first time wearing of shoes

[luckyhands]

How would you guys protect your calf skin shoes before wearing them for the first time? How would you waterproof them? Any regimes people go through? thanks!

 

[ter1413]

I would just wear them....they are shoes..To waterproof them, buy an umbrella.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

 

[ter1413]

Originally Posted by patrickBOOTH

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Come on, we all know women don't take nearly this much care in their shoes...

 

[Cant kill da Rooster]

Originally Posted by luckyhands

How would you guys protect your calf skin shoes before wearing them for the first time? How would you waterproof them? Any regimes people go through? thanks!

I am guessing you were in one of those stores where they tried to sell you their $10 leather protectant spray? Just polish your shoes.

 

[luckyhands]

nope, just that after spending nearly £400 on shoes I want to treat them with care. If there are any precautions I can take I think it's reasonable to take them, hence my original question. Thanks

 

[lee_44106]

I silicone sprayed all my shoes prior to wearing. Waterproof and dust/dirt proof.

I'm very careful not to scrape, that's the only way the silicone layer will come off.

High grade chemical silicone is clear/odorless and will not darken leather in anyway.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Try your best to not wear them in the rain. Other than that Saphir renovateur and saphir polishes plus shoe trees and not wearing them on consecutive days is more than satisfactory care.

 

[rabiesinfrance]

The point is, what do you do when they get very wet?

1. Stuff them newspaper, leave to dry

2. Put them on a shoe rack, allow air to reach leather soles

3. When dry apply shoe polish

 

[Gdot]

I recently read the directions as given by the president of John Lobb. He reccommended that whenever you receive a new pair of shoes that the very first thing you should do is to condition them thoroughly. I'm pretty sure he reccommended Saphyr conditioner - but not sure about that. He did reccommend that whatever you apply you should take the time to thoroughly rub the product into the shoe. This warms it up and 'pushes' the conditioner more deeply into the leather.

His statement was that any shoe that has been sitting in a store is likely a bit dry.

Other than that do polish them occasional - but condition them more often (polish will build up easily and start to crack.) You'll know when they are over conditioned if they start to get an oily film or sheen on them that rubs off on your finger.

As for me, I have good luck with plain old Kiwi Mink Oil - use it on any new pair of shoes everytime I wear them until the oily film starts to appear. After which I do nothing but brush them off and put them on shoe trees after wearing. After they start to look a bit dry or scuffed I will polish (Meltonion cream based polish most of the time ). After a polish I again go back to mink oil as needed (again watch out for an oily film which tells you that are using too much.) After a few months (when scuffs and such are no longer covering with the Mink oil) I apply a polish again and the whole cycle repeats.

I know some guys around here swear that you should only use the upper end Saphyr products but I have 20 year old shoes that I've kept up per the above routine that will tell you otherwise.

The only other thing is if they get wet. Do nothing but wipe them down until you get home. At which time you should put them on absorbent shoe trees (unfinished cedar) and leave them alone until they are thoroughly dry (several days). At which point - condition, wear, repeat above process.

All mysteries solved - at least for me.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Mink oil isn't the best for fine leather. It can turn rancid and rot the leather, also too much penetrates into the pores and makes it not take to a shine well. Also, meltonian is a silicone based product, which can dry out leather over time. Saphir products are all natural and have nothing in them that can harm leather.

 

[Knucklehead]

My cobbler recommended Lexol leather conditioner. Have any of you heard of it? Is Lexol any good? If not, I only spent 7 dollars on it.

 

[Achillus]

Originally Posted by patrickBOOTH

Haha.

 

[Gdot]

Originally Posted by patrickBOOTH

Mink oil isn't the best for fine leather. It can turn rancid and rot the leather, also too much penetrates into the pores and makes it not take to a shine well. Also, meltonian is a silicone based product, which can dry out leather over time. Saphir products are all natural and have nothing in them that can harm leather.

Hi Patrick - thank you for the information about Saphir products....

I am now, however, a bit confused........

You mention one of the benefits of Saphir is that it is all natural. Yet mink oil is a natural product, is it not?

Further - Saphir Renovatour's primary conditioning ingredient is Mink Oil (or else a lot of the people who sell it online are mis-informed as this is included in the description of the product over and over again online.)

Thus your statement above is in conflict with itself in that you say Mink Oil will harm leather yet Saphir products (which contain Mink Oil) contain nothing that can harm leather. Am I missing something?

Regarding silicon, it may, or may not, be drying to the leather, I can honostly say I don't know. But it is the 8th most common element known in the universe by mass (see wikipedia) so it is also a naturally derived product.

This leaves me not quite sure I understand the logic in your post regarding Mink Oil in general nor the all natural benefits of Saphir- any thoughts clarifications for me?