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

[JFWR]

Ah I see... Thanks JFWR. I finally wore my EG outside for the first time after 4 months, on paved roads, now winter is past. The soles are nice and scuffed and dusty now.

well, I realized that although the shoes look nice in factory condition, I could never bond with them, and nor would they patina, unless I wear them without a care... but still take care of them ?

It is a pity that our lovely leather soles won't look fine forever. But in general, leather soles require no special care. Sometimes some neutral cream polish is called for every few months, but honestly you want them to retain their tough character which will keep them from wearing down.

 

[JFWR]

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[FulhamShoeshine]

Besides my full blown restorations I also do Quick Fix videos. These are touch ups on shoes that are still in decent condition but definately can do with some care and attention. This time it's a pair of penny loafers by Crockett & Jones.

A nice production piece but please, amateurs watching this, do not take this as a go-ahead to use sandpaper (no matter what the grit) on leather shoes!

You state that the "gauges" (I think you mean gouges) are not that deep. If that is the case then there are a couple of better options. From what I can see in the video, the best and least detrimental course of action would be to use a leather moisturiser, followed by a high pigment cream (which you use), and then apply the wax layers. This will cover and smooth over the rest. There is no need to sand down the leather and the results will be indiscernible.

You state that filling the gouges is an option. I cannot comprehend why you chose to sand the leather down.

I recommend that you press a more concentrated wax, such as Saphir's mirror gloss wax into the gouges. This will allow you to smooth over and provide a consistent finish without thinning the leather or reducing the quality of the leather that is the one of the very reasons we buy such high-end shoes.

Apart from the sanding, all other processes are well executed.

Best of luck in the future.

 

[GasparddeColigny]

A nice production piece but please, amateurs watching this, do not take this as a go-ahead to use sandpaper (no matter what the grit) on leather shoes!

You state that the "gauges" (I think you mean gouges) are not that deep. If that is the case then there are a couple of better options. From what I can see in the video, the best and least detrimental course of action would be to use a leather moisturiser, followed by a high pigment cream (which you use), and then apply the wax layers. This will cover and smooth over the rest. There is no need to sand down the leather and the results will be indiscernible.

You state that filling the gouges is an option. I cannot comprehend why you chose to sand the leather down.

I recommend that you press a more concentrated wax, such as Saphir's mirror gloss wax into the gouges. This will allow you to smooth over and provide a consistent finish without thinning the leather or reducing the quality of the leather that is the one of the very reasons we buy such high-end shoes.

Apart from the sanding, all other processes are well executed.

Best of luck in the future.

Well done for finding a typo (I'm not a native speaker).
With these gouges the 800 grit barely touches the surface, and as I commented in the video, it almost massages the nicks closed. As for thining or reducing the quality of the leather, I'm working on the toe, about the thickest and least mobile piece of leather, that will furthermore receive a mirror shine. I'm confident that the method I used was gentle enough; this might be my 5th video but I've restored many hundreds of pairs of shoes by now.
P.S. The tone of your post drips with condescension.

Some before and afters of my work:

 

[FulhamShoeshine]

Well done for finding a typo (I'm not a native speaker).
With these gouges the 800 grit barely touches the surface, and as I commented in the video, it almost massages the nicks closed. As for thining or reducing the quality of the leather, I'm working on the toe, about the thickest and least mobile piece of leather, that will furthermore receive a mirror shine. I'm confident that the method I used was gentle enough; this might be my 5th video but I've restored many hundreds of pairs of shoes by now.
P.S. The tone of your post drips with condescension.

Some before and afters of my work:
View attachment 1595907 View attachment 1595908 View attachment 1595909 View attachment 1595910 View attachment 1595911

Apologies if I came across as negative, that was not my intention. It is clear that you do fantastic work. I simply believe that when non-permanent alterations to the leather are available, it is best to go with them.

Best of luck.

 

[GasparddeColigny]

Apology accepted, I always start with the least invasive options.

 

[vim147]

Well done for finding a typo (I'm not a native speaker).
With these gouges the 800 grit barely touches the surface, and as I commented in the video, it almost massages the nicks closed. As for thining or reducing the quality of the leather, I'm working on the toe, about the thickest and least mobile piece of leather, that will furthermore receive a mirror shine. I'm confident that the method I used was gentle enough; this might be my 5th video but I've restored many hundreds of pairs of shoes by now.
P.S. The tone of your post drips with condescension.

Some before and afters of my work:
View attachment 1595907 View attachment 1595908 View attachment 1595909 View attachment 1595910 View attachment 1595911

I have a pair of black Loake oxfords that i want to dye dark chocolate brown. Any tips on taken enough black off to be able to dye brown ?

 

[GasparddeColigny]

I have a pair of black Loake oxfords that i want to dye dark chocolate brown. Any tips on taken enough black off to be able to dye brown ?

I've had some succes with redeying black shoes, the blue patina job in my last photo was on a pair of black shoes. It depends very much on the quality of the original dye job, and probably the tanning and quality of the leather as well. Stripping the shoe with acetone might lighten them enough. Worst case scenario, you have to dye them black again. You can do a test 'strip' on the tongue. I give it a decent chance.

 

[Kivi D]

Has anyone sent their shoes to bnelson? I sent over a pair almost a month ago to get "worked on" but I haven't heard a single peep from them after several attempts of emailing/calling them.

 

[JFWR]

Has anyone sent their shoes to bnelson? I sent over a pair almost a month ago to get "worked on" but I haven't heard a single peep from them after several attempts of emailing/calling them.

I have heard nothing but good things from them, even from their competitor my cobbler Minas. The current owner's father (the original owner) may have helped train some of the workers there.

I would recommend in the future going to Minas Shoe Repair on Wall Street. They are moving to Queens, sadly, but they are superb beyond words.

 

[Kivi D]

I have heard nothing but good things from them, even from their competitor my cobbler Minas. The current owner's father (the original owner) may have helped train some of the workers there.

I would recommend in the future going to Minas Shoe Repair on Wall Street. They are moving to Queens, sadly, but they are superb beyond words.

If I can even get my shoes back from them, I'll definitely be taking my business to Minas. It's unheard of that you see several messages from a customer and not reply, unless you're deliberately ignoring them.

 

[JFWR]

If I can even get my shoes back from them, I'll definitely be taking my business to Minas. It's unheard of that you see several messages from a customer and not reply, unless you're deliberately ignoring them.

Yeah. You want to PM me? I will contact them on your behalf and see if they will respond to me.

 

[Betelgeuse]

Hey guys, I have a pair of loafers that I mostly use to be around the house and since I didn't wore them in the colder months, the place where I was, it was very humid and some of that humidity passed to the shoes. To the insole and sole. I took off the little moss that formed but I can't get rid of the humidity smell. I thought that by using them, the sole with the friction with the floor, eventually the smell would go away but that hasn't been the case. Is there a way to take off that smell?

 

[Mercurio]

Hey guys, I have a pair of loafers that I mostly use to be around the house and since I didn't wore them in the colder months, the place where I was, it was very humid and some of that humidity passed to the shoes. To the insole and sole. I took off the little moss that formed but I can't get rid of the humidity smell. I thought that by using them, the sole with the friction with the floor, eventually the smell would go away but that hasn't been the case. Is there a way to take off that smell?

Some ideas, among others:

"Baking soda is a classic deodorizer. Pour about ¼ to ½ cup baking soda inside the shoes and leave them to sit overnight. The baking soda will absorb the mildew odour."

"Place orange, grapefruit, or lemon peels in the shoes and let them sit overnight. Discard the peels in the morning. This will eliminate foul odours and create new, fresh smells".

"Mix 2 teaspoons of tea tree oil with 2 cups of water. Spray this solution on the smelly shoes, and keep them aside to dry. Tea tree oil will help eliminate the unwanted smell".

11 Truly Genius Tips to Remove Mildew Smell from Shoes

Mildew can cause the shoes to have an unpleasant musty odor. This HomeQuicks article presents some useful tips to get rid of mildew smell from shoes.

homequicks.com

How to Remove Mold From Shoes and Why Not to Ignore It

Moldy shoes not only smell, but they can also be harmful to your health. Today, we’re giving you tips on how to remove mold from shoes. Read on to learn more.

bootmoodfoot.com

 

[nevaeh]

Any thoughts on using dubbin instead of sole oil for sole care? Of course, sole oil is made for the purpose, but it's so much more expensive. Or some other product recommendation?