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

[tuna roll]

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.

Brush: one for dusting, one for dark leathers (black, dark brown), one for medium brown / tan. So I’d say one for each group of relatively similar colors (no need to be super precise here)

Cream polish: they restore color and give a bit of shine and hydration. So whenever you feel you need any of these things. I’d say once every 1-2 months is fine, for shoes that get regular use.

Conditioner: their purpose is to hydrate the leather. If you use cream polish regularly you may never actually need this, but it’s useful for shoes that feel or look dry.

Saddle soap: I wouldn’t bother using this. It’s quite potent and should only be used on heavily dirty / soiled shoes. Or if you have wax buildup.

Heel dressing: it’s mostly cosmetic, so whenever you feel you need to refresh your heel and sole edges. You can also use colored cream polish for this.

Hope this helps. I’d start with a few brushes and neutral cream.

 

[actionjbone]

Brush: one for dusting, one for dark leathers (black, dark brown), one for medium brown / tan. So I’d say one for each group of relatively similar colors (no need to be super precise here)

Cream polish: they restore color and give a bit of shine and hydration. So whenever you feel you need any of these things. I’d say once every 1-2 months is fine, for shoes that get regular use.

Conditioner: their purpose is to hydrate the leather. If you use cream polish regularly you may never actually need this, but it’s useful for shoes that feel or look dry.

Saddle soap: I wouldn’t bother using this. It’s quite potent and should only be used on heavily dirty / soiled shoes. Or if you have wax buildup.

Heel dressing: it’s mostly cosmetic, so whenever you feel you need to refresh your heel and sole edges. You can also use colored cream polish for this.

Hope this helps. I’d start with a few brushes and neutral cream.

Adding to this: cream polish and lotion really come down to personal preference, in a lot of ways.

If you like the natural patina that leather develops over time, condition.

If you like maintaining even and consistent coloring, polish with a matching cream.

There's no right or wrong answer, so it mainly comes down to individual preference - the caveat being that if you over polish, the polished layers can start to flake or crack; if you over condition, you could get some bloom, but the bloom can be easily brushed away.

Personally, I typically stick to conditioning. I occasionally use cream polish for a touch-up, if the leather gets scuffed or starts to look too uneven for my taste.