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

[mymil]

Nitrile.

 

[benhour]

new shoes just arrived from the gobler and shined a little!! haha


at the second pic only the toe cap is shinned!

 

[goodlensboy]



The difference would be that your $5 kitchen apron is probably made of a lighter fabric, which can be useful if you stand in the kitchen for any length of time preparing food with an apron hanging from your neck. Bib style Lap aprons tend to be of a heavier weight canvas for a couple of reasons: You will have things in your lap that may soak through a lighter weight fabric, and you will be sitting so the weight is less of a factor on your neck. I have seen some heavier weight commercial kitchen aprons, and of course there is a waist tie that helps support the weight. But, I still prefer a light kitchen apron when cooking, and a heavy canvas lap apron when I polish my shoes.

+ 1 Also because kitchen aprons don't look like below But I think a light suede sheet is best suited for me to spread over legs and sofa/floor because I don't need to stand or walk while polishing shoes

 

[Shoefish8]

Hello good Sirs, it is with pleasure I inaugurate my membership here in this lovely thread. I've read more pages then I ever would of thought I would read on shoe care, but it seems to have some inexplicable allure to it. To preface this thoroughly, I am what they refer to in colloquial terms, a "noob", when it comes to both shoe care and the shoe world in general.

So let's get down to business. I recently pounced on a great online offer for these three pairs of shoes at a highly discounted price:

http://whyred.se/web/-/show-product...rod_prod-s1/344573&group=prod_prod_grp-s1/420

http://www.clarks.co.uk/p/20351340

http://heppo.se/herrskor/stovlar-kangor/albany-155159-0014

Now I know these might be more suited for the streetwear fora, but I was highly impressed with the standard of knowledge here and was hoping you could spare me a couple tips.

I have actually already purchased, ignorantly and per a shopkeepers instructions, one tube of BAMA Selfshine Cream (for smooth leather, colorless), one can of BAMA All Protector (Universal, colorless), and a double sided brush with what appears to be one rougher synthetic bristle side and one side consisting of unidentifiable cream colored bristles (circa $15 in a shoe store). Are these products I actually can use or do they contain ingredients that could harm the leather?

I live in a cold climate, so I will be using the Clarks/Gant until the weather is too extreme. The Whyred shoes, which really are the centerpiece of this question, will obviously not be worn on anything other than dry surfaces with the leather sole in mind. I guess what I want to know is what precautions and care routines should I adapt to preserve the life and aesthetic of these shoes for as long as possible.

Thanks in advance

 

[zazadojo]

Thank you very much for the heads up on the Jos.A.Bank sale(buy one get two free). I just recieved my box of nine sets of shoe trees for less than 100.00 shipped, office smells like cedar.

 

[patrick_b]



Nitrile.

I found that nitrile and latex gloves are overkill for shoe duty. I buy the cheapie food service gloves at the grocery store. No need for sterile. I do like gloves especially for products like conditioners that I apply by hand (Obenauf, for instance). No apron...yet.

 

[Gdot]



+ 1 Also because kitchen aprons don't look like below

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

But I think a light suede sheet is best suited for me to spread over legs and sofa/floor because I don't need to stand or walk while polishing shoes

Wow! That is one super premium leather apron. For me - I use an old beach towel spread out over my lap and the sofa arm where I put the polish tin - not nearly so cool as that apron - but it works.

 

[mymil]

I found that nitrile and latex gloves are overkill for shoe duty. I buy the cheapie food service gloves at the grocery store. No need for sterile. I do like gloves especially for products like conditioners that I apply by hand (Obenauf, for instance). No apron...yet.

Yeah, I just have them around for some reason... so I use them because I don't want to absorb the products through my skin.

 

[Wedin]

Towel is the way to go, since you always carry one with you!

 

[grendel]

I found that nitrile and latex gloves are overkill for shoe duty. I buy the cheapie food service gloves at the grocery store. No need for sterile. I do like gloves especially for products like conditioners that I apply by hand (Obenauf, for instance). No apron...yet.

I find Obenauf to make my hands much softer and less dry. Plus it smells great.

 

[patrick_b]



I find Obenauf to make my hands much softer and less dry. Plus it smells great. 

I think that applying by hand is the best way to wrk it into the leather. But I'm not a fan of the smell. It probably isn't bad for the skin.

Yeah, I just have them around for some reason... so I use them because I don't want to absorb the products through my skin.

I hate getting polish on my fingertips through the cloth. Kiwi is especially hard to wash off.

 

[Gdot]



I think that applying by hand is the best way to wrk it into the leather. But I'm not a fan of the smell. It probably isn't bad for the skin.
I hate getting polish on my fingertips through the cloth. Kiwi is especially hard to wash off.

I use at least a double/triple layer of cloth on my finger when applying the polish. This helps in keeping it off my skin. But doesn't completely prevent it from happening from time to time.

It washes off pretty easily with dishwashing detergent and a little nail brush. The detergent is designed to remove grease/oils and the nail brush gets right into every little place where the polish might want to stick around.

Plain old bar soap isn't strong enough to do the same job as quickly.

 

[goodlensboy]

How to clean and avoid this guys For lace ups do you always remove laces before polishing? Some have stitching with the tongue

 

[kwhunter]

How to clean and avoid this guys

For lace ups do you always remove laces before polishing? Some have stitching with the tongue

Not sure I understand how the wax/creme/etc got there? Was it applied on the inside of the shoes?! Probably a solvent like White Spirit, Lighter Fluid (Naphta) or even paint thinner will clean that up; if they are not varnished, than sanding with 320/400 grit sandpaper will clean it up.
As for Topic #2, I would remove the laces.
http://www.crockettandjones.com/ShoeCare
If you watch ^this, it is done wrong IMHO

 

[goodlensboy]



Not sure I understand how the wax/creme/etc got there? Was it applied on the inside of the shoes?! Probably a solvent like White Spirit, Lighter Fluid (Naphta) or even paint thinner will clean that up; if they are not varnished, than sanding with 320/400 grit sandpaper will clean it up. As for Topic #2, I would remove the laces. http://www.crockettandjones.com/ShoeCare If you watch ^this, it is done wrong IMHO

Not sure I understand how the wax/creme/etc got there? Was it applied on the inside of the shoes?! Hehe, it was difficult but I managed to do it! :tounge: If you watch ^this, it is done wrong IMHO Good spotting, C&J did not remove the laces, I can see the difference in texture between the laces running through the eyelets, and in the bow. It also turns laces greasy and hard to tie and untie. I'd guess ideally laces should be removed and cleaned with a cloth dipped in thin leather lotion, dry, then put back? Now I know why JL shoe care video features a loafer