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

[Munky]

Gentlemen! Let's return to a more civilised tone!

 

[DWFII]



DW, please, calm down and take it easy.

What makes you think I'm not calm?

How do these things start? I'm going along, trying to help someone--answer whether a half sole or a full sole is needed. I may not have offered the first response to the OP, despite the post hanging out there for some time, but it was soon after.

And it's just freely offered information. I have no "vested interest" in whether the OP goes with a half sole or not. I'm not a sponsor, I'm not seeking business, and the only thing I'm promoting is clear, objective, analytical thinking and an understanding of the Trade of shoemaking.

Someone else...such as Nick...could have answered the OP the first time he asked, if he so chose, but he didn't. When he finally decided to jump in, it was to, more or less and inevitably, take issue with me.

I try to be patient, I try to explain (he almost never does...or can) and inevitably it turns nasty.

That's the history of our relationship...Nick and me.

I know what I'm talking about from decades of first hand, dirt-under-the-fingernails, experience...he doesn't.

He wants to be seen as the final word on shoe repair issues on SF but he doesn't want to earn the position.

It's been like this since I came on the forum.

My advice to you is to stay out of it--it's none of your business and you're over your head.

--

 

[PCK1]

• 

• PCK1
• 

• Posts: 1,918
• Joined: 1/2014
• Location: NY

​

let me summarize the last 803 pages of this thread

noob: i put 36 different shoe care products on my shoe every three nights and two months later they are destroyed....what did i do wrong??? all the shoe care companies said i have to use all of these things regularly or my shoes will be destroyed!

noob 2: no no no, you didn't apply them right. so and so said this on his blog and he is an expert. you did it all wrong you idiot...do it this way.

noob 3: no idiot, you are the idiot. so and so's blog is for idiot's like you. you have to do it this way when the moon is at this position in the sky and after you hopped on a pogo stick for 3 hours.

noob 4: shell sucks

noob 5: i wear shell everyday. it is the best. i go fishing and i wear my shell boots because they are awesome in the water. they are more waterproof than a nuclear submarine.

noob 6: my couch is made of shell and my cat scratched it and noob 5 told me if i use these 82 different products it will fix it but my couch smells like **** now and my cat committed suicide.

noob 7: shoe care products are for idiots. you only need the basics.

noob 8: noob 7 is wrong! don't listen to his heresy! you have to use these things or your shoes will be ruined.

noob 7: noob 8 is a bastard who only buys allen edmonds factory seconds!

noob 8: hey! how dare you diss allen edmonds factory seconds! AE are an internationally renowned quality shoe making establishment.

noob 7: i know i know, i love AE, they are by far the best shoes ever made. I can't imagine why anyone would spend $5000 on bespoke shoes when they could get AE's, which are better quality and fit than bespoke. and i know about bespoke because i read so and so's blog and he is a bespoke expert and he said AE is better.

noob 9: i just ate three cases of Glen Karen's shoe cream. it is an excellent topping on vanilla ice cream! ​

@PCK1 : How is this in any way related to shoe care?

My response:

noob 15: did I take my meds? Should I up the dosage?


This was clearly in response to your post- what I was referring to as "******** up the thread" earlier. But you took offense- quote:

"Says the guy that jumped on the bandwagon and posted the below...which is perhaps the only truly offensive post ridiculing people who actually need medication for mental health purposes."

So, it's ok for you to insult everyone else who comes here for shoe care advice, but my response is offensive? This was why I stated perhaps YOU are the "scummy hypocrite"; (way to be the adult, btw- who's insulting who now?) You've posted your shoe care regimen at least three times (UNSOLICITED, I might add) in the last 15 pages. I think I speak for the thread- we've got it!

I looked at your profile; just because you own a lot of expensive shoes, does not make you an expert. News flash: you come off like a condescending blowhard.

Hence:

Originally Posted by cbfn

"PCK, the elitism of your posts is seriously nauseating. I am not a fan of people coming into this with unsupported opinions which they throw around as absolute facts, but this is forum is for sharing information and exchanging knowledge, and correcting them with knowledge is a far more correct than doing it with petty posts. I have been a noob myself, applying various shoe care products to my shoes with the belief and "knowledge" that it was maintaining and even ameliorating the leather - but the knowledge shared here has helped me tremendously in understanding the effect of these products and that my opinion wasn't always correct."

Apologies to everyone else.

It is laughable that you backtrack and try to claim that you were not jumping on the joke bandwagon when you were clearly doing exact that, and even worse with such a disgusting and insolent remark!

And I will continue to post my routine because it seems impossible to get through to someone as thick headed as you.

And yes, I have a lot of shoes. I have also travelled around the world and in my travels visited shoe makers in their workshops and discussed shoe care with them extensively.

Each shoemaker's approach varies slightly, and this often has to do with their preference for styling (especially pertaining to one's known for skill in hand coloring and patina), but they are by and large very similar routines.

And, most importantly, they have also stressed that the vast majority of the items sold on the market are useless crap.

There are some very knowledgeable people on this thread, and there are some people who pretend to know everything, and they don't know anything. Maybe they own one or two pairs of quality shoes and just spent $300 at the hanger project on shoe care products last month...and now they think they are experts.

 

[DWFII]



There are some very knowledgeable people on this thread, and there are some people who pretend to know everything, and they don't know anything. Maybe they own one or two pairs of quality shoes and just spent $300 at the hanger project on shoe care products last month...and now they think they are experts. 

 

[westie187]

"And yes, I have a lot of shoes. I have also travelled around the world and in my travels visited shoe makers in their workshops and discussed shoe care with them extensively."

I've had a great deal of conversations with my local mechanic regarding my Honda- does this make me an expert in auto repair? Far from it- which is why I'm here, looking for advice. Not endless posturing from a blowhard.

And now I'll take the only piece of YOUR advice that's been even remotely helpful, and block you.

Thanks!

 

[DWFII]



I've had a great deal of conversations with my local mechanic regarding my Honda- does this make me an expert on auto repair? Far from it- which is why I'm here, looking for advice. Not endless posturing

also

 

[PCK1]

"And yes, I have a lot of shoes. I have also travelled around the world and in my travels visited shoe makers in their workshops and discussed shoe care with them extensively."

I've had a great deal of conversations with my local mechanic regarding my Honda- does this make me an expert on auto repair? Far from it- which is why I'm here, looking for advice. Not endless posturing from a blowhard.

And now I'll take the only piece of YOUR advice that's been sven remotely helpful, and block you.

Thanks!

Because shoe care and automotive engineering are on an equal technical level.

You sure are a bright one!

 

[AAJJLLPP]

Is throwing shoe trees into wet shoes truly the best thing to do? How about stuffing with newspaper? Just wondering, because the way I see it is that the tree will block off air flow and slow down the drying a lot. Even a untreated cedar tree can only absorb so much water, it is not a sponge, and cedar of all woods isn't particularly absorbent when compared to other soft woods. It has a ton of resin in it (where that lovely smell comes from) which makes it quite a waterproof wood. It seems to me the best way would be to air dry or stuff your shoes with newspaper for a day or so, and when most of the water has evaporated, throw in the trees to hold the shape.

 

[Munky]

Someone seems to have brought the thread back to it's real function.

 

[MDeKelver]

I have used newspaper for years in athletic footwear: Cycling, running, skiing, etc. when it gets wet, and you need them to be in shape to wear the next day. Caveat, most of those things were nylon, polyurethane foams, but I did start with leather cycling shoes.

 

[traverscao]

Is throwing shoe trees into wet shoes truly the best thing to do? How about stuffing with newspaper? Just wondering, because the way I see it is that the tree will block off air flow and slow down the drying a lot. Even a untreated cedar tree can only absorb so much water, it is not a sponge, and cedar of all woods isn't particularly absorbent when compared to other soft woods. It has a ton of resin in it (where that lovely smell comes from) which makes it quite a waterproof wood. It seems to me the best way would be to air dry or stuff your shoes with newspaper for a day or so, and when most of the water has evaporated, throw in the trees to hold the shape.

If you care less about the tree itself, then go forth and stuff the trees into the shoe. Otherwise, news paper would end up soaking themselves, and you have to keep an eye on them and remove them periodically. Trees are advantageous for keeping shape, however.

 

[traverscao]

Someone seems to have brought the thread back to it's real function.

Been trying to do so, Munky - failed miserably...

 

[Colr]

Someone seems to have brought the thread back to it's real function.

My limited experience is that you need a bit of product (cream and mostly wax) to get a really good shine. Once you've got it then its quite easy to maintain. I'll log on in 10 years and let you know if I was right.

 

[Colr]

Newspaper changed frequently seems sensible if your shoes are soaked. For day to day, surely trees are fine?

 

[traverscao]

Newspaper changed frequently seems sensible if your shoes are soaked. For day to day, surely trees are fine?

I was afraid trees can crack if wetting and drying is harsh on them, but then again, some care a lot less for trees.