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

[horseman40]

Hello: I'm a novice at all of this but I need some SOUND advice. I have several pairs of AE..vintage, not new. Over the years I had used a lot of wax polish and now want to remove all of that and start over with cream polish. I'm considering Renomat because so many advise it,, (Kirby Allison, etc.). AE says do not use it !! After reading numerous articles...all conflicting..for and against Safir Renomat, I'm more confused than ever. Can someone please tell me if this Renomat product is safe or not for my shoes ? THANK YOU!!!!

Hello, I posted this a few days ago and heretofore haven't seen any responses. May I please have some thoughts from the members? Thanks!

 

[jpm1]

Hello, I posted this a few days ago and heretofore haven't seen any responses. May I please have some thoughts from the members? Thanks!

Skip renomat. Use Lexol and elbow grease.

 

[CWV]

When is recomendad to use renomat? I bought it following the hanger project and have used it without damaging anything yet, but now I’m more careful than back then

 

[OldTown]

Hello, I posted this a few days ago and heretofore haven't seen any responses. May I please have some thoughts from the members? Thanks!

Kirby Allison posted a video a while ago about how to remove wax build up by using a heat gun / hair dryer. I've seen people say don't do this because the heat can mess the leather up but it seemed to work in the video and he had it on the lowest setting. It basically melted it enough to just wipe away with a cloth. Seems to be a huge time saver.

 

[horseman40]

When is recomendad to use renomat? I bought it following the hanger project and have used it without damaging anything yet, but now I’m more careful than back then

Thanks for replying. So..you feel that it is safe

Skip renomat. Use Lexol and elbow grease.

Unfortunately, I purchased Renomat recently but haven't yet used it. I wish that I'd discovered this Forum before buying Renomat.

 

[CWV]

Thanks for replying. So..you feel that it is safe

Personally I haven’t screw it up, but in no expert. I also want guidelines.
I had understand that it was for removing build up wax

 

[horseman40]

Kirby Allison posted a video a while ago about how to remove wax build up by using a heat gun / hair dryer. I've seen people say don't do this because the heat can mess the leather up but it seemed to work in the video and he had it on the lowest setting. It basically melted it enough to just wipe away with a cloth. Seems to be a huge time saver.

Kirby Allison says some very bizarre things...such as. in one of his videos he recommended washing your shoes under running water ! That is the craziest thing that I've ever heard.

 

[ZePrez]

Kirby Allison says some very bizarre things...such as. in one of his videos he recommended washing your shoes under running water ! That is the craziest thing that I've ever heard.

Not entirely .... It has come to my attention, that in fact it is something that can help. For exemple , we, the shoes afficionados, have come to consider saddle soap as an essential part of our arsenal... It is soap, thus alkaline, we just wipe the suds off, leaving most of the soap on and in the leather.. It stays there... Fortunately our ritual, usually includes the use of leather conditionner... It remains however, that rinsing the show under water could be good for the leather which left hydrated, then leaving the show to dry with a how tree , remove many of the reases and confor the show shape to theat of the show tree ... Doing so once in a while should not damage the leather , at least good leather. Of course you must let it dry
I am not to keen on Kirby, pushing Saphir (although they make great products) to the exclusion of everything else but ... On this, Lexol knows a thing or 2 about leather; I posted earlier a Lexol Vide President' interview ... and it is most educative.
I am more and more in the minimalist camp.. Thanks @jpm1.

 

[ZePrez]

Hello, I posted this a few days ago and heretofore haven't seen any responses. May I please have some thoughts from the members? Thanks!

I recently bought Saphir Renomat and am discovering it is strong. It will indeed removes buildups of wax. On new shoes it iwll remove a substantial part of the original finish, I would be very careful with it, to paraphrase jpm1: "it has its place" but use it with caution.

 

[CWL317]

Hello

what’s the best way to lighten leather? or should it best be done professionally?

I have a pair of C&J Finsbury in chestnut which is more of a red than brown but I’d like it to be more of an tan-brown.

 

[DapperAndy]

Not entirely .... It has come to my attention, that in fact it is something that can help. For exemple , we, the shoes afficionados, have come to consider saddle soap as an essential part of our arsenal... It is soap, thus alkaline, we just wipe the suds off, leaving most of the soap on and in the leather.. It stays there... Fortunately our ritual, usually includes the use of leather conditionner... It remains however, that rinsing the show under water could be good for the leather which left hydrated, then leaving the show to dry with a how tree , remove many of the reases and confor the show shape to theat of the show tree ... Doing so once in a while should not damage the leather , at least good leather. Of course you must let it dry
I am not to keen on Kirby, pushing Saphir (although they make great products) to the exclusion of everything else but ... On this, Lexol knows a thing or 2 about leather; I posted earlier a Lexol Vide President' interview ... and it is most educative.
I am more and more in the minimalist camp.. Thanks @jpm1.

What? Pretty much none of this is sound advice, from we the shoe aficionados.

 

[horseman40]

I recently bought Saphir Renomat and am discovering it is strong. It will indeed removes buildups of wax. On new shoes it iwll remove a substantial part of the original finish, I would be very careful with it, to paraphrase jpm1: "it has its place" but use it with caution.

Mine are not new, they're older AE and have years of wax polish, therefore I thought that it would be a good idea to remove the old build-up and then go on with conditioner. However, I certainly don't want to remove the original finish !

 

[JFWR]

Whereas there might be some good leather conditioners on the market aside from Saphir (which has pretty amazing stuff, too), you really can't fault for Kirby for hyping saphir, as that is unequivocally the best wax and cream polish available on the market. The only competitor is boot black, and that is more expensive for less, and really is at the exact same level quality.

Pate de Luxe can make any pair of shoes look spectacular if applied correctly, and their BDC line is fabulous for its price point and really only about 15% less good than the Medalle d'Or line.

Their cream universelle is fantastic, as is the renovateur.

There isn't a bad quality saphir product on the market. They have consistently amazing stuff. Nothing they produce is anything less than top quality.

 

[JFWR]

Hello

what’s the best way to lighten leather? or should it best be done professionally?

I have a pair of C&J Finsbury in chestnut which is more of a red than brown but I’d like it to be more of an tan-brown.

To lighten leather, you have to strip the finish off and work the colour of the leather. Unless you're prepared to dye it the colour you want, I wouldn't recommend this.

It isn't impossible, but it is really a pain **********.

 

[ZePrez]

What? Pretty much none of this is sound advice, from we the shoe aficionados.

Step 1- In many a post or YouTube videos, it is often recommended to clean a shoe with Saddle soap. Yes?
Step 2- Followed by wiping out the suds. Yes?
Step 3 - Is often, conditioning of the cleaned leather. Yes?

Step 1 deposit alkaline on the leather, Saddle soap is ... soap, thus alkaline.
Step 2 , removes some of the soap on the leather, but some has sipped inside the leather.

Running some water on the leather could remove more of the soap and thus alkalinity. Of course , the shoe/leather must be left to thoroughly dry, then treated with a good conditionner. Of course this is a process of deep cleaning that should not be needed to perform often. To , again, paraphrase: "It has its place".

I don't use running water, regularly on my shoes but I am in vintage shoes, some are gems under a ton of gunk, for those I
1) Use saddle soap
2) Run warm water on them
3) wipe them as dry as possible
4) Put a cedar shoetree in the shoe and leave to thoroughly dry.
5) Apply conditionner
6) Do the routine shine ...
7) Wear the shoes

So far it's been working. Those steps have been inspired by videos , articles or blogs from people with way more knowledge than I , among those, David from Vcleat. I am only an enthusiast

Peace

P.S. Now Intently looking for a Golden Harvest Florsheim 5-nails , vcleat heels, in 9.5D