damn

[shoesies]

damn...I just polished my AE Soho's in cognac with a neutral polish and they seem to have darkened a full shade! I'm sort of upset, I really dig the light yellow-cognac color and now it's more a tan/brown. Will this effect lessen when they are exposed to the sun/wear a little?

The other polish I have is a medium brown, which I surely thought would darken the color a shade or two - that's why I tried the neutral tonight.

oh well..

 

[Cary Grant]

Check again in the A.M. They're moist after polishing.

 

[wgiceman]

get AE's cognac polish.

 

[Golf_Nerd]

Originally Posted by Cary Grant

Check again in the A.M. They're moist after polishing.

+1

Never use neutral (it is getting grey) and use lightcoloured shades (cream).

 

[shoesies]

I have AE's cognac polish, but it feels more like a cream than a polish to me? They are definitely darker, even in the am, but what can I do now? it's not unbearable!

 

[pitboss12]

Post a pic.

 

[Wes Bourne]

You might want to strip them of the polish and start over. I used nail polish remover (acetone), applied with big cotton pads, when I accidentally applied too much polish on the vamp of some tan Grensons. I think it removed ALL the wax that was ever applied and left them quite dry. I then applied 2 coats of Lexol conditioner (with adequate drying time between them) and went about my usual waxing routine. Result is so good that I now do that whenever I want to remove old wax buildup on a pair of shoes.

 

[FidelCashflow]

same thing happened to me once, luckily I only tested it on the tip of the tongue before I went any further. neutral ******... we should start a class action lawsuit!

 

[Golf_Nerd]

Originally Posted by pitboss12

Post a pic.

+1

 

[Holdfast]

Originally Posted by FidelCashflow

same thing happened to me once, luckily I only tested it on the tip of the tongue before I went any further. neutral ******... we should start a class action lawsuit!

I really need to stop reading posts too quickly. You really don't want to know what I originally read this as......

 

[shoesies]

lol!

I'll snap a pic when i get home

 

[Wes Bourne]

I actually don't use neutral polish anymore as it seems to highlight creases. For my lightest band aid colored shoes, I have a tin of light brown polish that came with a pair of shoes. Since the mishap, I just dab a very small amount on a cloth (strip of old cotton t-shirt) and apply it slowly, without exerting any pressure, over a large area of the shoe. I repeat this until the whole shoe has some polish. Then I brush the shoes briskly (again, little to no pressure). Final once-over with a flannel cloth or old pantyhose to bring out the shine and I'm done.

If you use too much pressure when you apply the polish, you might end up burnishing the leather instead of polishing it. To me, burnishing is the process by which polish (or pigment from polish) of any color actually gets deeply imbedded into the leather as a result of excessive pressure/friction. It often leaves darker areas where the polish was applied. Best way to know? If you get a burning sensation in your fingertips, you're definitely burnishing...I think this is how a lot of makers impart a hand burnished finish to their shoes.

 

[embowafa]

Originally Posted by Wes Bourne

You might want to strip them of the polish and start over. I used nail polish remover (acetone), applied with big cotton pads, when I accidentally applied too much polish on the vamp of some tan Grensons. I think it removed ALL the wax that was ever applied and left them quite dry. I then applied 2 coats of Lexol conditioner (with adequate drying time between them) and went about my usual waxing routine. Result is so good that I now do that whenever I want to remove old wax buildup on a pair of shoes.

Thanks for the tip....I have a couple pairs with a little too much buildup.

Where/what stores can I find the Lexol conditioner?

 

[Wes Bourne]

Originally Posted by embowafa

Where/what stores can I find the Lexol conditioner?

I got mine from ebay seller `bsrader`, but there's a lot of other sellers as well. I purchased 2 each of the 200ml Lexol leather cleaner and Lexol leather conditionner. Imho, the leather cleaner is useless. You're supposed to work up a lather using a small amount of cleaner and a moist cloth, then wipe away. Problem is, the lather instantly penetrates into the leather, leaving it wet with nothing to wipe away! Gives me the impression I got soap into the uppers and only way to remove it is to put the whole shoe under running water, which I'm not prepared to do...

To remove surface dirt, I just clean with an old rag moistened with water, then wipe dry with another cloth. For deeper cleaning, I use acetone as detailed above. ymmv.

The Lexol conditionner is great; I've developped the ocd habit of applying 2 light coats before wearing any new shoes for the 1st time. Might not be necessary or be all that beneficial, but it gives me peace of mind to know I did all I could to minimize creasing.

 

[Wes Bourne]

Btw, if any of you have:
-old pair of corrected grain beaters
-acetone
-too much free time
I suggest soaking a large cotton pad in acetone and taking it to the cg shoes. Do this in front of your kids as it will serve as a valuable lesson on the evil that lies beneath corrected grain.