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Is this normal for new shell cordovans

tebow

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I just got my first pair of Alden shell cordovans in the mail. They looked perfect when I took them out of the box. I tried them on and took no more than five steps in them to make sure they fit and all of the sudden the leather around where the shoe creased started changing colors. Is that normal?
shoe1.jpg
shoe2f.jpg
Also the insert said to use Color 8 shoe past wax. Is that right? Seems like brown paste wax would be a better match
 

phoenixrecon

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have you even bothered to look at shell shoes before?
 

tebow

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Originally Posted by sho'nuff
the pictures dont look like shell to me.
Unless theshoemart sent me the wrong shoes those should be ravello shell cordovans
Originally Posted by phoenixrecon
have you even bothered to look at shell shoes before?
Snide responses are oh so helpful
 

tebow

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What about the color of the paste wax? Is brown OK or should I be using Color 8?
 

JayJay

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Originally Posted by tebow
What about the color of the paste wax? Is brown OK or should I be using Color 8?
The shoes look as ravello shell should. As for polish, the Alden store on Madison in NY recommended medium tan Kiwi wax for ravello.
 

HORNS

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Why not use a neutral paste or cream first? Then, if you don't like the level of augmentation, you can go up to some other color without consequence.
 

HEPennypacker

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Originally Posted by tebow
I just got my first pair of Alden shell cordovans in the mail. They looked perfect when I took them out of the box. I tried them on and took no more than five steps in them to make sure they fit and all of the sudden the leather around where the shoe creased started changing colors. Is that normal?

Same thing happened to me earlier today while in the Alden store trying on shoes. Didn't seem abnormal.
 

bleachboy

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Those creases are textbook shell. Do not worry.

Those aren't #8, Alden just stuck some kind of boilerplate instructions in the box. When my shell creases get objectionably light, I use shoe cream (not wax polish) on the creases to darken them back up. Saphir does a nice medium brown that I believe would be perfect for those shoes.
 

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