**The Official Shoe Care Thread: Tutorials, Photos, etc.**

[instigateur]

You welcome ! Saphir dyes are alcohol based and dont have white !! if i am not mistaken none of the big companies have a white suede/nubuck dye for commercial use (have one for professional use but i dont think it worth to buy 2gallons of paint only for one pair)!
I can see 3 options for you after cleaning them thoroughly :
1) If you are lucky enough all the acrylic paint ll go off and your shoes will be as good as new(dont rub very hard)
2) Dye them in a darker shade
3)Use an acrylic white paint intended for suede sneakers!Here is the tricky part! you are going to need an airbrush (2 coats at least) or you have to apply the paint using a sponge with daubing motions (as a lady pouts powder, no strokes cause it is going to leave trace marks) 3-4 coats most of the time(risking a thick layer that ll crack)! Generally white suede/nubuck is a pain in the ..... to recolour

i would go with options 1 or 2!

Now for the conditioning part !Saphir ( https://www.hangerproject.com/saphir-suede-spray.html ) and Collonil have great products (used both of them in the past)

Alcohol rubbing worked wonders. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and techniques. I took off enough dye to make it not look painted and smooth the touch up job out. It is not perfect, but looks pretty Damn good to me.

Thanks again.

 

[Munky]

@Munky , I think that not only the sky isn't going to fall, but your shoes won't explode and their vamps and soles aren't going to crack because of this!
I myself must plead guilty for not removing shoelaces every time I polish my shoes, but I'm an happy and unashamed sinner in this matter.
Aaaahh ... after this outing I feel relieved, thank you for opening the Vase of Pandora for me and - I think - many other gentlemen!
Luigi.

You always make me smile, Luigi. This is important to me, living in a cold country. I remain loyal to my shoes, if a little less attentive. They are always there for me. Yours, Munky.

 

[SeaDweller]

Anyone on this thread might enjoy this film http://shinersdocumentary.com/trailer/

I'd scuff up my shoes to have that woman at the end polish em up again... and again... and again!

 

[Luigi_M]

@Munky , yours is, I think, the archaetypal British attitude: loving, but with composure - at least in public.
He: "Darlings, I think it's time for a good polish, isn't it?"
His Shoes: "We think so too, Sir."
He: "I hope you don't mind if I don't remove your laces."
His Shoes: "Of course we don't Sir!"

We mediterraneans are much rougher even in shoecare!
With all good wishes, Luigi

 

[Luigi_M]

@instigateur , good work, and thank you for posting pictures: very nice shoes!
You had a good teacher in @benhour , but put his advice to good!
Would you mind to post your whole attire for your Diner en blanc?
Kind wishes, Luigi

 

[kwhunter]

We had an ice storm and the drain on the roof was covered with ice and then we had rain and a leak... Therefore, I had to go up and work in 3-4" of water to open the drain, so my oil tanned Viberg boots were soaked for about 20 minutes. I stuffed them with newspaper and let dry; however now the leather surface is rough and swollen in places:

Since I bought them last Jan I treated them once with Obenauf's Leather Oil, so that might have helped.
However, what should I do to mitigate water damage? I already washed them with a 50% white vinegar solution; is the swelling of the leather permanent?
Thanks.

 

[masernaut]

What's the best way to remove indigo/denim stains from beige/taupe coloured suede? And also - if I don't have suede shampoo in stock.

 

[benhour]

Alcohol rubbing worked wonders. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and techniques. I took off enough dye to make it not look painted and smooth the touch up job out. It is not perfect, but looks pretty Damn good to me.

Thanks again. View attachment 958774 View attachment 958775

I am very happy to see that everything turned out really really good and helped you fixed them! They look great!
Always happy to help when i can!

We had an ice storm and the drain on the roof was covered with ice and then we had rain and a leak... Therefore, I had to go up and work in 3-4" of water to open the drain, so my oil tanned Viberg boots were soaked for about 20 minutes. I stuffed them with newspaper and let dry; however now the leather surface is rough and swollen in places:

Since I bought them last Jan I treated them once with Obenauf's Leather Oil, so that might have helped.
However, what should I do to mitigate water damage? I already washed them with a 50% white vinegar solution; is the swelling of the leather permanent?
Thanks.

The leather looks like its some kind of "pebble" grain 99% cow hide !! The swelling of the leather removed the "embossing" !(like when you are inflating a balloon the wrinkles are gone )!! I dont think it is possible to make it look as it was new but you can minimise the optical ,mostly, damage !! Let them dry completely and then use dubbin or a conditioner !! Remember add a tiny amount spreaded with your fingers , then use the back of a spoon and gently rub the raised area (dont push hard,it is going to leave trace marks)!

What's the best way to remove indigo/denim stains from beige/taupe coloured suede? And also - if I don't have suede shampoo in stock.

Suede shampoo wouldn't be your ally here!! It would dilute the indigo/denim dye into the leather making it almost impossible to remove it later! The best way to start is by using a suede eraser follow by a bristle horse hair brush (not the wire one) to remove as much dye as possible (dont rub too hard cause you are going to raise a nap , and its not a good idea to use a lighter to burn it down afterwards given the colour of the shoes) !! Then you can use a suede shampoo to remove any remnants of the dye!

i hoped i helped a little bit

 

[masernaut]

Benhour, great advice as always. I will give this a shot. Thank you!

 

[steuchy]

A mirror shine for these Windermere in caramel calf from Justin Fitzpatrick

 

[Craftedpig7]

One of my first ventures into better footwear were a pair of Magnanni bit loafers. I’m not sure if you’d call this Walnut or just tan... but I’ve been trending towards darker shoes and haven’t been wearing these quite as much. This forum inspired me to do a little experiment to darken them. They’ve also got a few nicks/stains on the toes and the below picture shows the difference:

Leather conditioner from AE on both shoes, then hit the left with two light coats of AE Dark Chili polish. Going to do one more this morning and then proceed with the other shoe.

 

[kwhunter]

The leather looks like its some kind of "pebble" grain 99% cow hide !! The swelling of the leather removed the "embossing" !(like when you are inflating a balloon the wrinkles are gone )!! I dont think it is possible to make it look as it was new but you can minimise the optical ,mostly, damage !! Let them dry completely and then use dubbin or a conditioner !! Remember add a tiny amount spreaded with your fingers , then use the back of a spoon and gently rub the raised area (dont push hard,it is going to leave trace marks)!

i hoped i helped a little bit

As per the manufacturer, the leather is:

• Black 7 oz. full grain printed oil tan cowhide.

The printing is gone, of course. What I can't get is why the water penetrated an oil tanned leather in that little time? I also treated it with Oberndorf's Leather Oil a couple months ago...
I will oil it again and as you said, I will try to push the swollen areas down.
Thanks!

 

[Craftedpig7]

One of my first ventures into better footwear were a pair of Magnanni bit loafers. I’m not sure if you’d call this Walnut or just tan... but I’ve been trending towards darker shoes and haven’t been wearing these quite as much. This forum inspired me to do a little experiment to darken them. They’ve also got a few nicks/stains on the toes and the below picture shows the difference:

Leather conditioner from AE on both shoes, then hit the left with two light coats of AE Dark Chili polish. Going to do one more this morning and then proceed with the other shoe.
View attachment 959911

Does anyone have any recommendations as to how many coats they would recommend? I put on a third coat and buffed it to get the polish even. I assume it just depends how dark I want them but I figured I’d ask.

Additionally... would it be better to do it over time? Say, hit them with darker polish over a few weeks rather than over a day or two?

Many thanks!

 

[Goodman]

Anyone here familiar with Woly Shoe Cream. A google search shows it's from Germany and claims to be "solvent-free." A jar was included in a pair of shoes I purchased from Vienna via a 3rd party. Curious if anyone hear has any experience with it and can provide a thumbs up or down. Figure I will try it on an older pair of shoes when I get a chance and report back.

 

[kwhunter]

Does anyone have any recommendations as to how many coats they would recommend? I put on a third coat and buffed it to get the polish even. I assume it just depends how dark I want them but I figured I’d ask.

Additionally... would it be better to do it over time? Say, hit them with darker polish over a few weeks rather than over a day or two?

Many thanks!

I would say it is upto you how dark you want your shoes... this being said, up to you to determine how many coats are too much.
Another way would be to strip the finishing and paint them in a darker shade.
I can see some streaks on the left shoe's vamp, what did you do?