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

[joiji]

NOBD, the Tetbury's don't seem that badly worn in the before photos, what prompted the overhaul?

Christian, what products can you use to condition suede? I can't think of any off the top of my head.

 

[cbfn]

Neither can I, hence the questioning.

 

[NOBD]



As swell as they look, my inner shoe care enthusiast questions the lack of conditioning of the suede.

Wut?

NOBD, the Tetbury's don't seem that badly worn in the before photos, what prompted the overhaul?

No, they weren't that bad. There were some stains on them that I wanted to get rid of. And I'm thinking of getting rid of them alltogether, so I thought I might as well get them in a nice condition if I decide to sell them. I won't be wearing them anymore.

 

[cbfn]



Wut?

Since suede is leather, it as well need conditioning as we use conditioners like Lexol, Saphir renovateur, Meltonian etc. on regular calf, no?

 

[NOBD]

I don't know. I only use Saphir sprays to condition and waterproof my suede shoes.

 

[Gdot]

This is a question I've had in my mind for a long time! As I have suede shoes that I've worn all summer, every summer for thirty years and they've never cracked or lost their suppleness.

They've had plain old Kiwi suede protector sprayed on them a few (very few) times over the years but mostly just get brushed. The few times that I've cleaned them I've used hair shampoo.

NOBD - The chukkas turned out great -why sell?

 

[grendel]

This is a question I've had in my mind for a long time! As I have suede shoes that I've worn all summer, every summer for thirty years and they've never cracked or lost their suppleness.
They've had plain old Kiwi suede protector sprayed on them a few (very few) times over the years but mostly just get brushed. The few times that I've cleaned them I've used hair shampoo.
NOBD - The chukkas turned out great -why sell?

I've wondered this as well. Do you condition the inside? I wipe a little Lexol on the inside once in a while, but nothing like the conditioning my calf shoes get. Seems odd that they don't dry out.

 

[NOBD]



This is a question I've had in my mind for a long time! As I have suede shoes that I've worn all summer, every summer for thirty years and they've never cracked or lost their suppleness.
They've had plain old Kiwi suede protector sprayed on them a few (very few) times over the years but mostly just get brushed. The few times that I've cleaned them I've used hair shampoo.
NOBD - The chukkas turned out great -why sell?

Same non-problem here .

They look and feel too big (long) on my feet. I have wide feet and had to (half) size up on these, compared with my 337-C&J's. And in general I'm leaning more towards less elongated lasts, lately.

 

[Michael Pukas]

I just posted this question in the general question thread, before I found this one... mod's, feel free to delete the other post if needed.



I’ve got a question about cleaning and restoring leather boots – I have a pair of Polo Ralph Lauren brown wing tip boots that are English bench-made. I picked them up about 12-13 years ago, and worn for many years. I’ve over-enthusiastically oiled them, and they have built up a funk of oil and dirt over time. There’s also a lot of dirt and pebbles stuck in the brogue-ing due to the excess oil build up.

They really need to be stripped down to the bare leather to get the oil and dirt out and then refinished.

Anyone have any experiences doing something like this themselves? I’m on the fence about trying it myself, as I don’t want to damage the leather. There are a couple of shoe repair shops that are convenient to where I live, and I’ve had them do work for me over the years that I’ve lived here, but I’m not I sure I trust them to do this job.

I did find this shop on-line in Denver called Dardano’s that seems like they may have the skills to work on a pair of boots like this.

Thanks in advance for any and all feedback! mpp

 

[kwhunter]

I’ve got a question about cleaning and restoring leather boots – I have a pair of Polo Ralph Lauren brown wing tip boots that are English bench-made. I picked them up about 12-13 years ago, and worn for many years. I’ve over-enthusiastically oiled them, and they have built up a funk of oil and dirt over time. There’s also a lot of dirt and pebbles stuck in the brogue-ing due to the excess oil build up.

They really need to be stripped down to the bare leather to get the oil and dirt out and then refinished.

Anyone have any experiences doing something like this themselves? I’m on the fence about trying it myself, as I don’t want to damage the leather. There are a couple of shoe repair shops that are convenient to where I live, and I’ve had them do work for me over the years that I’ve lived here, but I’m not I sure I trust them to do this job.

What I would do... I would wash them with leather soap. There are many products, but I used this one:
http://www.montanapitchblend.com/

Cleans well and does not excessively dry the leather. If it is really dirty, then you will need 2 applications.
After you're done, fill the inside with newspapers and let dry. Condition the leather afterwards.
Good luck.

 

[MyOtherLife]



Molds require moisture of some sort to grow. However, the spores can persist for quite some time without moisture. Everytime you wear a pair of shoes the moisture returns and can be adequate to create a new 'bloom' of mold.

Try spraying them inside with Lysol after EVERY wear for a while.
Clean them with white vinegar on the outside (test a small area first to make sure it won't damage the finish.)
Sit them outside in the bright sunshine for a few days if it's available.
Persistence will be your friend.

Just a thought to add, since my last fiasco with moldy shoes a year ago, I learned that neither Lysol or vinegar will kill mold.
Apparently there is a whole world of mold, many strains and as DWF stated in that other thread that NOBD referred to, fire is the best bet, or high heat. Problem is you lose the leather with the process. There is a chemical product I have learned of since called MOLDEX, but I have yet to try this on a pair of shoes. Also, hoe to remove the Moldex after treatment, because I would not want my feet absorbing traces of it later. The mold issue, in my books, is still at an impass. If anyone has come up with a solution, please update that other thread.

 

[glenjay]



As swell as they look, my inner shoe care enthusiast questions the lack of conditioning of the suede.

My can of Kiwi Suede & Nubuck Cleaner states that it "Cleans and conditions all suede & nubuck leathers". I suspect that most commercial suede cleaners contain some conditioners as well. Not sure about the suede protectors however.

 

[djwoblely]

NOBD, Thanks for the informative posts!! I really appreciate the before and after with the instructions.

 

[patrick_b]



A friend of mine had this issue with used shoes. Tons of mold inside. He used alcohol on the inside, then onbeneufs leather oil. That stuff has propolis, which is a natural antibacterial.

I'm pretty sure Obenauf HDLP will cure cancer one day.

I recently made a dog leash out of natural (un-dyed) veg tan leather. I treated w/HDLP for conditioning and water resistance. My family doesn't like the smell so I wiped off the excess and applied a coat of Leather Salve by the folks who make Otter Wax. That stuff seems like a great conditioner and smells great. It's not a waterproofer but I really like it. Time will tell how it works out long term.

It has much less wax than HDLP so if you need water resistance, I'd still apply a coat of HDLP. Heavy duty, hard wearing shoes and boots are not likely this product's target but for belts, wallets and other leather accessories, I really like it.

I ended up with a free tin as Otter had a slight mixup with a recent order of Otter wax. They threw in the salve as a good will gesture.

http://www.otterwax.com/product/leather-salve-reg-tin/

 

[HaleytheMouse]

I understand that this is a men's clothing forum but I was hoping you could help me out. I recently wore my Sperry Top-Sider shoes out in the rain and they retained some water stains that won't seem to go away as they dry. The shoes are suede at the top (where the stain is.) and I don't want to ruin them. How do I get the stains out?!