Remove "high shine" coating on shoes?

[Anden]

I got a deal on a pair of church´s tassel loafers. When they arrived they looked really shiny and my shoemaker confirmed what I feared. A thin layer of "high shine coat" was a part of the deal.
I prefer a man made shine. Is it possible to remove it from the shoe without ruining it?

Thanks!

Andreas

 

[dasai]

In short, no. A "high shine" finish is something that's done to corrected-grain leather, and any attempt to remove the finish will also remove the coloring of the leather, which is simply "painted" over a sanded-down hide.

Other people can probably explain it in more detail, but that's the gist of it.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

It really depends. If it is done by bulling the shoe, it is just polish than can be removed. If the shoes are the Chruch's "polished binder" which is corrected grain leather, they will most likely stay fairly shiny and there is nothing you can do about it. Maybe try wiping them with a damp cloth. If that doesn't work, maybe try powder?

 

[DWFII]

I don't know that shoe in particular but if it is corrected grain the better part of wisdom is to leave it alone.

That said, sometimes the high shine that comes from the factory is an acrylic wax that is especially formulated for leather (it's very flexible). This is similar to what is applied to many, many leathers as they come from the tanner/finisher.

It will dull and wear away by itself.

 

[Anden]

Thanks guys,

I suspect it´s "polished binder"...

My thought was to sand it with a really fine sand paper (is that the correct term?) and then restore it once the outer layer has been taken of...

 

[DWFII]



Thanks guys,

I suspect it´s "polished binder"...

My thought was to sand it with a really fine sand paper (is that the correct term?) and then restore it once the outer layer has been taken of...

Don't do it!

 

[cncrd]



Thanks guys,

I suspect it´s "polished binder"...

My thought was to sand it with a really fine sand paper (is that the correct term?) and then restore it once the outer layer has been taken of...

If they really are corrected grain, all you're likely to do is make a mess if you try to sand them.

You might try very fine grade steel wool, like 0000, just to see what happens. Even if you move it in tiny circles, like barely move your hand, it'll likely still end up looking like any other really shiny surface- think of your car being lightly sanded- with a whole bunch of little swirls in it, unless you spend hours minutely sanding the entire shoe evenly. Church's went to a lot of trouble to make those shoes look, and stay, shiny.

There just isn't a lot of depth to the color on corrected grain to handle the surface abrasion. Some of the shoe folks here might have better ideas, but I would think some kind of chemical treatment, like mineral spirits or something similar, might work better than sanding, but even that still seems like it would just make a mess and likely damage the shoes.

Just an opinion.

 

[Anden]

My sick mind has a lot of ideas. Some are better than others. I should probably not do anything. After some wear they might look more dull.
Thanks for your thoughts.

All the best

Andreas

 

[patrickBOOTH]

I think the moral of this story is don't buy something you don't really like just because you can get a deal on it.

 

[MyOtherLife]



I don't know that shoe in particular but if it is corrected grain the better part of wisdom is to leave it alone.

That said, sometimes the high shine that comes from the factory is an acrylic wax that is especially formulated for leather (it's very flexible). This is similar to what is applied to many, many leathers as they come from the tanner/finisher.

It will dull and wear away by itself.

+1
Also, as DWF has cautioned, do not use sandpaper. You'll irrepairably scuff the leather.
Leave them as is.

 

[Anden]

I think the moral of this story is don't buy something you don't really like just because you can get a deal on it.

I totally agree. I got these on a Swedish "evilbay-site" very cheap and having never worn tassels before I had to jump on it.
I like the color and they fit me really well. The only thing I don´t like is the fake shine. It's like fake boobs.

 

[chogall]

+1
Also, as DWF has cautioned, do not use sandpaper. You'll irrepairably scuff the leather.
Leave them as is.

Or you can make it suede!

 

[patrickBOOTH]



I totally agree. I got these on a Swedish "evilbay-site" very cheap and having never worn tassels before I had to jump on it.
I like the color and they fit me really well. The only thing I don´t like is the fake shine. It's like fake boobs.

If you can touch them, then they are real.