Shoe polishing Questions

[Nico Samuel Pleninsek]

I thrifted a beautiful pair of vintage J&M US made captoes a few weeks ago. They are in great need of polish and conditioning. The color is a sort of burgundy; I go into a local shoe store last week, and the salesman insisted that they must be cordovan, but the cordovan color is very purple; I did not take the shoe in, but he insisted that even if they were a burgundy color that cordovan polish is the appropriate choice. Areas of the shoe have brighter red hints. So if I wish to bring about a more reddish color to the shoes what polish colors ought I consider?

Should I go with burgundy polish and perhaps maroon mixed in? Should I used creams or waxes?
What do you think about meltonian shoe creams? There appears to be a large range of colors at good prices.

To remove a bit of paint from the upper would it be an ill decision to use perhaps turpentine to remove it? I remember that Saphir uses it in their polish, I'm just a bit leary of it stripping off the coloring of the leather due to using it in its pure form.

Thankyou,

Ben

 

[Tarmac]

don't let him do anything until you show us a pic

 

[Nico Samuel Pleninsek]

I'll post a pic tommorow; however, I am the one who will polish them. I just went into the above mentioned store asking for shoe polish advice, which was not much advice at all.

 

[snowtrooper]

i am pretty sure that never use cream on cordovan

 

[Golf_Nerd]

Originally Posted by snowtrooper

i am pretty sure that never use cream on cordovan

Sure?

 

[snowtrooper]

Originally Posted by Golf_Nerd

Sure?


Quoted from Alden shoe of Carmel

The most common mistake men make in caring for their cordovan shoes is using too much polish, and polishing the shoes too often. The excess polish creates a layer of build-up which has three negative effects: 1) it covers the natural beauty of the leather, 2) it creates a grainy texture in the creases of the shoes, 3) and the build-up of polish scuffs easily and attracts dust.

To avoid these effects, use only the thinnest film of polish when polishing your cordovan shoes. Just a very small amount, spread very thin over the shoe, is all that is needed to restore the color and luster to your cordovan shoes. You should not have to polish your cordovan shoes frequently, and often all that is needed is to brush and cloth them in order to remove scuffs and restore the shine.

After the polish is applied, let it dry. Once the polish is dry, we often wipe the excess polish off with a paper towel before brushing the shoes with our horsehair brush. Lastly, the remaining film of polish may be wiped away with a soft buffing cloth.

For shell cordovan shoes, Alden reccommends using paste wax polish, and not shoe cream.
Here are the "don'ts" of shell cordovan care:

1. Do not use 'neutral' polish
2. Do not clean cordovan shoes using saddle soap
3. Do not attempt to clean cordovan shoes using petroleum distillates or cleaning fluids
4. Do not use any spray shines or aerosol type waterproofs
5. Do not attempt to dry wet shell cordovan shoes with heat or a heater. Wipe them dry, and allow them to dry naturally
6. Do not attempt to polish shell cordovan shoes while wet

 

[Tarmac]

Alden sells wax for their cordovan, while AE sells cream for theirs. Go figure.

 

[paper clip]

I am confused. Are the shoes cordovan leather (shell) or cordovan (burgundy) colored calf?

If calf, clean the shoes up with baby wipes and then use cream to nourish and then wax to even out the surface and get a shine.

If shell, clean 'em up with baby wipes and then brush vigorously and for a long time with a horsehair brush to help restore and even out the natural oils already in the shell. Only use a little bit of wax at the end to get a more shiny appearance. Shell is not really porous, so using cream or a lot of wax is a waste.

 

[well-kept]

From your description of the color I'm guessing they are not shell cordovan. J&M made very few shell cordovans. They made zillions of shoes with a similar appearance, their own corrected grain which was quite reddish underneath with a much darker finish over it. When the shoes had worn a bit they had a two-color appearance, the red showing through the dark, almost black, topcoat. Are there fine lines in the creases on the vamp? If so it's calf and you can go ahead and polish them any way you choose, using anything you choose. No fine lines in the creases - they're shell and so follow guidelines given by others above..

 

[grimslade]

E sells cream for their cordovan, and I use it, along with Woly cream. Cordovan responds well to it. In fact, I have a terrible time getting wax polish to "take" on cordovan. YMMV, of course.

 

[Nico Samuel Pleninsek]

I want to continue the brighter red underneath the darker burgundy.

 

[Tarmac]

Not shell cordovan. use any regular leather polish

btw I believe Kiwi's polish called "cordovan" is just the color, not for shell. so you could use that

 

[Eustace]

Originally Posted by Tarmac

Not shell cordovan. use any regular leather polish

btw I believe Kiwi's polish called "cordovan" is just the color, not for shell. so you could use that

+1

 

[Nico Samuel Pleninsek]

Originally Posted by Tarmac

Not shell cordovan. use any regular leather polish

btw I believe Kiwi's polish called "cordovan" is just the color, not for shell. so you could use that

Okay, but doesn't the color of the polish influence the coloring of the leather's appearance? Then I would want to get burgundy polish. Ought I get cream or wax? Why are there two types? What is the benefit of one over the other? If I go with cream, do I use a conditioner prior to applying the polish. Thankyou, that was a whole lotta questions.

 

[Tarmac]

there are a billion threads on cream vs. wax. personally the difference is negligible. you can try for yourself and see if you have a preference.

get one of the following colors: oxblood, burgundy, or cordovan