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

[Alexandru]

Hello. Can someone point me to a website that offers EU shipping where I might find Saphir's hermes red cream? Normally I would order form pediwear but they don't have this one.

 

[Chawk806]

My leather shoe are soaked from the rain. Should I let them dry completely before putting the shoe trees in?

 

[narcosis219]



Hello. Can someone point me to a website that offers EU shipping where I might find Saphir's hermes red cream? Normally I would order form pediwear but they don't have this one.

www.afinepairofshoes.co.uk has hermes red

 

[muddy250]

My leather shoe are soaked from the rain. Should I let them dry completely before putting the shoe trees in?

Nope, put the trees in right away
Edit:
Or for really soaked inside stuff with newspaper and then put the trees in before they are fully dry

 

[Chawk806]



Nope, put the trees in right away

Thanks. I did

 

[Chawk806]



Thanks. I did

I better get the newspaper in. Shoot

 

[MansardRoof]



I have noticed a mildly disturbing, personal, trait. I look at a pair of shoes or boots and think: 'those will be ideal, 'all weather' shoes, or 'beaters'. I buy them and decide that they are far to good to wear for that purpose. They join my regular rotation. This gives me the excuse to look for another pair of rough weather shoes. A form of self-deception, I think.

Yours, as always, Munky.

I bought a pair of new boots on eBay for 50 bucks specifically for this purpose but I couldn't stand the rubbery soles so I had them resoled them with leather for an additional 80 dollars

 

[patrickBOOTH]



My leather shoe are soaked from the rain. Should I let them dry completely before putting the shoe trees in?

Set them on their sides so the soles dry out well.

 

[DWFII]



Set them on their sides so the soles dry out well.

If you think about it that might not be the best approach.

Water (moisture) will migrate through leather by virtue of gravity. A leather outsole is generally less than 1/4" thick, but often 4+ inches wide.

If the shoes are set on their sides to dry the edge-up areas will dry faster than the lower areas. One quarter inch is a lot less substance to go through than four inches.

I often wet and temper "lifts" for heel stacks. When they are close to dry but not entirely dry, I "hammer-jack" them to make them very, very hard (old Traditional technique). It can take up to 8 hours or more to go from wet to properly "tempered." If I lay the lifts out on edge to maximize air flow and surface exposure, I constantly have to turn them simply because the areas closest to the table stay wetter longer. Even with this turning, the centers are often wetter than the margins.

FWIW...

 

[Chawk806]

Wow I never thought of all that. My closet has wire shelving so I thinking that help since air flow was on all 4 sides of the shoes. Appreciate the tip

 

[MansardRoof]

Your closet, unless it has supply and return registers, will have very little air flow. I suggest a high traffic area that is open and has plenty of circulation

 

[Betelgeuse]

Guys, question. I have this pair of shoes made by John Brommel's... I don't know what type of leather they are. I'm guessing corrected grain, since I can't feel that "rough" feel of the grain (don't know if that is an accurate description). Would try to get some more images to explain. But the questions is... is it worth to use cleaning products (Bick 4, Saphir cream and wax) in these shoes?

 

[Chawk806]



Your closet, unless it has supply and return registers, will have very little air flow. I suggest a high traffic area that is open and has plenty of circulation

There is an air vent in my closet. I'll remember that next and just put them on the dresser overnight.

 

[Kwaker]

Sweet, must be a good size walk-in closet, just keep the door open to maximize circulation.

 

[Munky]

Quote:Originally Posted by Betelgeuse

Guys, question. I have this pair of shoes made by John Brommel's... I don't know what type of leather they are. I'm guessing corrected grain, since I can't feel that "rough" feel of the grain (don't know if that is an accurate description). Would try to get some more images to explain. But the questions is... is it worth to use cleaning products (Bick 4, Saphir cream and wax) in these shoes?




The last part of your message, about using Saphir, Bick 4, etc, depends on your previous question, about whether or not the shoes are corrected grain. If they are, then you only need to give them a wipe down and use a beeswaxed polish, to make them shine. Almost nothing (or perhaps, nothing at all) will be absorbed by the shoes as they a 'protected' by the surface treatment of the shoes. I have compared all this with lino. You can use polish on lino and get it to shine but it won't absorb anything. So...if they are corrected grain, just polish them; if they are full grain leather, you can use the products you mention.

A tip someone suggest on here, a couple of years ago...use your thumb nail to attempt to make a small scratch on a barely noticeable area of the shoe. If it shows up as a scratch, the leather isn't corrected. If a scratch is not visible then it is corrected grain. I have tried this and it works. Obviously, only a tiny scratch is necessary. I am not convinced that this is as black and white as I am suggesting and you might want to wait for one of the contributors, with much more knowledge and experience, to make a comment. With all good wishes, Munky.