Shoe care for large collections

[liahos1]

This should hopefully be a short and to the point thread. If one has accumulated a number of shoes but has never worn them, do those shoes need to be conditioned?

E.g. I have a couple of JLs and C&J HG's I bought during Barney's NY bankruptcy. I think I bought these 2-3 years ago but I've never gotten around to wearing them. I was watching a mirror polish shine tutorial video on Youtube a few days ago and the person (not Kirby) said that shoes need to be regularly conditioned even if they aren't worn. This gave me a little anxiety if its true.

How does this work out in real life if one has accumulated 20-30 pairs of shoes? It seems like a horrible drag on time.

 

[Leiker]

This should hopefully be a short and to the point thread. If one has accumulated a number of shoes but has never worn them, do those shoes need to be conditioned?

E.g. I have a couple of JLs and C&J HG's I bought during Barney's NY bankruptcy. I think I bought these 2-3 years ago but I've never gotten around to wearing them. I was watching a mirror polish shine tutorial video on Youtube a few days ago and the person (not Kirby) said that shoes need to be regularly conditioned even if they aren't worn. This gave me a little anxiety if its true.

How does this work out in real life if one has accumulated 20-30 pairs of shoes? It seems like a horrible drag on time.

Polish/condition one pair a month and you get to every pair in two years, so I don't think the time involved for 20-30 pairs should be too onerous.

 

[dieworkwear]

I have shoes that are 10 years old that have never been conditioned. I imagine they can go another five or ten years. They seem fine.

 

[liahos1]

Thank you both for your input. I think I’ll just condition and polish as needed and not “preemptively”

 

[Oshare]

I believe decent calf leather should hold up well if just left alone in their bags and boxes -- unless they are in really hot, or really humid or really dry storage conditions where you might need to worry about mold or drying out.

You may want to use a mild conditioner on them and brush every few years just to be safe... something like a light coat of Lexol or Bick 4.

Non-calf leathers can be different.
Shell cordovan will dry out if left alone over time, so you should definitely moisturize and condition cordovan shoes every once in a while.

And cheap bonded leathers will self destruct over time no matter what. But you mentioned JL and C&J so I think you'll be fine.

 

[usctrojans31]

You can also outsource this to any somewhat decent cobbler. Decide what's more valuable, the time or cash outlay.

 

[Equus Leather]

Surely this is why one has a Butler…

(I wish..)

 

[Cause Moe]

Surely this is why one has a Butler…

(I wish..)

Shirley may have a butler, but is the butler expected to do the job of a valet?

 

[Equus Leather]

Shirley may have a butler, but is the butler expected to do the job of a valet?

We live in difficult times. These days a Butler is expected to do the job of not only a Valet, but also (God forbid) an Under Butler too. We must simply keep our chins up at the lack of domestic help

 

[Genericuser1]

IMO the leather should be hydrated at a minimum (depending on the leather type. CXL would not need it as much I'd imagine). I personally make sure mine have some sort of conditioner every 1-2 years. For suede I condition the inside of the shoe.