Allen Edmonds Soho/Greenwich polish?

[shoesies]

I have 2 pairs of new Allen Edmonds shoes (soho and greenwich) in cognac (actually one is saddle brown, but i think they shipped me a cognac pair instead >) ... what color polish should I use on them to keep the color the same? AE doesnt offer a cognac color I believe..

If you had to give me advice for owning 3 new pairs of AE (one pair is black, one saddle brown - that looks like cognac, and one cognac) as far as maintaining them, what would you say? sort of the 10 rules to live by to keep them fresh and nice looking...polish regularly? use certain wax? color? brushes/etc.

Also, how important are shoe trees? do I have to buy them from the manufactuer of the shoe company, or can I buy general shoe trees and they will do the same job?

Thanks!

 

[wgiceman]

E now manufactures the cognac premium shoe polish, so that is what I would use. In fact, I just took deliveriy of a pair of Sohos in cognac today, along with the cognac polish. I plan to put the polish on tonight.

I also have the Manhattan in the saddle brown; a beautiful color to me. I had ordered the walnut and saddle brown colors at the same time I ordered the cognac, but for some reason it did not arrive. I will have to check on that. All three colors are now available from AE.

I Have gotten several pairs of AEs from the manufacturer, but I have also gotten some via Zappos, ebay, and Amazon. The Sohos I just purchased came from Amazon and they are perfect.

I would highly recommend getting shoe trees and using them. They will lessen the creasing and maintain the shape of your shoes. I typically get mine from DSW for about $15/pr. I don't see the need to spend the $30+ for shoe trees. Others may disagree.

 

[shoesies]

Hi there,

Thanks for your reply! I bought my Sohos and Greenwich from Amazon.com on sale, amazing price! The cognac and the saddle brown are almost identical in my instance, although when I looked at the saddle brown Manhattan in Harry Rosen it was significantly darker (more like choclate brown). Anyway, I am starting to like the color and now that you say the cognac polish is available I will order it and use it for both pairs.

I bought my 3rd pair, fairfax, off ebay. All are 10D and all brand new, they fit fantastically and I love the way they look (im only 21, not a fan of clunky shoes or extremely classiscal, minus a wingtip here and there

).

 

[forex]

what would you guys use for chestnut AEs? Does AE have chestnut shoe cream?

 

[UserNameToronto]

Originally Posted by shoesies

Hi there,

Thanks for your reply! I bought my Sohos and Greenwich from Amazon.com on sale, amazing price! The cognac and the saddle brown are almost identical in my instance, although when I looked at the saddle brown Manhattan in Harry Rosen it was significantly darker (more like choclate brown). Anyway, I am starting to like the color and now that you say the cognac polish is available I will order it and use it for both pairs.

I bought my 3rd pair, fairfax, off ebay. All are 10D and all brand new, they fit fantastically and I love the way they look (im only 21, not a fan of clunky shoes or extremely classiscal, minus a wingtip here and there

).

Did you get cream? If so where?

I have new 2 pairs of creamless AEs, and free shipping only extends to the US (I see you're 416).

 

[overdog]

Wow, I'm impressed with the factory antiquing on those Grenwichs. The broguing looks like the big dipper though.

 

[FreedBird]

I call the Greenwich the bouncing ball shoe. Back to subject though. The chestnut polish can be used for any of the light tan shoes AE offers like the walnut, cognac, or burnished saddle finish. However, AE just came out with a walnut and cognac polish. Also you don't need shoe cream if you use the AE premium polish because it is the wax and cream in one tube.

 

[wgiceman]

Originally Posted by shoesies

Hi there,

Thanks for your reply! I bought my Sohos and Greenwich from Amazon.com on sale, amazing price! The cognac and the saddle brown are almost identical in my instance, although when I looked at the saddle brown Manhattan in Harry Rosen it was significantly darker (more like choclate brown). Anyway, I am starting to like the color and now that you say the cognac polish is available I will order it and use it for both pairs.

I bought my 3rd pair, fairfax, off ebay. All are 10D and all brand new, they fit fantastically and I love the way they look (im only 21, not a fan of clunky shoes or extremely classiscal, minus a wingtip here and there

).

The cognac color of my Soho's are definitely lighter than the color of your Greenwich's. I think yours look great, and will only look better once you get the polish you want. I also have the Fairfax in chestnut. It is an excellent shoe, in my opinion. It will only look better in time.

 

[TheDroog]

A related question ...

I got the AE Soho in Cognac, but the brown is much lighter than it looked on the website; it's more of a tan rather than a true brown. I'm considering applying a darker wax/polish to the shoe to darken it -- I read in GQ you can use black polish on brown or tan shoes to give them a nice patina over time, but I also don't want to risk ruining the shoes.

Any one have experience doing this? Are the results good?

 

[Trojanman74]

my cobbler carries almost 50 different colors of polish. i like to use his saddlewood polish on my cognac

 

[grimslade]

Originally Posted by TheDroog

A related question ...

I got the AE Soho in Cognac, but the brown is much lighter than it looked on the website; it's more of a tan rather than a true brown. I'm considering applying a darker wax/polish to the shoe to darken it -- I read in GQ you can use black polish on brown or tan shoes to give them a nice patina over time, but I also don't want to risk ruining the shoes.

Any one have experience doing this? Are the results good?

You can do this. Don't try to change the color all at once, and use any polish in small quantities.

 

[shoesies]

I didn't realize there was a cognac color, the previous posts I searched said that it was not available and they were only a couple of months old. So I figured that they were still accurate.

Here are my saddle brown greenwich's and cognac sohos...very similar in color, only a shade or two different.


I would like to keep the color the same on the Soho's, the vibrant cognac looks fantastic!

Also, how do I go about polishing these shoes?

This is my assumption..

1) briskly brush loose dirt away with a soft bristles
2) apply polish in circles all over the shoe, lightly and evenly
3) let stand for a few minutes to soak in
4) take soft cloth and buff out to a shine, applying moisture to the cloth if needed
5) final wiping with very soft cloth, insert shoe trees and call it a night


Let me know if that sounds proper - I really want to take care of these shoes so they last quite some time.

 

[old64mb]

Originally Posted by TheDroog

A related question ...

I got the AE Soho in Cognac, but the brown is much lighter than it looked on the website; it's more of a tan rather than a true brown. I'm considering applying a darker wax/polish to the shoe to darken it -- I read in GQ you can use black polish on brown or tan shoes to give them a nice patina over time, but I also don't want to risk ruining the shoes.

Any one have experience doing this? Are the results good?

If you condition the shoes first with AE conditioner, that'll usually get them a shade or so darker and then you can go from there. My currently unpolished Sohos are definitely darker than yours.

I'm struggling a bit with what wax color to use on them, though, once I'm done with the cream. Tan mostly, but I'll have to mix some other shades in there to prevent it from getting too light.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Originally Posted by forex

what would you guys use for chestnut AEs? Does AE have chestnut shoe cream?

Yes, they do. I have their chestnut cream for my AE Warrens.

(I suppose I should start running before the SF lynch mob comes after me for wearing bicycle toe shoes ....)

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

Originally Posted by shoesies

I didn't realize there was a cognac color, the previous posts I searched said that it was not available and they were only a couple of months old. So I figured that they were still accurate.

Here are my saddle brown greenwich's and cognac sohos...very similar in color, only a shade or two different.


I would like to keep the color the same on the Soho's, the vibrant cognac looks fantastic!

Also, how do I go about polishing these shoes?

This is my assumption..

1) briskly brush loose dirt away with a soft bristles
2) apply polish in circles all over the shoe, lightly and evenly
3) let stand for a few minutes to soak in
4) take soft cloth and buff out to a shine, applying moisture to the cloth if needed
5) final wiping with very soft cloth, insert shoe trees and call it a night


Let me know if that sounds proper - I really want to take care of these shoes so they last quite some time.

I've found my shoes to take on a nice look when using shoe cream, they start to take on a worn-in look.

BTW if you arent using shoe trees yet, time to do so now before big creases are in them.