Shoes - High shine or low? Wax or cream? Taps or naked?

[nycwallst]

So, I have some questions about shoes. When I go to the cobbler, I hear the following:

1) Get cream, not wax, as it's better for the shoes.

2) Get Vibram soles and taps installed.

In this forum, I've also heard that:

3) finer leather shoes don't need a high shine, and often times lower quality leathers mask their imperfections with a shine.

So, with all this said, do you:

1) Use cream, wax or a combo?

2) Go for a dull, mid or high shine?

3) Get Vibram soles?

4) Get taps?

Any significant reasons that impact your preferences would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

[ferguscan]

Originally Posted by nycwallst

So, I have some questions about shoes. When I go to the cobbler, I hear the following:

1) Get cream, not wax, as it's better for the shoes.

2) Get Vibram soles and taps installed.

In this forum, I've also heard that:

3) finer leather shoes don't need a high shine, and often times lower quality leathers mask their imperfections with a shine.

So, with all this said, do you:

1) Use cream, wax or a combo?

2) Go for a dull, mid or high shine?

3) Get Vibram soles?

4) Get taps?

Any significant reasons that impact your preferences would be appreciated! Thanks!

1) Cream, then wax. Saphir brand. Shiny things are pretty.

2) Whatever comes from rapid buffing with an old cotton t-shirt.

3) No, unless specifically for wet weather or off-road use.

4) Planning to try metal ones.

 

[nycwallst]

Originally Posted by ferguscan

1) Cream, then wax. Saphir brand. Shiny things are pretty.

2) Whatever comes from rapid buffing with an old cotton t-shirt.

3) No, unless specifically for wet weather or off-road use.

4) Planning to try metal ones.
Is there a reason you don't get vibram soles? Do you think it looks cheaper? Because it certainly does add years to the life of the shoe.

 

[alliswell]

They add years to the life of the sole of the shoe. $100 gets you a new J Rendenbach sole. Topys also add 3-4mm to the profile of the sole, which can make the difference between beauty and homely.

Taps (metal or otherwise) make sense if you are heavy on your toes. The nylon ones can be replaced for $3-4 a pop. The flush ones wear too quickly and unless they're installed by the maker they involve damaging the shoe.

 

[JeremyC]

Originally Posted by nycwallst

Is there a reason you don't get vibram soles? Do you think it looks cheaper? Because it certainly does add years to the life of the shoe.

Don't think it does increase the life of the shoe, just the sole.
I like high shine on brown, matte on black. Cream than wax than cream seems to be the preference of our excelent shine guy.

 

[MyOtherLife]

Originally Posted by nycwallst

So, with all this said, do you:
1) Use cream, wax or a combo?
2) Go for a dull, mid or high shine?
3) Get Vibram soles?
4) Get taps?
Any significant reasons that impact your preferences would be appreciated! Thanks!

1) I use cream unless it's corrected grain (Reason- wax gives a better finish on cg for my liking.)
2) I prefer a luster over a shine (with, again, cg as the exception.)
3) About 2 dozen of my shoes are TOPY'd. (Reason-inclement weatherwear)
4) Never done taps yet.

 

[Ziss]

Originally Posted by nycwallst

1) Use cream, wax or a combo?

2) Go for a dull, mid or high shine?

3) Get Vibram soles?

4) Get taps?

Any significant reasons that impact your preferences would be appreciated! Thanks!

1) Cream, but cream + wax on "wet weather shoes".

2) Mid, I guess.

3) No, I prefer to buy shoes pre-fitted with dainite soles for use on wet days.

4) Yes, metal toe taps on shoes with leather soles.

 

[stewartu]

Originally Posted by nycwallst

S

4) Get taps?



Heel taps are a must. Only get metal heel taps if you have a death wish.

Are toe taps any different from heel taps? Other than being simply smaller? I would install toe taps if I could find some.

 

[alliswell]

All taps are the same - a toe tap is a heel tap installed on the toe...

 

[david432598]

i bought some heel taps.

i'd like to use them on the toes too.

are the nails different between heel and toe taps?

i dont want to pierce though the sole...



also, do the holes made by the nails affect the resoling of the shoe in the future?

 

[philosophe]

Appropriately attached taps pose no problems for resoling. They do preserve the toes and heels.

I prefer matte finishes on my shoes. Follow the advice above to use Saphir products. They smell better than anything else on the market and work wonderfully.

Putting a thin rubber layer (usually called a topy) on the sole of a leather shoe will change the look but give you better traction. See what actually works for you. I'd sacrifice a little beauty to avoid falls if I had to.

 

[westinghouse]

Taps are unnecessary and slippery. The best shoes have rubber over a leather sole.

 

[Drew Goodall]

NYCWallSt,

A lot of advice people will give you on the cream versus wax/polish debate is simply a personal preference and there is no discernible difference in many (not all) cases.

If, like me you have read extensively on here and elsewhere about shoecare it should become clear that there is no definitive product or method of cleaning your shoes, which is why there are terabytes or cyberspace dedicated to it. This is not to say that there are not basics that you should not adhere to. The bottom line is 'Do you prefer high shine or matte?' take you pick and express yourself, that's what we are all trying to do somehow. Hell, if you like high shine on a light tan aniline leather - do it!

On the other point - do you have an unusual gait? Walk heavily on the toe or heel? If, the answer is 'yes' go for quarter tips/taps just you better get used to that annoying clicking sound whilst playing hide and seek!

Good luck


Drew

 

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by nycwallst

So, with all this said, do you:

1) Use cream, wax or a combo?

2) Go for a dull, mid or high shine?

3) Get Vibram soles?

4) Get taps?

1. Wax for shell, cream for all other leathers.

2. Dull to mid-shine. I'm not a fan of high shine for my shoes.

3. No. I have specific shoes with rubber soles for inclement weather.

4. No.

 

[Sanguis Mortuum]

Originally Posted by nycwallst

often times lower quality leathers mask their imperfections with a shine.

They do, but this is no reason to not shine good shoes. Corrected grain looks quite different to well-shined full-grain shoes.