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

[patrickBOOTH]

 

[chogall]

Cobblers should be able to fix those stitchings without much problem. Might not be the same machine stitching but should make those flaps stay.

 

[BostonHedonist]

One day with my new drivers and I learned what people complain about regarding the leather area between the toe box seam and the front outsole pad.

Some slight scuffing. So I found some clear nail laquor and went over the area, rubbing it in to kill the gloss finish. No more scuffing. The woven drivers are safe.

 

[GJbass]

My White's semi-dress have antique hook & eyelets that've turned black over the course of 4 years wear. I don't know how to clean them to get their original luster back & neither does White's. They suggested sending them back to the factory or using a brass wire brush but I don't want to do either.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
You can see what the original state used to be "underneath" where the laces typically lay.

 

[Nobleprofessor]

Gee thanks, that's helpful.

 

[TweedyProf]

Gents, I just received some suede shoes and noticed that one seemed to be scuffed, like someone took a suede brush to it and scrubbed it too hard. Not sure how this could have happened by transit overseas, but any hypotheses and suggestions (can one brush it out?).

Cheers (other side given for comparison)





Or is this something one willl often see in suede shoes?

 

[Organika]

Gents, I just received some suede shoes and noticed that one seemed to be scuffed, like someone took a suede brush to it and scrubbed it too hard. Not sure how this could have happened by transit overseas, but any hypotheses and suggestions (can one brush it out?).

Cheers (other side given for comparison)





Or is this something one willl often see in suede shoes?

Due to the location, this was probably caused by the machine stitching the welt rubbing the upper. It happens quite a bit. If it isn't very noticeable when your wearing it, I wouldn't worry about it as it's on the medial side and small scuffs will probably accumulate in that area over time. Can also try to brush it out a little bit if you haven't.

 

[shoelover]

I just scooped a pair of MacNeil's in black shell for a song ($75). They cleaned up nicely, but on the inside around the brass eye rivets there is a green corrosion. Should I be worried? Will this eventually allow the rivets to pop out? Should I just clean them up and not worry about it.

 

[shoelover]

Cross post from the Ebay Question thread. I wasn't sure where to post this.


I have a pair of vintage Florsheim Shark Skin shoes. They are extremely cool. But, there is loose stitching on the shoe. I think if it is not repaired it could cause more problems.

Here is what I am talking about:

Here is what they look like without raising it up to see the stitching. In fact, they look fine when I put them on and laced them. But, I have narrow feet. I think a medium or a fatter foot would sort of spread them out.



Here's the problem:







So, here is my question. I'm going to list these on ebay. Should I go ahead and have a shoe guy fix them or should I just disclose the issue and tell the buyer a shoe guy can fix them. I'm a little concerned about a shoe guy fixing it because it is very fine stitching. I have had him do stuff on other shoes. But, this is really detail work.

I sold a couple pairs of these last week and got $100 for one pair and $90 for the other. These are very nice and I was going to try to get at least $100.

Any ideas?

I had a pair of Long Branch boots do that. My cobbler stitched them up for $10. The inside of the show looks like a repair job, but you couldn't tell from the outside. I would get them fixed. The market for damaged shoes is pretty small.

 

[Iipe]



I just scooped a pair of MacNeil's in black shell for a song ($75). They cleaned up nicely, but on the inside around the brass eye rivets there is a green corrosion. Should I be worried? Will this eventually allow the rivets to pop out? Should I just clean them up and not worry about it.

Don't be worried. It's only natural patina that forms on the copper of the brass eyelets. The eyelets are fine, it's only on the surface. Clean them up.

 

[shoelover]

Don't be worried. It's only natural patina that forms on the copper of the brass eyelets. The eyelets are fine, it's only on the surface. Clean them up.

Thanks, @Iipe . I assumed that was the case but wanted to be sure.

 

[MasonAndSmith]

Try the saphir renovateur spray on the suede; it should be able to calm the fuzzy texture down

 

[MasonAndSmith]

Try the saphir renovateur spray on the suede; it should be able to calm the fuzzy texture down

@Nkserc

 

[benhour]

My White's semi-dress have antique hook & eyelets that've turned black over the course of 4 years wear. I don't know how to clean them to get their original luster back & neither does White's. They suggested sending them back to the factory or using a brass wire brush but I don't want to do either.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
You can see what the original state used to be "underneath" where the laces typically lay.

btw it's a quite easy procedure !! you can use a dremel and the polishing tip (maybe use one drop of brasso cleaner) and they ll look like new!! just have a steady hand and put at low rpm!

 

[mirios]

Hi Everyone,

I am new to this forum, but have been using this forum for all my research on men's shoe wear brands, shoe care, and overall shoe knowledge. I am curious about something I heard about today. I thought I had my shoe polishing down, but what I heard sort of contradicts using meltonian shoe polish, and I want to consult the opinion of you gentlemen. I just bought some good year welted (optima) Johnston & Murphy black cap toe shoes. The man who helped me pick them out, was very eager to sell me J&M black shoe polish, and I replied by stating that I already had kiwi and meltonian polish, and that I had a process. As an FYI for you guys I use the process from the blog from the shoesnob to polish my shoes (link: http://www.theshoesnobblog.com/polish-your-shoes-properly).

Now what the guy at J&M replied to my reply was that meltonian had alcohol in their polish and that would ruin the shinyness or overall color or staining of the leather from J&M shoes. He continued by adding that J&M use to have alcohol in their polish, but has since moved away from that. He showed me 2 shoes with different color tones (both brown, one shinier than the other), and mentioned one was not polished using J&M polish and used polish with alcohol, and the other was with their non-alcohol polish (you guys can probably guess which one was the shiny one according to the guy at the store). So in conclusion, what I want to ask of you guys is do you have ANY experience with J&M shoes and using meltonian, or experience with the discoloration or different tone by using meltonian vs any other polish or J&M polish? Or any sort of reassuring feedback that the process I am following is good and I should continue to use meltonian polish with kiwi wax polish + water drip combo to achieve a shiny apperance? I have personally used the shoe snobs method (obviously not to the entent of doing many several coats of wax polish with water) but a few quotes and it seems to have worked. Granted I used this method in some Banana Republic shoes that don't seem to have the best quality of leather, given that they have sort of degraded over a year and half that i have had them.

So any help you guys can lend will be very much appreciated as I am eagerly trying to decide what to do. Should I keep the J&M shoes or return them, or should also change my polishing process or what...

Thanks and Best Regards,

Miguel