Brand New Shoes, Applying Saphir Renovateur... Is This Normal?

[HoopsMcCann251]

Hi all,

I recently acquired a beautiful new pair of cap toe oxfords in dark brown, and decided to do a customary first polish before wearing them. They seem top-notch: Goodyear welted, leather sole, all of the usual accoutrements. However, when I began applying Saphir Renovateur, the pigment began to transfer to the cotton t-shirt I was using.

Is this typical? I haven't encountered this with other shoes I own. But I do acknowledge that I'm a beginner with shoe care .

Thanks for your help!

 

[Crispyj]

It is normal, do not worry. Just excess polish from factory.
You may want to apply some brown shoe cream on though, if the color thins out.

 

[daizawaguy]

Saphir Renovateur is often misunderstood - some people think it Renovates - actually it is used to renovate old shoes - take the excess polish off, and strip layers of old wax. Why would you want to do this on a new pair of shoes?

 

[breakaway01]

exactly. I don't do anything to new shoes. Just wear them.

 

[Crispyj]

Some times, shoes are left on the shelf for an extended period of time before they are sold. You should probably hydrate the shoes as the leather may be a little dry and stiff, before wearing the shoes.

 

[A Guy from Shanghai]

Some times, shoes are left on the shelf for an extended period of time before they are sold. You should probably hydrate the shoes as the leather may be a little dry and stiff, before wearing the shoes.

You are right. I usually apply some leather conditioner (such as bick 4) for new shoes.

 

[Reiver]

Some times, shoes are left on the shelf for an extended period of time before they are sold. You should probably hydrate the shoes as the leather may be a little dry and stiff, before wearing the shoes.

My new Snowdon's were unworn when I received them but I knew they were a few years old but unused.

I decided to give them a light application of Saphir Creme Universelle just to make sure the leather wasn't dry at all.

I'm sure they were fine but Creme Universelle is a lighter product than renovateur so I didn't think it would do any harm.

With Renovateur be careful as it can remove factory burnishing etc.

 

[HoopsMcCann251]

Thanks to all of you for the information! I'm still new at the shoe game, and appreciate your patience with some of my novice questions.

My new Snowdon's were unworn when I received them but I knew they were a few years old but unused.

I decided to give them a light application of Saphir Creme Universelle just to make sure the leather wasn't dry at all.

I'm sure they were fine but Creme Universelle is a lighter product than renovateur so I didn't think it would do any harm.

With Renovateur be careful as it can remove factory burnishing etc.

I'm definitely going to pick up some of that Creme Universelle. Thanks Reiver!

Saphir Renovateur is often misunderstood - some people think it Renovates - actually it is used to renovate old shoes - take the excess polish off, and strip layers of old wax. Why would you want to do this on a new pair of shoes?

That's interesting. And it definitely makes sense. I've been following a lot of YouTube channels on shoe polishing and the majority always begin with Renovateur, even on new shoes. But since I made this thread I've started watching videos from Trenton & Heath, and they talk about being careful when a shoe has a patina from the factory (which I believe is the case here). So, thank you for the insight; I'll avoid using Renovateur to hydrate next time I get new shoes.

So I've added a couple of passes of Saphir dark brown cream polish, and then worked on a shine using Saphir neutral wax and water on the toecaps. It's nothing special but I'm practicing.

I wore them once last week, in the office (carpeted area), and at the end of the day there were some scuffs on the toecaps. Exhibit A:

I would love for you experienced well-shoed individuals to weigh in. Is this type of scuffing normal for a new pair of shoes? What's odd is that I have a pair of black captoes from the same manufacturer, and have been wearing them steadily for a year, but have never had this kind of issue. Do brown shoes suffer more from this than black?

I'm leaving the manufacturer's name out of this thread because, well, I'm embarrassed by my lack of experience, and I don't want them to contact me. I'll reach out to them if I feel this is a defect of some kind, but until I know it's not just my ineptitude, I'm laying low.

I appreciate all of your help, and hope that one day I'll have the art of shoe maintenance down cold.

 

[daizawaguy]

A very complicated mixture of tanning, finishing and polishing variables here. I think you just have to persevere and use creams and polishes and waxes over many times to let them develop their own patina over time. Leathers will soak up the creams and waxes (less so Renovateur), but I'm guessing is that the brown you have may have been influenced by the tanning - but will come back to great life over time. In fact, browns due to the hue will develop and show a better patina than black (which by nature is a solid color) - lots of elbow grease required ahead!

 

[breakaway01]

A common mistake is to overapply products to shoes. The first photo might be cracking of an overly thick coat of wax but I could be wrong. I would just brush out the superficial scuffs in the second photo.

 

[Mikerob_82]

I think a little bit of scuffing is perfectly natural after a day of wearing. If it’s really bad, a touch of shoe cream will fix it.