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

[JUAN MANUEL]

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

View attachment 2234003

Hello, too much dubbin applied, just brush them with a clean brush or try rubbing with a wet cloth, is rough out suede, you won't damage the leather.

If you apply anything like a solvent you might have a problem.

I hope this helps.

 

[djmech26]

Picked up a pair of Alden factory seconds, and they have a pretty noticeable stain on the toe box. Just curious if this is something that could be removed or if I should just return? The deal was too good to pass up but might need to bite the bullet and spend the extra $300 for a non-seconds pair.

 

[Mr. Rosewood]

Picked up a pair of Alden factory seconds, and they have a pretty noticeable stain on the toe box. Just curious if this is something that could be removed or if I should just return? The deal was too good to pass up but might need to bite the bullet and spend the extra $300 for a non-seconds pair.

I'd try to fix it. First off, cleaning with Omnidaim allover, then, if needed, a proper colour suede spray on the area.
This stain doesn't look too bad for me.

 

[Mr. Rosewood]

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!

I tried both. Couldn't see a clear difference. I believe it's a bit better for leather in the long run using more premium version, but... really you won't feel the difference. I haven't anyway.

 

[JTMD]

Picked up a pair of Alden factory seconds, and they have a pretty noticeable stain on the toe box. Just curious if this is something that could be removed or if I should just return? The deal was too good to pass up but might need to bite the bullet and spend the extra $300 for a non-seconds pair.

I would just return them. Don't try to "fix" them as another poster suggested. If you know an experienced cobbler you could ask his opinion and have him do the work on them. Perhaps it's an easy fix and you can keep the 2nds/save the cash. But if there's any doubt I would just bite the bullet and send them back. And I certainly wouldn't try messing with them myself unless I was willing to eat the cost of potentially making them worse. I am a shoe hobbyist, not an expert on leather and shoe repair. I don't change my own heels and I'm not going to start throwing a bunch of chemical products on shoes that can easily be returned in hopes that I can make them better (which you'd think would have been taken care of at the factory by their experienced workers if it was a quick and easy thing to do). Don't keep a shoe that you're not happy with and will just end up in the closest. A $300 shoe sitting in the closet is a much bigger waste than a $600 shoe that you're wearing on a regular basis.

There are a lot of knowledgeable folks on this site and their advice worth its weight in gold..and if these weren't new shoes that could be returned, I'd certainly say give it a shot. But their experience might not transfer to you all that well. What happens when you put too much or too little product on? What will be your reaction if not all of the stain dissappears yet your "fixing" them voids the return policy?

 

[djmech26]

I would just return them. Don't try to "fix" them as another poster suggested. If you know an experienced cobbler you could ask his opinion and have him do the work on them. Perhaps it's an easy fix and you can keep the 2nds/save the cash. But if there's any doubt I would just bite the bullet and send them back. And I certainly wouldn't try messing with them myself unless I was willing to eat the cost of potentially making them worse. I am a shoe hobbyist, not an expert on leather and shoe repair. I don't change my own heels and I'm not going to start throwing a bunch of chemical products on shoes that can easily be returned in hopes that I can make them better (which you'd think would have been taken care of at the factory by their experienced workers if it was a quick and easy thing to do). Don't keep a shoe that you're not happy with and will just end up in the closest. A $300 shoe sitting in the closet is a much bigger waste than a $600 shoe that you're wearing on a regular basis.

There are a lot of knowledgeable folks on this site and their advice worth its weight in gold..and if these weren't new shoes that could be returned, I'd certainly say give it a shot. But their experience might not transfer to you all that well. What happens when you put too much or too little product on? What will be your reaction if not all of the stain dissappears yet your "fixing" them voids the return policy?

You confirmed my thoughts exactly, I’m by no means skilled enough to attempt to try and remove it. And if I try and screw up I’m out significantly more money than just retuning and buying a new pair. I have them retuned and a new pair of non-seconds on hold for the exchange to be processed.

The shoe mart is so easy to work with as well.

 

[JTMD]

You confirmed my thoughts exactly, I’m by no means skilled enough to attempt to try and remove it. And if I try and screw up I’m out significantly more money than just retuning and buying a new pair. I have them retuned and a new pair of non-seconds on hold for the exchange to be processed.

The shoe mart is so easy to work with as well.

Happy to hear it. Hope your new ones are everything you're looking for and you get years of enjoyment from them 😁

 

[TweedyProf]

I hope it's ok to ask this question since clearly we all think about shoes a lot.

For those who wear chukkas, is there a functional or other difference between two and three eyelet options? I suppose aesthetically, I like 3 but typically, the cuff will cover the eyelets (I wear wider trousers through the leg).

So, the issue then is functional on how it fits the feet and any other more subtle points about the difference? Is there any sense in which three is more "stable" given more lacing? Etc.

 

[tuna roll]

I hope it's ok to ask this question since clearly we all think about shoes a lot.

For those who wear chukkas, is there a functional or other difference between two and three eyelet options? I suppose aesthetically, I like 3 but typically, the cuff will cover the eyelets (I wear wider trousers through the leg).

So, the issue then is functional on how it fits the feet and any other more subtle points about the difference? Is there any sense in which three is more "stable" given more lacing? Etc.

I guess it depends on your foot shape and how well it agrees with the last. More eyelets = more flexibility in adjustments. I recently tried a pair of Astorflex chukkas with 2 eyelets and the instep was a bit too tight, so it created a little roll right below the second eyelet. Had it 3 eyelets, I would probably be able to adjust the fit better with the laces.

 

[Shawnc]

I hope it's ok to ask this question since clearly we all think about shoes a lot.

For those who wear chukkas, is there a functional or other difference between two and three eyelet options? I suppose aesthetically, I like 3 but typically, the cuff will cover the eyelets (I wear wider trousers through the leg).

So, the issue then is functional on how it fits the feet and any other more subtle points about the difference? Is there any sense in which three is more "stable" given more lacing? Etc.

As an Alden fan I have owned many 2-eyelet chukka’s and they feel fine. As a somewhat less Viberg fan, I have owned a couple 3-eyelet chukka’s. I prefer the feel of the 3-eyelet variety. Less slippage and a hard to quantify feel of just being a little neater.

 

[aboulfad]

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).

…

I ended up using my heat gun (fan speed 2/3, setting 4/9) for few secs, moving the heat around, and to my surprise those spots disappeared without buffing. I just redid the steps for a nice mirror shine thanks again.

PS: I measured & matched the heat gun setting to that of a hair dryer, just in case.

 

[bde]

I'm trying to learn about shoe care, and I'm getting overwhelmed with all the considerations for different leathers. From what I can tell, all of the following have separate care instructions:

• Full grain
• Beeswaxed and oiled
• Suede and nubuck
• shell cordovan leather
• patent

Are there others that I'm missing?
Am I overthinking this?

 

[florent]

I'm trying to learn about shoe care, and I'm getting overwhelmed with all the considerations for different leathers. From what I can tell, all of the following have separate care instructions:

• Full grain
• Beeswaxed and oiled
• Suede and nubuck
• shell cordovan leather
• patent

Are there others that I'm missing?
Am I overthinking this?

That's right, you usually don't want to care for all these the same way.
You could add exotics to the list

 

[bde]

Where is the simplest guide for this? There are so many different guides, I can't really figure out what is essential and what's not. My main goal is to not mess up my shoes.

Here are the things I can tell I need:
* Brush: How many do I need? One for each color?
* Creme polish: How often do I apply this?
* Conditioner: How often do I apply this?
* Saddle soap?: How often is this necessary?
* Heel dressing? How often is this necessary?

I don't have any shoes that need glossy shine. I know this has been asked 100 times, but I'm having trouble parsing all the options. If there is a simple guide, please point me to that.

 

[tuna roll]

I'm trying to learn about shoe care, and I'm getting overwhelmed with all the considerations for different leathers. From what I can tell, all of the following have separate care instructions:

• Full grain
• Beeswaxed and oiled
• Suede and nubuck
• shell cordovan leather
• patent

Are there others that I'm missing?
Am I overthinking this?

You could buy specific products for each of these leathers, but here’s an idea trying to keep it simple…

- Suede and nobuck: definitely something that needs specific care and products. Fortunately it’s quite easy. I use a regular horsehair brush for dusting and apply Saphir Invulner (or something like that) every few months to keep it water resistant. that’s it.

- Patent leather: regular creams or lotions don’t do much here, there are specific products to restore shine and get rid of marks.

- Calf, full grain, shell and oiled leathers (like chromexcel): you can use lotions and creams for “smooth leather” on all of these uppers. Shell and oiled leather will absorb less product as they are already saturated, that’s why there are products dedicated to them, with higher concentration of oils, waxes and pigments. But there’s no harm in using products for “regular” leather.

Or: grab something like Saphir Cuir Gras in neutral color to use on shell and oiled leathers.