G&G Hayes in Vintage Rioja

[tailorrmade]

Hello everyone

I purchased a pair of G&G Hayes in the Vintage Rioja finish a while back and wore them twice. The first time I wore them I noticed a discoloration on the vamp of the shoe that I didn't think was "normal". I emailed Dean about it and he said it was due to the type of dye that was used in the Vintage finishes. He instructed me to polish the shoes with Kiwi cordovan and black. I did just that and the shoes were just "OK". So, I wore them one more time and put them back in the closet. I meant to email him again to let him know the condition of the shoes but I thought I might ask this forum (some of you know more than a liittle bit about shoes) to see what you thought first. Check out the pics and please excuse the Nordstrom shoe trees as G&G was out when I ordered the shoes.

Is this normal to this shoe? Has this happened with any of the other Vintage Rioja shoes that any of you bought? Should I be asking for another pair at this point? Am I being a little too particular here? Please keep in mind that I do own EG, JL, Borgioli, Martegani, Testoni, etc. and NONE look like this.

thanks!!!

 

[dkzzzz]

These are no doubt their retail collection. Not to say that I have not seen horribly mangled bespoke from them.
My guess would be (and this is just a guess) that the color dye is chipping in small pieces and falling off where those creases formed which in my mind would be consistent with cheap synthetic dye being applied to the shoe to create the original color instead of expensive vegetable dye process.

 

[Chips]

I don't see anything wrong with the creases, they are just showing the undertones of the reddish finish to the leather.

I think they look beautiful.

 

[dopey]

This is the nature of shoes with that finish. I believe the color is built by G&G in layers on a "crust" leather, as opposed to a dye that is applied at the tannery for a more uniform look. You either like it or you don't, but it is the nature of that kind of finish.

 

[zjpj83]

That is crust leather. dkzzzz doesn't know what he's talking about.

 

[jjl5000]

I have burgundy EG's that look just the same. The creasing causes the polish to flake off (for want of a better term). Every few polishes, I apply Kiwi bordeaux cream which completely restores the finish before applying any wax.

Perhaps this 'issue' is particularly noticeable with burgundy as the antique leather is only a pinkish colour before polishes are applied by hand to create the final finish.

 

[chorse123]

nevermind.

 

[zjpj83]

I had the flaking happen very badly on pair of Edward Green Southwolds in dark oak. It's just the nature of the finish and, as dopey says, you either like it or you don't. I don't particularly and will stick with aniline for the foreseeable future.

 

[dkzzzz]

Originally Posted by zjpj83

That is crust leather. dkzzzz doesn't know what he's talking about.

Is crust leather another way of saying corrected grain?

 

[sartort]

No. I have only the slightest knowledge in this area, but from what I know it refers to a method of applying or building up color on the leather. The other method is analine dye which will give you a more uniform finish.

 

[Flieger]

Originally Posted by dkzzzz

Is crust leather another way of saying corrected grain?

No.
crust leather is far superior to corrected grain.
Aniline is in my opinion a bit boring, but superb for people who like their shoes to look new for as long as possible.
Crust leather antiques much earlier on. Polish and wear make a crust leather pair of shoes look older than they really are, compared to a similar pair of aniline leather.
I like crust for its patina.

 

[zjpj83]

Originally Posted by dkzzzz

Is crust leather another way of saying corrected grain?

No. It has to do with the tanning. Crust leather is not dyed completed by the tanning but, rather, gets most of its color from subsequent polishing.

 

[zjpj83]

Originally Posted by sartort

No. I have only the slightest knowledge in this area, but from what I know it refers to a method of applying or building up color on the leather. The other method is analine dye which will give you a more uniform finish.

Exactly. When I have gotten bespoke shoes in a crust leather, I actually got to see them in their base finish at their first fitting. The color looks nothing like what it ultimately will look like - much lighter, quite drab and without depth. The color is then added by the shoemaker after the fitting with creams and polishes.

 

[speedster.8]

Originally Posted by zjpj83

No. It has to do with the tanning. Crust leather is not dyed completed by the tanning but, rather, gets most of its color from subsequent polishing.

Originally Posted by Flieger

No. crust leather is far superior to corrected grain. Aniline is in my opinion a bit boring, but superb for people who like their shoes to look new for as long as possible. Crust leather antiques much earlier on. Polish and wear make a crust leather pair of shoes look older than they really are, compared to a similar pair of aniline leather. I like crust for its patina.
+1 and you can thus create a much richer patina & life in the finish !!!

 

[Gus]

I don't like the way they look. I had this same problem with a pair of Berluti shoes in a similar color. Even repeated refinishing by Berluti specialists didn't fix it.

I haven't been able to correct this once it happens. I know you can't correct it with wax polish. The wax just stays on the surface.

Rider, on this Forum, will strip the finish and refinish them with dyes. That seems to be the only solution.

If he isn't available, consider sending them back to G&G to be refinished with dyes and not topical cremes and waxes.