisture levels change.

 

[ruben]

Originally Posted by nate10184

Used a combination of Crema Nubiana and Creme Cordovan to condition and polish these up. Added a new pair of laces as well. Once again the depth of the outers just blew me away. I've sold probably 15+ cordovan shoes from Alden and AE and nothing even approaches these. The weather has been terrible but I'll try to get some better shots when the sun comes out.
Nate, just curious why you chose these particular products and where you bought them. Your results are amazing, make my damp cloth and a tiny bit of kiwi cordovan jobs look like crap. Count, (I think you may have outbid me on those) I'd almost just ask for a refund, the original picture is that misleading. Is there any texture to the cracks? or are they just in color? I have some anonymous British shell tassel loafers I've been trying to fix up. They had a fair amount of polish build up, but even after reoving it, they just won't shine at all, they're very dull, and covered in tiny brush scratches.