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

[ColinYB]

You probably have to strip them. AE's have a fairly heavy topcoat so if you're going to be doing dyeing with Feibings or something that needs to be completely off. Also if you are just going to be using colored polishes to try to achieve antiquing you might run into some problems. It takes a very long time to change the color of shoes using colored polishes only. if you try to do it in a sitting you are mostly going to apply too much and gunk up the shoe not actually antique it.

Ok good, I'm picturing a multi year process, just layers on layers of cream polish of varying shades of brown

 

[visigoth]

Yes, I am familiar with it. It is lighter than renovateur and doesn't buff to as high of a shine, but it seems to do just as good a job of conditioning. I am thinking there's more water in it than renovateur and also has jojoba oil rather than mink oil. Probably explains the price difference.



Yes, you can. I use water based conditioners inside my shoes. Actually shoemakers say you should condition shoe linings, and often for that matter.

Thank you! Good to know.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

This is an interesting picture of two pairs of Edward Green shoes that began the same color (Burgundy Antique) and were polished over time with different shades of polish. It goes to show you what time and polish can do.

 

[1969]

Can anyone recommend a cream that has minimal odor? Closet smells like Renoventeur all week...

 

[ColinYB]

This is an interesting picture of two pairs of Edward Green shoes that began the same color (Burgundy Antique) and were polished over time with different shades of polish. It goes to show you what time and polish can do.

Thank you! Every Google search for patina gave me more the dye route and I was looking for precisely this, a comparison.

 

[troika]

Yes, you can. I use water based conditioners inside my shoes. Actually shoemakers say you should condition shoe linings, and often for that matter.

Any tips for how to do this? Just put some on a cloth and shove your fingers in blind?

 

[whoisthis]

delete

 

[Munky]

Can anyone recommend a cream that has minimal odor? Closet smells like Renoventeur all week...

Collonil Creme de Luxe has almost no smell. Best wishes, Munky.

 

[Luigi_M]

GlenKaren cream have a nice citrus scent. Also I like very much their cleaner/conditioner.

 

[visigoth]

If you've already shined shoes with wax (Saphir Mirror Gloss), can you apply cream polish over the wax? And if you can, does it just add a layer to the bull-shining process, or does it take you back to stage one? Many of these polishes are wax based -- do they just blend in?

(I know it takes a long time to get a full change of color, but for subtle patina, I find black polish works on brown shoes.)

 

[EnglishShoes]

Ever seen "repairs" like this before?

 

[ColinYB]

Do you keep Chelsea boots with special ankle boot trees or use regular shoe trees?

I store my Chelsea boots with regular shoe trees for reference, simply because I can't seem to find ankle boot trees anywhere easily. Even Loake, from whom I bought my Chelsea's do not carry boot trees, AFAIK

 

[troika]

Do you keep Chelsea boots with special ankle boot trees or use regular shoe trees?

I store my Chelsea boots with regular shoe trees for reference, simply because I can't seem to find ankle boot trees anywhere easily. Even Loake, from whom I bought my Chelsea's do not carry boot trees, AFAIK

There are a couple places that make boot trees iirc. But I just use regular shoe trees and then stuff the toe paper that came with the boots on top of the tree. Works fine and doesn't stretch out the gore while keeping the shape.

 

[MattJB]

I just picked up my first pair of decent dress shoes (Allen Edmonds) and I a little lost as to care for them, I'm finding conflicting and confusing information all over the place. Initially I'm looking for shoe trees, but they're about 70 dollars for the Woodlore twin tube in Canada. Is that normal?! That price seems insane.

Also, I haven't worn them yet, and will be waiting until a wedding I have in the spring, is there anything that needs to be done to them in the meantime? After I wear them do I just brush them off, and only polish them when they're looking dull?

I've also heard of some sore of sole protector to make the leather sole last longer. Is this something most people do?

 

[saskatoonjay]

I just picked up my first pair of decent dress shoes (Allen Edmonds) and I a little lost as to care for them, I'm finding conflicting and confusing information all over the place. Initially I'm looking for shoe trees, but they're about 70 dollars for the Woodlore twin tube in Canada. Is that normal?! That price seems insane

I use these and they’re perfect.