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

[tuna roll]

https://www.valmour.com/ is the official Saphir retailer in Europe

great, thanks!

 

[tarunds]

Hi,
Am new into good quality shoes and wondering about shoe care routines:

1. Basic “am too busy to do this” leather care:
- cleaning with a brush to remove dust
- Saphir cream (Ques: Is a dauber preferred?)
(Ques: some prefer to apply cream with hands while some with a brush or some with a cloth; what is ideal?)
- leave it to dry for 5-10min
- brush again or rub a chamois

2. Monthly or semi-annually shine:
- use maybe a bickmore 4 conditioner or saphir lotion or something similar after dusting ur shoe.
(Rest same as above)
(Ques: Is there a role of wax polish here? Or an overkill)

3. Suede care:
- usually use a crepe brush/rubber and in case of a spill or stain use an eraser by saphir.
- maybe once a month put up super invulner to protect against rain? Or does it protect against more stuff like dust?
- once in 3-6 months use renovateur spray to replenish color?

Is this right or how can this process be improved?

Youtube guys recommend many products so its difficult to make sense of it.
Am also happy to be redirected to a post or article.

 

[prof.contingency]

Rather than looking on the usual corporate job boards, we were wondering if there is anyone here (SF community) interested for a full-time/part-time shoe care job in London?

We are looking for someone who is enthusiastic and knowledgeable about shoe care to help us man our Shoeshine chair in the Princes arcade due to our growth. We are open to refferrals!

 

[tuna roll]

Hi,
Am new into good quality shoes and wondering about shoe care routines:

1. Basic “am too busy to do this” leather care:
- cleaning with a brush to remove dust
- Saphir cream (Ques: Is a dauber preferred?)
(Ques: some prefer to apply cream with hands while some with a brush or some with a cloth; what is ideal?)
- leave it to dry for 5-10min
- brush again or rub a chamois

2. Monthly or semi-annually shine:
- use maybe a bickmore 4 conditioner or saphir lotion or something similar after dusting ur shoe.
(Rest same as above)
(Ques: Is there a role of wax polish here? Or an overkill)

3. Suede care:
- usually use a crepe brush/rubber and in case of a spill or stain use an eraser by saphir.
- maybe once a month put up super invulner to protect against rain? Or does it protect against more stuff like dust?
- once in 3-6 months use renovateur spray to replenish color?

Is this right or how can this process be improved?

Youtube guys recommend many products so its difficult to make sense of it.
Am also happy to be redirected to a post or article.

1. Honestly, the choice between dauber, cloth, or bare hands is personal. Maybe try all of them and do what feels more natural to you. All three work well. A dauber is useful get even coverage on broguing, stiching, and welt.

I usually like to apply cream with bare hands as I find it easier not to over apply. I can feel how much is getting absorbed by the leather. After a few minutes I use a pig hair brush with some pressure to help spread the cream around stiching and welt, essentially doing the job of the dauber. And then I finish with a horsehair brush followed by buffing with a clean cotton rag (both with light pressure, fast). Of course you can skip the pig hair brush and the final cotton rag, but I find the latter is when the shine gets more intense.

2. The use of wax is also personal. It not only makes your shoes shinier but also protects the leather bit more from scratches. Personally I skip it (because lazy and I have to be careful not to over apply) and just use a cream rich in beeswax (Saphir Creme Surfine or Creme 1925) with lots of brushing and buffing to get a shinier finish just from cream (not as shiny as wax though).

3. Personally I just use a horsehair brush for suede - a dedicated one for brush, you don't want cream residue here - and Super Invulner every 6 months or so (once a year for shoes that get infrequent wear). I have the whole arsenal here - crepe brush, eraser, shampoo, wire brush - but only use a regular brush + Invulner. But I like my suede to fade and patina a bit.

For basic care, what you really need is 1. cream or lotion, 2. some cotton rags and 3. a couple of horsehair brushes - one for dusting, one for cream, one for suede. If you use colored cream, one for dark creams and another for lighter ones. That's it.

Also, I like Saphir Lotion as it can be used on bags, belts, wallet, furniture, etc. Of course it's also great for conditioning shoes.

And for suede, I find Super Invulner or similar very helpful.

 

[actionjbone]

Rather than looking on the usual corporate job boards, we were wondering if there is anyone here (SF community) interested for a full-time/part-time shoe care job in London?

We are looking for someone who is enthusiastic and knowledgeable about shoe care to help us man our Shoeshine chair in the Princes arcade due to our growth. We are open to refferrals!

View attachment 2220709

Oh wow, when I was growing up my dad had that chair and ottoman.

If I weren't in the US, I'd consider this. 😃

 

[prof.contingency]

Oh wow, when I was growing up my dad had that chair and ottoman.

If I weren't in the US, I'd consider this. 😃

Great eye! Everyone seems to keep commenting on the Lounge chair. I am glad that people like it.

 

[tuna roll]

Has anyone tried both Saphir MDO Lotion and BDC Creme Universelle? Any significant difference between both (as in, is MDO Lotion worth the premium)?

I understand Universelle contains jojoba oil instead of mink oil, so it may be more agreeable with some kinds of leather (as not do darken them). And of course it’s cheaper. So I’m tending towards Universelle.

I’ll use it as a light conditioner and cleaner for shoes, followed by cream. Also for conditioning of belts, bags, furniture, etc.

Thanks!

 

[aboulfad]

Cap toe dry spots & mirror shine ?

Hello,

are these spots extra humidity/water or is it the leather aging ? The shoes are 9 year old not worn much (ToBoot NewYork) and I decided to learn to mirror shine for fun using those. I cant recall if these spots were introduced during my first mirror shine or they were there before.

There’s about 7-10 thin layers of Saphir neutral mirror gloss wax and I used the “Elegant Oxford” mirror shine technique (ice cube, water/isopropyl,…)

My next step was to dry off the wax layers (using lowest setting on my heat gun), but I noticed that they don’t look the same as the dry spots introduced by excess humidity/water in another video by Elegant Oxford. I’d appreciate any advice or tips.

 

[Fenners81]

White marks on roughout after overly liberal use of dubbin. Any ideas on how to remove, or will it disappear with wear?

 

[actionjbone]

Cap toe dry spots & mirror shine ?

Hello,

are these spots extra humidity/water or is it the leather aging ? The shoes are 9 year old not worn much (ToBoot NewYork) and I decided to learn to mirror shine for fun using those. I cant recall if these spots were introduced during my first mirror shine or they were there before.

There’s about 7-10 thin layers of Saphir neutral mirror gloss wax and I used the “Elegant Oxford” mirror shine technique (ice cube, water/isopropyl,…)

My next step was to dry off the wax layers (using lowest setting on my heat gun), but I noticed that they don’t look the same as the dry spots introduced by excess humidity/water in another video by Elegant Oxford. I’d appreciate any advice or tips.

When in doubt, clean off the wax and start over.

Seven layers is a lot. More layers equals more opportunities for water or impurity to get trapped.

I'm a fan of using less wax and more more labor. Less opportunity for the wax to get impregnated.

 

[aboulfad]

When in doubt, clean off the wax and start over.

…

Thank you - What fool proof methods do you recommend to remove or melt the wax? I’ve read conflicting opinions about using Reno-mat or using low settings heat gun to strip/melt wax.

 

[William Kazak]

Have you tried a hair dryer?

 

[aboulfad]

Have you tried a hair dryer?

No, i haven’t tried any heat (hair dryer or heat gun). I guess the former is the least aggressive.

 

[actionjbone]

No, i haven’t tried any heat (hair dryer or heat gun). I guess the former is the least aggressive.

Yeah, a hair dryer and a clean rag. That'll soften the wax so that buffing will help lift it off. It should let you gently remove excess wax (and the impurities causing the issue).

Renomat probably isn't needed here, unless you buff off the wax and there are still weird blobs in the finish.

 

[elsalvatrucha]

Rather than looking on the usual corporate job boards, we were wondering if there is anyone here (SF community) interested for a full-time/part-time shoe care job in London?

We are looking for someone who is enthusiastic and knowledgeable about shoe care to help us man our Shoeshine chair in the Princes arcade due to our growth. We are open to refferrals!

View attachment 2220709

Getting my shoes shined in an Eames chair is an experience I want to have