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

[JFWR]

Thank you so much for your replay. Thank you all by the way. May I ask why you would not use the Saphir Renovateur on those shoes? Also, would you recommend using the wax polish not necessarily for extra shine but for protection? Or would it be a safer bet to just use a neutral cream polish and then a protective spray like the invulner by Saphir?

Munky has posted before that he has found renovateur to take off hand-burnishing.

 

[JE_FR88]

Munky has posted before that he has found renovateur to take off hand-burnishing.

Ah okay, I didn't know that. Well thanks for the heads up!

On another note: I don't know if you have suede shoes, but what do you use in order to condition them or remove stains? I've seen some suede products by Saphir like the conditioner, but it doesn't really match the suede's color.

 

[Jazzthief]

5 minutes is not enough for Neutral Colonill 1909. I have come to leave it for hours, mostly. It develops an interesting shine on Calfskin and on Shell Cordovan.
One of the best product on the market.

I also believe that what we see on YouTube has many of us, your very truly included, thinking it is easy ... It's not. These people are experienced and skilled. They have experience (IOW they have destroyed a few shoes ) We should look at their videos as inspirations and know that there will be fails... some of these epic ... Take a, not so great pair of shoes, and learn from it .. The better , most loved ones, leave them alone or take to the pros until you know what you're doing. Stick to the KISS posts of people like Munky , et al. Once you know then you ...

Thank you for your response! However, the thing is that 5 minutes is more than enough on my older pair of cheaper Gino Rossi (ironically enough, a Polish brand if I am not mistaken) shoes as I can brush it to a nice shine with no problem. The problem is with the new Yanko shoes that do not seem to get along too well with the Collonil wax. I use the wax sparingly - the same amount as with GR. It does not make sense to me that a cheap pair shines well enough, but a more expensive and better quality pair does not. I am still learning the ropes so it does make sense that it does not make sense to me!

 

[LuxLibertas]

Maybe this is a bit of an odd question (or off topic), but what do you guys use to polish shoes that look 'antiqued'. I don't want to mess up the color of the beautiful shoes, but I want to protect them well. What cream and/or wax polish is the best to use then?

Also, when it comes to conditioners, I've heard good things about the Renovateur, Bick 4 and Leather Milk (Chamberlain's). Which leather conditioner do you guys use/prefer?

I'm sure you guys have discussed this in the past, but all the information out there seems so overwhelming sometimes.

When you say antiqued, are you referring to "museum calf" leather that is dyed in a mottled pattern, or are you referring to a patina with certain specific areas (e.g. the toe) darker than others? For the former, my instinct is to use shoe cream that matches the lighter areas of the leather. It should not really impact the darker areas, and anyway museum calf is supposed to imitate the natural aging of well-maintained leather, so my instinctive reaction is that you won't mess it up by maintaining your shoes normally.

For the latter, I would recommend using two different colors of shoe cream and applying with your fingertip so you have fine control over which color goes where.

 

[JE_FR88]

When you say antiqued, are you referring to "museum calf" leather that is dyed in a mottled pattern, or are you referring to a patina with certain specific areas (e.g. the toe) darker than others? For the former, my instinct is to use shoe cream that matches the lighter areas of the leather. It should not really impact the darker areas, and anyway museum calf is supposed to imitate the natural aging of well-maintained leather, so my instinctive reaction is that you won't mess it up by maintaining your shoes normally.

For the latter, I would recommend using two different colors of shoe cream and applying with your fingertip so you have fine control over which color goes where.

Thanks for your reply. So one of my boots is indeed antiqued 'all over', and the other one is a color that matches Saphir's cognac pommadier cream except for the toe, which is a bit darker.

I find it a little curious, though, that you suggest using 2 separate colours for the first shoe, because by that logic, wouldn't the lighter color also have a minimal effect on the toe of the latter?

 

[LuxLibertas]

Thanks for your reply. So one of my boots is indeed antiqued 'all over', and the other one is a color that matches Saphir's cognac pommadier cream except for the toe, which is a bit darker.

I find it a little curious, though, that you suggest using 2 separate colours for the first shoe, because by that logic, wouldn't the lighter color also have a minimal effect on the toe of the latter?

I don't think it would cause problems to use the lighter color on the darker areas of the shoe. But in general if you're happy with your shoe's color, a matching shoe cream will best preserve and deepen that color. So if you like the color of the toe, you'll get best results from using a cream that matches the toe on it. The reason for not doing the same thing with the mottled pattern of museum calf is just practicality.

 

[JFWR]

I just read a recommendation that you should gently sand your cedar shoe trees once a year. Is this standard practice? I've never done it myself. Also they suggested adding some cedar oil. I have never once read this until now and it seems a little odd. Should I be doing this, or is this bad advice?

 

[Shoenut]

I just read a recommendation that you should gently sand your cedar shoe trees once a year. Is this standard practice? I've never done it myself. Also they suggested adding some cedar oil. I have never once read this until now and it seems a little odd. Should I be doing this, or is this bad advice?

I agree with a very fine grit sanding. The Cedar absorbs the sweat from your foot out of the leather. This will eventually clog the pores in the wood. The sanding cleans the pores and releases the cedar smell. But the recommendation is made for a small rotation. I only wear a shoe 12 times per year and I have a ton of shoe trees. So I can sand mine every five years or so. Cedar oil is a nice touch but I have not seen the need for it at all.

 

[JFWR]

I agree with a very fine grit sanding. The Cedar absorbs the sweat from your foot out of the leather. This will eventually clog the pores in the wood. The sanding cleans the pores and releases the cedar smell. But the recommendation is made for a small rotation. I only wear a shoe 12 times per year and I have a ton of shoe trees. So I can sand mine every five years or so. Cedar oil is a nice touch but I have not seen the need for it at all.

You have a new shoe for every day of the month? Only sixteen here!

I will definitely lightly sand them annually then.

 

[OldTown]

Maybe this is a bit of an odd question (or off topic), but what do you guys use to polish shoes that look 'antiqued'. I don't want to mess up the color of the beautiful shoes, but I want to protect them well. What cream and/or wax polish is the best to use then?

Also, when it comes to conditioners, I've heard good things about the Renovateur, Bick 4 and Leather Milk (Chamberlain's). Which leather conditioner do you guys use/prefer?

I'm sure you guys have discussed this in the past, but all the information out there seems so overwhelming sometimes.

I use Bick 4 the majority of the time when I am just maintaining conditioning. I use Renovateur about 2-3 times a year instead of Bick 4 due to Renovateur having some ability to pull old gunk off but I don't use it on shoes with painted or polished on patina. For shoes with a patina I keep it simple and go for neutral polish and wax.

 

[Shoenut]

You have a new shoe for every day of the month? Only sixteen here!

I will definitely lightly sand them annually then.

It is worse. I have to wear 2 a day to get to them all. One for work and one after work.

 

[JFWR]

It is worse. I have to wear 2 a day to get to them all. One for work and one after work.

Holy ****, 60 shoes? You should share a picture of the grand collection.

 

[EZB]

Holy ****, 60 shoes? You should share a picture of the grand collection.

This is pretty common. I started collecting crappier shoes in 2017 and then real shoes at the end of 2018. I got rid of most of my crappier shoes during 2019. I currently have about 35 pairs of shoes. I had to limit now to 4-6 pairs a year. Even then, it won’t be long before I double my collection.

 

[JFWR]

This is pretty common. I started collecting crappier shoes in 2017 and then real shoes at the end of 2018. I got rid of most of my crappier shoes during 2019. I currently have about 35 pairs of shoes. I had to limit now to 4-6 pairs a year. Even then, it won’t be long before I double my collection.

If I counted my crappier shoes, I would have 23, with a new pair from cnes shoes being custom made for me by the end of the month.

60 is impressive regardless, but yeah, shoe collections can grow easily. My girlfriends are amused that I've more shoes than them.

My goal is to have one shoe of every style that I like.

 

[OldTown]

If I counted my crappier shoes, I would have 23, with a new pair from cnes shoes being custom made for me by the end of the month.

60 is impressive regardless, but yeah, shoe collections can grow easily. My girlfriends are amused that I've more shoes than them.

My goal is to have one shoe of every style that I like.

Once you get a shoe of every style then you'll need the various colors as well. It never ends.