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

[aj2603]

Not sure about the wax vs cream, Crockett and Jones also recommended wax polish over cream for my Coniston boots. I think it’s just personal preference and either are fine if applied lightly.

i think for the stow boots in Acron. The best option IMO would be using Saphir Renovator Saphir medaille d'Or Renovateur and then use 1-2 coats of The Saphir Médaille d'Or Pate de Luxe Wax Polish in Colour 79: New Polished Yellow.

 

[Munky]

Hermes red is the obvious option. But I am a big fan of the mahogany. I think it has some nice accents of red mixed with brown. I would go for that.
You can always use burgundy, but that has some hints of purple and u would be introducing that to the shoe

Thanks for that, aj. I looked into my big box of almost never used creams and polishes and found a jar of Hermes red. It looks just the right shade and I will calm my red shoes, tomorrow. All good wishes, Munky.

 

[Metrosey]

The Saphir Pommandier cream does have some amount of beeswax in it. But it is purposed mainly for conditioning the leather and to introduce some coloured pigments into the leather to refresh the leather colour. The amount of wax in it is good for a gentle/soft shine. It is not enough for waterproofing. Saphir Pate Du Luxe is a primarily wax based polish. If your only objective is to provide some protection for mild rain, then Saphir Pate Du Luxe can be used.

Saphir Pate Du Luxe will not waterproof your shoe. But if you apply a couple of layers of it, it will make it a lot more water resistant. It all depends on what kind of rain you are talking about. If ur talking mild rain and exposing your shoe for a short duration then Saphir Pate Du Luxe is enough. But if ur talking heavy rain and longer duration then u might need to look for waterproofing solutions

Regards
AJ

So it will be alright to put Pate Du Luxe all over boot, rather than on the toe box?

Yeah, I mean light rain when walking home

 

[aj2603]

So it will be alright to put Pate Du Luxe all over boot, rather than on the toe box?

Yeah, I mean light rain when walking home

Yes u can and u should use it on ur entire shoe. 1-3 layers with some time to rest in between with brushing should achieve the best results.

If u build up too many layers (like mirror shine) the hard waxes will crack where ur leather flexes. And that is not good.

Stick to 1-3 layers applied with time to rest and u will see some great results.

Regards. AJ

 

[Luigi_M]

@Munky ... I think I, unlike you, am still in my red stage.
I'd like to enhance my burgundy Moore's reddish cast, rather than the brownish one.
I know it's a silly question, but how much red is the Hermes red?
Could you point out a comparison?
Of course I might simply buy and try a pot of it, but as you know I'm the tight brother of Ebenezer Scrooge and would not like to spend money on something I would not use ...
Thank you!
Luigi

 

[aj2603]

@Munky ... I think I, unlike you, am still in my red stage.
I'd like to enhance my burgundy Moore's reddish cast, rather than the brownish one.
I know it's a silly question, but how much red is the Hermes red?
Could you point out a comparison?
Of course I might simply buy and try a pot of it, but as you know I'm the tight brother of Ebenezer Scrooge and would not like to spend money on something I would not use ...
Thank you!
Luigi

This might give u an idea

 

[jctune]

@Munky ... I think I, unlike you, am still in my red stage.
I'd like to enhance my burgundy Moore's reddish cast, rather than the brownish one.
I know it's a silly question, but how much red is the Hermes red?
Could you point out a comparison?
Of course I might simply buy and try a pot of it, but as you know I'm the tight brother of Ebenezer Scrooge and would not like to spend money on something I would not use ...
Thank you!
Luigi

I've been playing around a little bit with Hermes Red on a pair of Burgundy Carmina monks. I've been meaning to take some pictures to illustrate the differences but just haven't gotten around to it. Won't have any time to do so over the next few days but I may next week.

I would say that in indoor light I don't notice much of a difference. However, outside or in bright light the Hermes Red really does "pop" and adds more interest to the shoes. Someone who is looking for a traditional Burgundy wouldn't like it, but if you are looking to make the shoes stand out a bit more its a good way to do it.

Not that Burgundy by itself doesn't make shoes stand out in the sea of black, brown, and sneakers that I seem to exist in these days.

 

[Munky]

Dear all, It is always difficult to describe colours. All I can say is that Hermes looks...er... a darker red. Not really nudging towards brown but quite a deep colour - at least in the jar. Most dark colours are much lighter once on your shoes. I have been trying to remember why I bought the pot of Hermes. I think it must have been to bring a certain richness to a pair of burgundy shoes. If so, it did a good job. As Jc says, it does bring a bit of a pop to them. Or and more likely, I bought the wrong shade for my bright red Tricker's. If the latter is the case, the Hermes is going onto the Tricker's tomorrow. No turning back now. Today was my birthday, so my red shoes deserve a treat. Sincerely yours, Munky.

PS The pot of Hermes that I have is in Saphir's Pommadier range (or some such spelling). I don't know if it is a different shade to the Surfine one.

 

[troika]

cross post from Alden thread, apologies if these have already been discussed before.

1, When waterproof your shell shoes, can I use saphir invulner or tarrago nano spray?
Some have told me to use Alden Leather Defender only, but I think that's redundant considering I only have 1 pair of shell and have both Invulner and Nano.

2, If I am to condition or routine care a waterproofed pair of shell, do I need to remove the proofing first? and how?

I just went over to Lost & Found since I'm visiting Toronto. The employees there recommended using Leather Defender on smooth leather as a waterproofer (aside from oils/waxes/cremes/polishes or wtv other routine you have). They mentioned Invulver and Nano spray is best for nubuck and suede/roughout as it coats the hair particles, which is not something that can be done on smooth leather.

 

[ShoeWho]

I'm trying to refurbish some unworn Sidi motocross boots from the mid '70s. The tricolore stripes are just thin strips of decorative leather sewn on the vamp. The surface of the strips has gone cracked and flakey in storage. The red ones have responded well to Saphir Creme de Luxe and Creme Surfine. But the white and green ones are a disaster - even Saphir Renovating Cream doesn't help. So I'm thinking I'll have to strip the finish right off with Renomat and Decapant and dye them. I haven't done this before and I'm hesitant about doing something so destructive, but it seems like my only option. Does anybody have any suggestions?

 

[ShoeWho]

Another project is a pair of Swiss Army mountain boots from the '60s or '70s. When I bought them on ebay I thought they were polished black leather, but they've turned out to be tan roughout with lots of black wax. Avel Hussard Stain Remover is doing a good job of removing the wax, but it's going to take a while. I'm looking forward to having them all cleaned up. The build quality and comfort are a joy. £25 well spent.

 

[Luigi_M]

Thank you to all the Gentlemen who offered their opinion, experience and advice in response to my question about the redness of Hermes Red.
On a second glance I realize it must have been the dumbest question of the month on the whole Forum ...
Yours, not so smart, Luigi.

P.S. Happy, belated, birthday @Munky!
You have a lot of shoes to completely wear out, and many more to buy after!

 

[SchachMundialECapital]

Another project is a pair of Swiss Army mountain boots from the '60s or '70s. When I bought them on ebay I thought they were polished black leather, but they've turned out to be tan roughout with lots of black wax. Avel Hussard Stain Remover is doing a good job of removing the wax, but it's going to take a while. I'm looking forward to having them all cleaned up. The build quality and comfort are a joy. £25 well spent.
View attachment 1162529

Did you eventually purchase the Nazi boots that you were so strongly considering last year?

 

[ShoeWho]

Yes.

 

[Munky]

Thank you to all the Gentlemen who offered their opinion, experience and advice in response to my question about the redness of Hermes Red.
On a second glance I realize it must have been the dumbest question of the month on the whole Forum ...
Yours, not so smart, Luigi.

P.S. Happy, belated, birthday @Munky!
You have a lot of shoes to completely wear out, and many more to buy after!

I don't think it was a dumb question at all, Luigi. We all want to know what we are putting on our shoes, in terms of colour as well as in in terms of the product. Even looking in the jar doesn't guarantee what the colour is going to look like on the shoes! I think the photos, above, do a good job though.

Thank you for my birthday wishes and hope you are well. Your pal, Munky.