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

[Craftedpig7]

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?

That was after a light brushing, before I actually buffed them. The finish is much more even after buffing and then spending a little extra time with a micro fiber towel on the vamp.

 

[benhour]

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.

i have used them in the past 2-3 times and i havent seen anything bad thought i dont know their consistency !! Their dubbin is one of the best (if not the best) out there !

 

[LLEE]

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.

I have several Woly creams in colours the local stockist doesn’t carry in Saphir. They are fine, and do the trick nicely. However, I do question the ‘solvent free’ advert, as almost anything with solid pigments requires some sort of solvent to make it workable.

 

[Chowkin]

I have several Woly creams in colours the local stockist doesn’t carry in Saphir. They are fine, and do the trick nicely. However, I do question the ‘solvent free’ advert, as almost anything with solid pigments requires some sort of solvent to make it workable.

Totally agree. According to a study by the Danish Ministry of the Environment, solvents are found in all shoe care products except for leather grease. Note that Woly is one amongst the several brands in the study.

https://www2.mst.dk/udgiv/publications/2005/87-7614-644-8/pdf/87-7614-645-6.pdf

 

[Sushi]

Having trouble getting mirror shine on AE strands. I got to a point where no matter how much more I buff them with Saphir Pate de Luxe + water, there's no improvement. The surface is somewhat shiny, but I can still see the pores very clearly. Any advice?

 

[right_hook]

Having trouble getting mirror shine on AE strands. I got to a point where no matter how much more I buff them with Saphir Pate de Luxe + water, there's no improvement. The surface is somewhat shiny, but I can still see the pores very clearly. Any advice?
View attachment 961912

It looks like you have to build up more wax on the cap.

 

[troika]

Having trouble getting mirror shine on AE strands. I got to a point where no matter how much more I buff them with Saphir Pate de Luxe + water, there's no improvement. The surface is somewhat shiny, but I can still see the pores very clearly. Any advice?
View attachment 961912

Did you start with a thick layer first?

 

[Sushi]

Did you start with a thick layer first?

Yes/ I polished them when I first got them, about a year ago. Since then I would just reapply some more polish every once in a while. A few days ago I started applying polish in small amounts first, but after about 5 layers and not much difference I tried thicker layers as well. It's almost like it doesn't stay on the shoe and doesn't fill the pores. Do I need to strip it with soap and try again?

 

[Luigi_M]

@Sushi , you better wait for the expert advice of @benhour before taking any action. He often chimes in here and is very helpful! (I sympathize with you however, as I'm still struggling with mirror gloss finish ...)

 

[Vinsep]

Yes/ I polished them when I first got them, about a year ago. Since then I would just reapply some more polish every once in a while. A few days ago I started applying polish in small amounts first, but after about 5 layers and not much difference I tried thicker layers as well. It's almost like it doesn't stay on the shoe and doesn't fill the pores. Do I need to strip it with soap and try again?

Did you wait a while(20 mins) for each layer to dry before applying another layer?

 

[right_hook]

Yes/ I polished them when I first got them, about a year ago. Since then I would just reapply some more polish every once in a while. A few days ago I started applying polish in small amounts first, but after about 5 layers and not much difference I tried thicker layers as well. It's almost like it doesn't stay on the shoe and doesn't fill the pores. Do I need to strip it with soap and try again?

Judging by the photo, thetoe cap is clean. So no need in cleaning/stripping them. All you have to do is continue to apply the wax in thin layers until you build thick enough "glass" on the surface.

 

[Sushi]

Did you wait a while(20 mins) for each layer to dry before applying another layer?

Maybe I didn't wait long enough. I'll try some more layers with 20-30 min in between.

 

[Vinsep]

Maybe I didn't wait long enough. I'll try some more layers with 20-30 min in between.

The shoe shinning technique I have been using is a combination of below two videos. In addition, after a few layers of wax, it is better to let them dry overnight and then build upon on those wax layers. I don't use water at all when I'm building my foundation wax layers, but quite a lot water when I have layers of dried wax.

 

[willyto]

Maybe I didn't wait long enough. I'll try some more layers with 20-30 min in between.

It doesn't hurt to let them dry for a while. Get first a base thick layer and once it dries keep adding thinner ones. It usually works like a charm. It's a matter of practice and finding what works for you.

I would be careful not to put wax where the cap toe has creases or close to those because the wax will crack once you walk around.

As vinsep said, add water only once the wax you have is dry, otherwise you'll drag the base layer out.

It helps to have a tin of wax that is cracked and quite dry, once applied it dries faster and you don't have to wait days in order to get a decent shine.

 

[Chowkin]

Yes/ I polished them when I first got them, about a year ago. Since then I would just reapply some more polish every once in a while. A few days ago I started applying polish in small amounts first, but after about 5 layers and not much difference I tried thicker layers as well. It's almost like it doesn't stay on the shoe and doesn't fill the pores. Do I need to strip it with soap and try again?

5 layers is nowhere near enough to create a mirror shine, at least not for me.

One tip - add a little bit of alcohol to the water. Works wonders for me.