Polish Problem

[annexed]

Hello all,

So I bought a pair of caramel leather (not suede) desert boots, and subsequently, some neutral shoe polish (Meltonian) to use on them.

I went to go polish the boots as I usually do with my dress shoes, however, the polish did not spread easily. It was clumpy and went on like wax. I put it in the oven to soften it, and this helped it spread more evenly, but it was still left a waxy residue. I've been using Kiwi black and brown polishes for years and have had nothing similar occur.

I gave up on this and just used an Aldo shoe cleaner/protector I had lying around. This removed most of the discolouration and I'm assuming the rest will come off with wear.

What am I doing wrong? Even after having heated the polish it still took almost half the jar to (do a ****** job) of polishing the shoes. It was king of like waxing a curb, if there are any former skateboarders reading this.

Should I just stick to the cream conditioners and protectants? From researching this forum, it seems like the consensus is that boots should be cared for and polished just as shoes are.

Thanks a lot.

 

[Fred G. Unn]

Read through these:
http://www.styleforum.net/t/228153/the-official-shoe-care-thread-tutorials-photos-etc/0_100
http://www.styleforum.net/t/325234/...brift-h-and-maestro-mens-ex-translation/0_100

If this post is serious, wax polish is really only for the toe and heel, you certainly don't want to put it over the entire shoe. You don't need to put it in the oven. A jar of wax applied with a horsehair dauber could easily last you years, depending on how often you polish. I can't imagine using half a jar on one pair of shoes.

 

[PorDucMan]

Hello all,

So I bought a pair of caramel leather (not suede) desert boots, and subsequently, some neutral shoe polish (Meltonian) to use on them.

I went to go polish the boots as I usually do with my dress shoes, however, the polish did not spread easily. It was clumpy and went on like wax. I put it in the oven to soften it, and this helped it spread more evenly, but it was still left a waxy residue. I've been using Kiwi black and brown polishes for years and have had nothing similar occur.

How did the boots look when you bought them? If they had a dull finish with a waxy feel, they may be oiled or waxed leather. If this is the case, you cannot use regular shoe polish and you will never realize a shiny finish. There are products specially made for this type of leather; but, they are greasy and intended only to help preserve/weather proof them.

 

[annexed]

I think this is the issue. The leather is dull, not as "smooth" as the leather of dress shoes. Should I seek out these products, continue to use Aldo, etc. conditioners/protectants (although these seem to dry out the leather) or just not treat them at all other than wiping them down?

 

[Fred G. Unn]

Here's the Shoe Snob's video on mirror polishing. He applies wax polish around the 12 second mark. That's how much you need, not half a can of melted wax!

 

[annexed]

Here's the Shoe Snob's video on mirror polishing. He applies wax polish around the 12 second mark. That's how much you need, not half a can of melted wax!

Sorry, I mistakenly didn't quote the post by PorDucMan above when I responded; I think he nailed the problem. I've been polishing my dress shoes for years as described in the threads. The leather of these boots does seem to be duller and less smooth.