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

[Webbo]

I have some quirks with my feet that mean a good fit is not easy to find, especially an issue with my big toes. I have taken the plunge and bought one of the shoe stretching machines from china in an attempt to tweak a few pairs I have. The machine seems pretty sturdy and I am having a first go now with a pair of C&J Pembrokes that have always been a little tight on the toes and the length of the left shoe is about 0.25 sizes too short. I’m hopeful of the width change but am sceptical that the length will change at all. I don’t now if anyone else has this machine or experiences with it? Would be really interested to hear or have any comments.
I will update on the progress (or not ) with the Pembrokes.

 

[Munky]

WOW.. I must say.. these shoes are the prime example of HOT Garbage.....

This list can easily be renamed the worst shoes money can buy....

I am not sure that your comment helps anyone. Different people have different priorities, incomes and so on. It probably probably pays to be pleasant rather than disparaging. This thread is for anyone who wears shoes. Best wishes, Munky

 

[Proleet]

I am not sure that your comment helps anyone. Different people have different priorities, incomes and so on. It probably probably pays to be pleasant rather than disparaging. This thread is for anyone who wears shoes. Best wishes, Munky

That post was just clickbait hoping for affiliate clicks....not a genuine list...

 

[benhour]

What type of dye is best for changing color of your shoe? I currently use water based dyes. Is an oil based dye going to do anything different? My first attempt at spot dying a shoe.
View attachment 1233087 View attachment 1233088
I didn’t mask off the shoe with tape and got some dye on the vamp. But I will live with that for now.

Very nice especially for your first try!!

Generally when you are going to dye or redye leather you have to take in consideration:

1: the type of the leather
2: the tanning process
3: the previous dye it was used

The type is quite easy to identify , the tanning process needs some experience (easy way for someone not experienced is to look for some undyed spot (usually the tongue edges or base and if its blueish is chrome tanned ) and for the previous dye you need to do some testing !

Generally from my experience on chrome based leather oil dyes work better, followed by alcohol based dyes and the water based are not the best for me (tend to bleed on everything they touch!

On Veg tanned leather the best way to go is alcohol based dyes , they penetrate faster, easier, and they spread more even without leaving trace marks (after words you need to really condition the leather)

i hope i helped a little bit

 

[Nick V.]

I have some quirks with my feet that mean a good fit is not easy to find, especially an issue with my big toes. I have taken the plunge and bought one of the shoe stretching machines from china in an attempt to tweak a few pairs I have. The machine seems pretty sturdy and I am having a first go now with a pair of C&J Pembrokes that have always been a little tight on the toes and the length of the left shoe is about 0.25 sizes too short. I’m hopeful of the width change but am sceptical that the length will change at all. I don’t now if anyone else has this machine or experiences with it? Would be really interested to hear or have any comments.
I will update on the progress (or not ) with the Pembrokes.

View attachment 1236793 View attachment 1236794 View attachment 1236795

We have 4 of these in the shop:

Shoe Stretchers

Very similar to yours. They are very effective. Length won't stretch much but you should some relief, more on the width. If your machine comes with the button devices you may want to add them to the toe area in order to create a small pocket which will give you extra relief in that area. Also, it's important to use liquid stretch inside and outside of the shoe before inserting it into the machine. Stretching in small increments is better than blasting the shoe. If you try and stretch the shoe to much at one time you can damage the leather. It's best to do a little at a time letting the shoes sit in the stretchers overnight. Try them on the next day then determine if they need another go 'round.
After the stretching is completed condition the shoes.

 

[Webbo]

View attachment 1222473

We have 4 of these in the shop:

Shoe Stretchers

Very similar to yours. They are very effective. Length won't stretch much but you should some relief, more on the width. If your machine comes with the button devices you may want to add them to the toe area in order to create a small pocket which will give you extra relief in that area. Also, it's important to use liquid stretch inside and outside of the shoe before inserting it into the machine. Stretching in small increments is better than blasting the shoe. If you try and stretch the shoe to much at one time you can damage the leather. It's best to do a little at a time letting the shoes sit in the stretchers overnight. Try them on the next day then determine if they need another go 'round.
After the stretching is completed condition the shoes.

Thanks Nick. Will indeed follow your advice on this. One question though please, is leaving overnight generally sufficient time to make the incremental stretch?

 

[Nick V.]

Thanks Nick. Will indeed follow your advice on this. One question though please, is leaving overnight generally sufficient time to make the incremental stretch?

Yes, actually when the liquid stretch is thoroughly dry the shoes can be removed from the machines. That only takes a few hours. I prefer to leave them overnight though.

 

[Webbo]

Yes, actually when the liquid stretch is thoroughly dry the shoes can be removed from the machines. That only takes a few hours. I prefer to leave them overnight though.

Many thanks Nick. Appreciated.

 

[jamesnyc]

Based on your experience, can anyone recommend professional shoe shine shop in NYC?

 

[Hasselmannen]

Maybe a stupid question, but what type of leather is the welt made of on a pair of shell cordovans from C&J?

And how do a care for the upper side of the welt? Pommadier 1925?

 

[benhour]

Maybe a stupid question, but what type of leather is the welt made of on a pair of shell cordovans from C&J?

And how do a care for the upper side of the welt? Pommadier 1925?

i think they use the same welt for every shoe they make regardless the upper !! (cow hide)

you dont need to use anything specific ! just some shoe cream or conditioner while you are shinning the uppers (always use a matching colour or a neutral )

 

[BoydsShoes]

Based on your experience, can anyone recommend professional shoe shine shop in NYC?

For the deluxe experience, try Shine and Co. located at the Chelsea Market. Walk in at the 9th Ave entrance, and fairly close to the entrance on the left is short hallway where they have a stand. Hours are a little weird, so you might want to check. They are listed on the Web and use Saphir products. I think they sometimes set up shop at Leffot's in Greenwich Village. You can call there to see when/if they have shining taking place.

I shine my own shoes, but I love looking at people shining them. They put on a pretty good show in Penn Station. The shoe shine shop there has several chairs. The man who has a chair in the middle of the store took care of a customer with tan shoes and gave him a a heckuva shine. They use more conventional things like Lincoln wax (can't tell what creams they use).

 

[anklebreeze]

I just want to thank everyone for the help with my shoe rehab I mentioned in a previous post. Incredible results!

What I did (following advice of others):
-Leather Cleaner - 2x - Lexol
-Leather Conditioner - 1x - Lexol
-Polish - 3x - Saphir Cream Polish (Medium Brown)
-Polish - 1x - Wax - Kiwi

I wasn't sure how to best upload the pics, but you should be able to easily tell the before and after. Loving the way the darker brown turned out

Before:

After:

 

[JE_FR88]

Dear forum members,

I have a question when it comes to taking care of new shoes. I recently purchased a pair of leather boots and a pair of leather shoes. I haven't worn the boots yet but I have worn the shoes. Before I wore the shoes for the first time, I conditioned them using this product that was recommended to me called Back 4. After buffing it off, I used a sapphire pommadier cream polish, then buffed it off and put spray protectant on it. Is this the right way to go about this? Or should I have only used a wax on the shoes instead of a polish?

Also, do you guys suggest I do the same with the leather boots or approach it differently?

Final question: let's say that you have a pair of boots that are antiqued at the cap toe (darker color than the rest of the shoe, of course). How do you take care of those kind of boots? Do you use two different colours of cream polish or do you not use polish and just wax the shoe after conditioning it?

Thank you so much in advance. If I'm asking a question that has been answered repeatedly, then I apologise.

 

[aj2603]

Answer to first question : Conditioners provide the nutrients required and oils required for leather to stay soft and supple and not crack. Creams are mainly conditioners + pigments, there are for rejuvenation the colour of the shoe. Wax has minimal pigment and conditioner, they are for shine and a protective layer from the environment

Answer to Final Question: go with the lighter coloured polish. the darker contrast will remain. no issues