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

[macpol]

Hi everyone,

I recently bought a pair of boots and I'm brand new to leather care. These boots change their shades of brown throughout the shoe in random areas. My concern is that I will completely ruin the colours as I have seen with other shoes. Could anyone recommend a polish that will not ruin or darken the leather?

Excuse the poor photo, but you can sort of see how the colour changes randomly.

 

[dbhdnhdbh]

For extending the life of heels, as DW indicated, one can use nails or put something over the edge where the wear is most dramatic. I read of one person who would apply a layer of ShoeGoo and replenish it as it wore. More common are plastic or metal plates. The metal ones apparently wear a long time but are noisy and slippery. I have found V cleats to be too slippery to be safe. I have some shoes on which I am trying brass nails. Too soon to tell whether it helps. The plastic heel plates are cheap, easy to apply and seem to do the job.

If you don't approve of any of these methods, then figure regular toplift replacement as part of your maintenance routine. If you are a typical SF shoe lover with expensive shoes, then periodic attention from a cobbler is probably a good idea anyway.

 

[traverscao]

Hi everyone,

I recently bought a pair of boots and I'm brand new to leather care. These boots change their shades of brown throughout the shoe in random areas. My concern is that I will completely ruin the colours as I have seen with other shoes. Could anyone recommend a polish that will not ruin or darken the leather?

Excuse the poor photo, but you can sort of see how the colour changes randomly.

Any polish, from this point on, will darken the leather more. Only wear will make it less. I presume the leather seen here is an oiled leather, more or less similar to Horween Chromexcel, yes?

 

[traverscao]

Any polish, from this point on, will darken the leather more. Only wear will make it less. I presume the leather seen here is an oiled leather, more or less similar to Horween Chromexcel, yes?

If it is oil leather, then forget about polish. Either a dubbin grease, dressing, or Saphir Greasy Cream is the best.

 

[macpol]

If it is oil leather, then forget about polish. Either a dubbin grease, dressing, or Saphir Greasy Cream is the best.

Thanks for the insight, I'll look into that.

 

[OzzyJones]



Thanks for the insight, I'll look into that.

It looks like Chromexcel so tread carefully with any product. I learned to my cost that anything greasy put on it takes an age to soak in and attracts dirt and dust like nobody's business. Any minor scuffs should brush or rub out without any product and a little coloured cream polish will take care of more serious damage. IME of course. Keep them clean, condition occasionally and wear them to bits!

 

[macpol]

It looks like Chromexcel so tread carefully with any product. I learned to my cost that anything greasy put on it takes an age to soak in and attracts dirt and dust like nobody's business. Any minor scuffs should brush or rub out without any product and a little coloured cream polish will take care of more serious damage. IME of course. Keep them clean, condition occasionally and wear them to bits!

Thank you!

 

[traverscao]

Thanks for the insight, I'll look into that.

Take your time and hope all will go well.

It looks like Chromexcel so tread carefully with any product. I learned to my cost that anything greasy put on it takes an age to soak in and attracts dirt and dust like nobody's business. Any minor scuffs should brush or rub out without any product and a little coloured cream polish will take care of more serious damage. IME of course. Keep them clean, condition occasionally and wear them to bits!

Well, problem with greasy products would be the fact that some of them take too long to absorb, and we run impatient and just leave the goop over the top. Furthermore, many choose to apply a whole **** load of the product, and thus the waiting would take forever. Most of that leather product wasn't even clean prior greasing, therefore had thus thwarted any attempt of the grease to properly absorbed by the leather and being put into good use.

 

[traverscao]

as DWFII mentioned the "toplift" (didnt know it called this way, i always called rubber guard hahaha) needs replacing as soon as possible (no more specification needed as DWFii provided everything )!!

the thing i want to point out more is that 45 times and that result its quit too fast for what i know!! maybe the rubber was too soft for the tureen you were walking on!! i have used the half rubber/half leather toplifts from vibram(among other brands also) and these are far more durable than any other!!!

ps. happy to see you all back here after my absence!! (had a surgery )

Great contribution, Ben.

Vibram had some kind of magical potion in their heel and sole products, which make them tank tracks. Ordinary stuffs, however, were made light, or flexible, and therefore wear out way too fast.

The worst would have been AE's stuff. They wear out within months. I have to tap nails on the sections to reduce the wear.

 

[OzzyJones]

Take your time and hope all will go well.

Well, problem with greasy products would be the fact that some of them take too long to absorb, and we run impatient and just leave the goop over the top. Furthermore, many choose to apply a whole **** load of the product, and thus the waiting would take forever. Most of that leather product wasn't even clean prior greasing, therefore had thus thwarted any attempt of the grease to properly absorbed by the leather and being put into good use.

Yeah, I didn't apply a whole lot (probably still too much) but still had to leave them for days before it had absorbed enough to properly brush out and even then they were still tacky, which made them dust magnets. Luckily, they were my old beater W1K's so no real harm done

 

[traverscao]

Yeah, I didn't apply a whole lot (probably still too much) but still had to leave them for days before it had absorbed enough to properly brush out and even then they were still tacky, which made them dust magnets. Luckily, they were my old beater W1K's so no real harm done

Thanks for the insight. Yes, they can run really sticky and heck, some takes forever to absorb.

I guess when it comes to these heavy treatments, it is important to go for the traditional manual way - soap it heavily with a natural soap, soak it thoroughly, then let it dry completely before began the treatment. It is fairly important, also, that the goop is not left in a cold, or even cool state - that said, you don't necessarily have to melt it before you apply it (although I'd say it is totally rational and consider the best way for all goops to be properly absorbed), but any warm temperature will ease the application process and speed up absorptions.

Of all the greases, I find Saphir's greases absorb fastest and easiest, although over dose could result in goopy state that no one likes. Then comes Montana pitch blend, which I love to use on roughout leather boots and sole edges, because it is heavy in terms of conditioning and impregnations with the mink oil content. I don't know if many of you are familiar with the name, but Grison dubbin grease of France is the toughest stuff to apply. I used to apply the stuff on one of my beater combat boots, and it took me a stove to do the job properly. Other easy going greases includes light substance grease like Huberd's or Obenauf's makes wonderful job.

Furthermore, the frustrating part that people rarely get it right - brushing. Once the grease dries up properly, it will leave a fairly rough surface like that of wax polish. It is important that the grease is thoroughly brushed before the item is used, or else no matter how little grease used the leather will still end up sucking dust and dirt.

Guess I'm being colossal here... But, oh well, I cannot hold it forever.

 

[DWFII]



Yeah, I didn't apply a whole lot (probably still too much) but still had to leave them for days before it had absorbed enough to properly brush out and even then they were still tacky, which made them dust magnets. Luckily, they were my old beater W1K's so no real harm done

Warm the leather and the grease with a hair dryer. Hold it about 8-12 inches from the surface of the leather. Keep your other hand in the air stream--if your hand gets too hot, the leather is too hot. This takes about five minutes to a relatively dry, non-tacky surface. If the grease will not entirely soak into the leather with hot air, it won't ever soak into the leather.

 

[OzzyJones]

Thanks DW,

I actually used a hairdryer which confirms I used too much stuff. I now subscribe to the school of less is more

 

[DWFII]



Thanks DW,

I actually used a hairdryer which confirms I used too much stuff. I now subscribe to the school of less is more

You're welcome.

CRXL is, as I recall, a strange product. I have never used it in shoes but I've dealt with Horween for decades and I've had sample pieces sent to me for inspection and evaluation. And I've spoken to Skip about it.

He told me that you could spit shine (bull) CRXL....just takes time and perseverance. I am/was dubious but it does have a rather strange, dense grain surface--if it didn't, any talk about mirror shining the toes, would be entirely silly.

Point is, that such a grain surface will naturally limit the ability of the leather to absorb grease...even in thin applications.

 

[malwear]

Hi guys,

These are a pair of Carmina shell boots. As you can see, the right boot, and only the right, has these creases that are white-ish in appearance. At first I thought it was just waxy build-up seeping out of the leather, but up close it looks like it may be dryness. It goes away with a brushing but immediately comes back when I wear them.

I've had these for under a year. Probably worn about 20 times. Brushed regularly. Reno twice.

Any thoughts on what's going on and how I can fix it?