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

[BootSpell]

@benhour, thanks for your input. This phenomenon is new to me.

DW, thanks again for your detailed explanation. I feel like I've just been given the results of an x-ray by my doctor! Kinda, sorta, right?

 

[joiji]

Question for the shoemakers in here, moc toe stiching (not two pieces, just stitching to raise a bead), like on an Alden Indy, C&J for RL Gianni, etc: Can it be done on a finished shoe? Or is this done pre-lasting/welting?

 

[Itchy]

After digesting everything the search function could serve up, I've concluded one thing: You folks can't agree. I've seen little, though, about using only conditioner in most cases or using wax over conditioner. So I've got two ideas of what I should be doing:


Plan A

Conditioner only, once a month. Put it on, brush it to a shine, and you're done.

If scratched, use cream instead of conditioner, but only as needed.

No cleaner, no wax; do I need a separate protector or will that dry out/harm the leather?



Plan B

Conditioner and then wax on top of it, once a month.

No cleaner, no cream, and no protector; will conditioner under wax keep the latter from drying the leather out or must old wax be often stripped off?


Edited to point out that I'm discussing a pair of dark brown Red Wing Beckmans and a pair of black Wolverine 1000 Miles.

 

[Fred G. Unn]



So I've got two ideas of what I should be doing:

Assuming you're talking about calf, I'd use Plan C:
Condition when needed, then creme polish when needed, then wax polish on toes and heel counter.

I'm not sure what you mean by "protector"? Are you talking about Nano Protector or something like it? That's for suede, not calf.

 

[menswhere]

In dire need of some help . . .

I have strands in bourbon, and last night i spilled a few drops of olive oil on the toe. I panicked, as it looked like it would stain, read some home remedies online, and was told that a small amount of detergent should get the stain out. Not only is the stain still there, but some of the toe is now lighter than the other areas due to the scrubbing. I tried polishing them last night with bourbon polish, but that hasn't made a noticeable difference.

I'm considering either applying a little bit of olive oil to the area to make the stain less noticeable (right now its three discrete drops). Anyone know if there's a tanning oil or something I could use to get them back to where they were?

THANK YOU

 

[aglose]

There's a crease forming just below the toe cap, is there anything I can do to stop it?

 

[Kahuna75]



There's a crease forming just below the toe cap, is there anything I can do to stop it?

Probably not, if the leather is dry try nourishing it...otherwise stop calling it a crease and start calling it character and it will seem better..

How is the fit of the shoe?

 

[Itchy]

Quote:
Yep, talking about calf. Specifically a pair of dark brown Red Wing Beckmans and a pair of black Wolverine 1000 Miles. I should edit that into the original post. By protector I mean waterproofing, like a non-silicone spray, like Bickmore Gard-More. Wax won't dry out the leather to the point of long-term damage?

 

[Fred G. Unn]



Yep, talking about calf. Specifically a pair of dark brown Red Wing Beckmans and a pair of black Wolverine 1000 Miles.

It would depend on the model, but I'm pretty sure neither of those are calf. I think most 1000 Miles are Horween Chromexcel, but they make shell versions and maybe some other types as well. I'm not sure what the Beckmans are exactly but I doubt they are calf. I have a pair of Red Wing 9105s and all I've ever done is just condition them. I actually just use mine as a true work/woodworking boot so I'm not too concerned about appearances as long as the leather is healthy.

I'd just use conditioner and a creme polish as needed. There's no need for a wax polish since you're not gonna be able (or even want to) raise a shine on those. They are boots, I think they look better with some wear. If you are wanting info on a sealant wax such as Obenauf's LP or Sno Seal, maybe someone else will chime in as I don't really have experience with those. You definitely don't need to be using a wax polish though.

 

[kentyman]

It would depend on the model, but I'm pretty sure neither of those are calf. I think most 1000 Miles are Horween Chromexcel, but they make shell versions and maybe some other types as well. I'm not sure what the Beckmans are exactly but I doubt they are calf. I have a pair of Red Wing 9105s and all I've ever done is just condition them. I actually just use mine as a true work/woodworking boot so I'm not too concerned about appearances as long as the leather is healthy.

I'd just use conditioner and a creme polish as needed. There's no need for a wax polish since you're not gonna be able (or even want to) raise a shine on those. They are boots, I think they look better with some wear. If you are wanting info on a sealant wax such as Obenauf's LP or Sno Seal, maybe someone else will chime in as I don't really have experience with those. You definitely don't need to be using a wax polish though.

Agreed. Those boots are likely made from cowhide, specifically Chromexcel. Obenauf's HDLP and Sno Seal are use by people in extreme conditions, but isn't necessary otherwise and is even frowned upon by some. I wouldn't even polish unless you have a huge scratch to hide. Until then, just brush/wipe/cleaner them when they're dirty and condition them if they get dry (though your cleaner will probably condition as well).

Long story short, these boots likely don't need much maintenance. The stuff you were talking about is a better regimen for calfskin dress shoes.

 

[aglose]



Probably not, if the leather is dry try nourishing it...otherwise stop calling it a crease and start calling it character and it will seem better..

How is the fit of the shoe?

Fit seems to be right on, actually it's one of my better fitting shoes. Sounds good, character it is.

 

[Itchy]

Quote:
Quote:
My mistake on the calf. Chromexcel rings a bell. So conditioner only it is. Bick 4, maybe? It *says* it works as a cleaner, conditioner, polish, and stain-resister (hence the "4"), though Bickmore simply calls it a conditioner. The Wolverines are a pretty flat black out of the box, almost charcoal. Think I'll give those a little shine to bring them to a truer black, but no wax.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Somebody here, not too long ago, expressed dissatisfaction with this "orange peel" surface when mirror polishing their shoes. I encountered this last night and I wanted to share what I felt worked well to correct it. Basically after there is sufficient wax on the toe and you are doing your swirls and get to the point where it feels like the surface of a bowling ball, rather than keep adding wax, just keep adding very small amounts of water and keep polishing it with fast light swirls. Essentially the friction, speed, and slowly adding small amounts of water will help diminish that type of orange peel finish. If you're not getting anywhere let it sit for a bit and go back at it with small amounts of water and fast, light swirls.

 

[Fred G. Unn]



Bick 4, maybe?

Yep, that's a great choice!

 

[Itchy]

Quote:
Huzzah, progress! Finally feel like I can hone in on something, buy it, and get to enjoying my Wolverines (which only arrived this afternoon). Thanks to you and kentyman. I've already got Red Wing boot cream for the Beckmans, so I'll order up a jar of Meltonian black for the Wolverines to get them a little darker. Should I bother spritzing them with (non-silicone) Gard-More for a little water protection?