Shoe Conditioner scoffed at by Jermyn Street...

[Ich_Dien]

Well, after reading all your advice here i finally decided to get myself some shoe conditioner (mainly for a pair of my GF's boots which looked thirsty).

I asked in all of the shops on Jermyn Street (Russell & Bromley, Lobb, Edward Green, Crockett & Jones, Trickers), and no-one had any idea what I was on about. Is conditioning your shoes foreign to the UK? I've had no luck finding it anywhere. The best advice i got was from the chap in Trickers, who said just do as you were told when you were younger - "Polish your shoes!!".


Help appreciated.

 

[chobochobo]

It's pretty much polish in a can or that horrible brush on stuff you get in the supermarkets.

 

[Charley]

I have not spoken to anyone at Trickers so do not know what their theories of shoe care are.

However, I do use either Lexol or Meltonian conditioners regularly. My practice is to use a brush and then a damp cloth to wipe off all dirt. I then apply the conditioner liberally and rub it a bit. I expect that the conditioner will soften some of the dead polish on the shoes and also penetrate the leather. I give the conditioner a few minutes to dry and rub that and brush it to be pretty dry. Next, I apply the Meltonian shoe cream lightly. The cream seems to distribute better for me and results is a somewhat softer glow of a shine, JMHO. When hazed over I brush that to give the shine. It is not necessary to use the conditioner with every polishing job. But I would try to get some on each pair a couple of times a year.

There is no doubt that leather will dry. When dry it will absorb anything more readily. The two most damaging conditions are excessive wet and excessive dry. I don't believe that a regular shoe wax will provide much relief from either condition. Maybe the conditioner accomplishes very little for preserving the leather. I do believe that it does make the shine look better and helps to distribute the polish without having excessive wax buildup. Very little extra effort or cost for the comfort.

 

[HORNS]

That's disappointing advice considering that my shoes feel and look better when I've conditioned them.

There have been a lot of shoe fanatics on here that have been evangelical about conditioning your shoes once you initially bought them - Grimslade specifically comes to mind - and I have taken up their advice with great results. The older shoes, which I never conditioned but had trees in them, developed and maintained a better shape after I started conditioning them.

I've also gone nuts and conditioned all of my wife's purses (dozens) and they as well look and feel much better. Regretfully, she could care less.

 

[koolhistorian]

Go to a Bata shop and find Crema Alpina, or search another shoe shop for Crema Nubiana (it is the same product, rebranded Alpina for Bata). It is a milky liquid product, sold in bottles.

 

[lizmasc]

Maybe the fellas at Jermyn Street as not as professional as we think they'd should be. Good customer service requires that. They definetely don't read this forum that's for sure

 

[Ich_Dien]

It just appears to be very hard to find at all which is a shame. Will Saphir Lotion be a good substitute?

 

[ManofKent]

Originally Posted by jimmyoneill

It just appears to be very hard to find at all which is a shame. Will Saphir Lotion be a good substitute?

I initially used Lord Sheraton Leather Balsam (supermarkets everywhere), and it did an okay job, but I've switched to Lexol and it's excellent. Not available in the UK, but I bought mine from the US from this seller: http://stores.ebay.co.uk/SnaveTrade who I can strongly recommend.

 

[Scrumhalf]

I just got a bottle of Allen Edmonds Conditioner - I have read on AAAC (and perhaps here as well) that the Lexol might darken leather slightly whereas the AE conditioner does not.

 

[flatfront]

Strange you have had such an experience as C&J gave me a tub of cream with a pair of shoes and mentioned using it every few months instead of polish.

 

[Ich_Dien]

Originally Posted by flatfront

Strange you have had such an experience as C&J gave me a tub of cream with a pair of shoes and mentioned using it every few months instead of polish.

Can you give me the product details please?

 

[Percy Trimmer]

Dasco leather conditioner ("cleans and conditions smooth and grained leather shoes") is readily available in the UK. You could email them for a stockist [email protected] I think I bought my last pot at Walter's of the Turl in Oxford.

It may be that 'conditioner' is not the sort of thing a chap admits to using. If you had asked for saddle soap or leather food they would probably have been able to help you. I use Chelsea Leather Food (you can get it at John Rushton's in Wimpole Street) which I think is better than conditioner anyway.

 

[grimslade]

I'm not a huge fan of Lexol on shoes, FWIW. I haven't conducted any studies. But my sense is that other things work better. HORNS, I didn't realize I was being fanatical

 

[HORNS]

Originally Posted by grimslade

I'm not a huge fan of Lexol on shoes, FWIW. I haven't conducted any studies. But my sense is that other things work better. HORNS, I didn't realize I was being fanatical

In a good way, of course. I mean, look at your signature!