Care for shell cordovan color #8- Alden longwings 975

[izzyfuld]

hi guys, i recently picked up a sweet pair of the Alden longwing 975. Its been a couple of weeks now and i think its time to give them some TLC. I've heard a lot of good about the brand saphir and their products. what do you guys think about them? I want to hear some techniques on care and polish for these great shoes.

 

[mymil]

Read all of this: http://www.styleforum.net/t/228153/the-official-shoe-care-thread-tutorials-photos-etc

Short answer: clean them with a very lightly damp soft cloth, use a little bit of Renovateur on them, and then buff them with a brush or a soft cloth or whatever.

 

[izzyfuld]

you dont use any colored wax or polish with them?

 

[PhiPsi32]

You want to use as little cream polish as possible as infrequently as possible. Do a search for the "Mac Method".

 

[Breedlove]

No need for cream polish until after the 15th wear or so.
Until then, stick to the Mac method religiously:
http://theagatineeyelet.wordpress.com/2010/10/05/the-mac-method/

 

[mymil]

No need for any polish, ever.

 

[izzyfuld]

No need for any polish, ever.

scuffs just buff out?

 

[mymil]

scuffs just buff out?

Yes, they do! Or if they don't, you can rub them with a deer bone or a spoon.

 

[PhiPsi32]

There's a video from Horween on this I will post later.

 

[izzyfuld]

Yes, they do! Or if they don't, you can rub them with a deer bone or a spoon.

deer bone?! sounds crazy

 

[PhiPsi32]

You ain't kiddin'

http://www.hangerproject.com/closet/horn-bone.html

 

[nate10184]

No need to polish shell ever, renovateur provides enough of a shine. Crema Alpina gives an even better shine if you can find it.

scuffs just buff out?

Most of them do yes. Using the inside of an athletic sock you can buff out some really bad scratches if you use enough elbow grease. The buffing will mar the surface a bit though, to bring back the shine just apply renovateur. For the worst scratches I have some creme cordovan from Saphir...rarely necessary though.

 

[Kai]

For many years, I have been using the occasional dab of sno-seal waterproofer on my cordovan shoes.

http://www.amazon.com/Sno-Seal-7-oz/dp/B005L9EEHU

It's a beeswax based product. After a while, when the buffing and brushing can't restore the original luster of the leather, I've found that working in a modest amount of sno-seal into the shoes really rejuvenates them.

So, my routine is buffing and brushing, with occasional (very light) applications of paste wax, and occasional (very light) applications of sno-seal.

 

[fritzl]



No need for any polish, ever.

why is that? in my understanding a conditioner adds more unneeded than creme, anyway. so i assume you're just overfeeding with conditioner, not?

 

[mymil]

why is that? in my understanding a conditioner adds more unneeded than creme, anyway. so i assume you're just overfeeding with conditioner, not?

Shell doesn't need cream polish because it doesn't need additional pigment, and it doesn't need polish (either cream or wax) to get a nice shine. Some people claim that the turpentine in cream polishes actually damages the shell; I don't know. What would it mean to "overfeed"? I don't add very much at a time, and I don't think I do it too frequently... so feed, yes. But overfeed, hopefully not. What I do know is that Renovateur improves the appearance of the leather.