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

[MansardRoof]

Is anyone familiar with the process 'swedish wash' for cleaning up heavily soiled leather?

 

[FlithyButler]

Sorry I forgot all about this great thread, my question would probably have been better in here than starting a new one;

http://www.styleforum.net/t/537310/non-lasted-generic-shoe-trees-more-harm-than-good

 

[benhour]

Does anyone know if a broken pull tab can be repaired so that the repair isn't visible? Or will the repair traces (extra stitches) always be visible?

Easy fix!! You can use the pre-existing holes but it had to be done by hand! ( i have done it 2-3 times )!! Any good cobbler or shoe maker can easily fix that but you have to mention him to do it by hand and it ll cost more!

 

[Biggquis]

Okay. So here's a better view of the area I was referring to earlier. It looks almost as if the burnishing got scraped off. Should I use cream in the base color to darken it and then use black polish, or just slowly build up the black color? Or... should I use blue? I have no idea. Orignal color is merlot

 

[benhour]

Okay. So here's a better view of the area I was referring to earlier. It looks almost as if the burnishing got scraped off. Should I use cream in the base color to darken it and then use black polish, or just slowly build up the black color? Or... should I use blue? I have no idea. Orignal color is merlot

you can use black polish (paste at first at the "unburnished" area and then some black wax) and it ll be easily covered !

 

[Biggquis]

you can use black polish (paste at first at the "unburnished" area and then some black wax) and it ll be easily covered !

Thanks for the reply. I'm VERY new at shoe care. Would you mind explaining to me when I would use polish vs wax?

 

[narcosis219]



Thanks for the reply.  I'm VERY new at shoe care.  Would you mind explaining to me when I would use polish vs wax?

Cream polish for color

Wax polish for shine

 

[Brujo]



Cream polish for color

Wax polish for shine

Sorry but these terms are not correct - there are
[leather] cream: in a glass jar or tube - without wax, without color pigments - penetrating the leather and don't cause a shine (w/o wax!) - used for bags, purses, belts aso.
shoe cream: jar or tube - with wax part, with color pigments, excepted: neutral/colorless shoe creams - penetrating the leather, refreshing the color, and with a final shine which can reach the gloss of a
shoe polish: in a tin or in a jar - main part is wax or better: a mixture of different waxes - with or w/o color pigments - doesn't penetrate the leather, remaining oin the graining (the surface) - causes high shine/gloss

There are additionally many other pastes and fluids to take care of leather and/or shoes like mink oil, neatsfood oil, Argan oil aso.

 

[Brujo]



you can use black polish (paste at first at the "unburnished" area and then some black wax) and it ll be easily covered !

You'll get the best result if you remove the dark color completely with a leather cleaner and
make a renovation with a special shoe cream for patina or recoloring the leather which you can remove later with a leather cleaner also.
A leather color may be OK also.

 

[Churchill W]



Cream polish for color

Wax polish for shine

Sorry but these terms are not correct - there are
[leather] cream: in a glass jar or tube - without wax, without color pigments - penetrating the leather and don't cause a shine (w/o wax!) - used for bags, purses, belts aso.
shoe cream: jar or tube - with wax part, with color pigments, excepted: neutral/colorless shoe creams - penetrating the leather, refreshing the color, and with a final shine which can reach the gloss of a
shoe polish: in a tin or in a jar - main part is wax or better: a mixture of different waxes - with or w/o color pigments - doesn't penetrate the leather, remaining oin the graining (the surface) - causes high shine/gloss

There are additionally many other pastes and fluids to take care of leather and/or shoes like mink oil, neatsfood oil, Argan oil aso.

Eh, I prefer narcosis' terminology. It seems to make more sense. When we say polish it means there is some sort of shining agent in it. I think what you call leather cream is what I would call leather conditioner.

 

[Brujo]



Eh, I prefer narcosis' terminology. It seems to make more sense. When we say polish it means there is some sort of shining agent in it. I think what you call leather cream is what I would call leather conditioner.

A leather cream is not a conditioner.

"Conditioner" says all and nothing - it can be a fluid, a cream, a paste, a spray like water repellent sprays aso.
There are also:
Leather Lotions, leather cleaner, moisturizer, different oils aso.

The point "shining" to call a product "polish" doesn't make sense because a lot of items can cause a shine and
the difference between a shoe or leather cream and a polish is that a cream can penetrate the leather - all polishes I know remain on the leather.

You can use your definitions as you want to do it but if somebody asks for an advice it may be better to use the international terms of shoe care.

 

[BackInTheJox]

Two questions:

In the pic below, would this be a dealbreaker? I have the opportunity to purchase a pair of Alden Indy CXL boots for a song, but if you guys think this is more than just minor cosmetic damage, I'd love to know.

Also, if worth buying, how might one mitigate the appearance of the scrapes/whatever? Just brushing? Rubbing with a finger/VSC and then brushing?

Thanks!

 

[benhour]

You'll get the best result if you remove the dark color completely with a leather cleaner and
make a renovation with a special shoe cream for patina or recoloring the leather which you can remove later with a leather cleaner also.
A leather color may be OK also.

When answering to someones question here i have to evaluate :

1) the problem he faces
2) the level of his experience
3)the risk of any solution/recommendation i give to make things worse when its performed by someone not so experienced as me or some other gentlemen in here!

Then i give him the solution i think its the best for all the above aspects!

There is no point giving someone the best solution( according to my perspective always) when it is quite impossible for him to perform it correctly for the first time and the possibility to damage his pair permanently is really high!!No point to say to someone to use dyes , harsh cleaners (only with that he can ruin his shoes surface and make the unwearable) etc when he has never used them before and just want to make his shoes look OK!

 

[Biggquis]

You'll get the best result if you remove the dark color completely with a leather cleaner and
make a renovation with a special shoe cream for patina or recoloring the leather which you can remove later with a leather cleaner also.
A leather color may be OK also.

When answering to someones question here i have to evaluate :

1) the problem he faces
2) the level of his experience
3)the risk of any solution/recommendation i give to make things worse when its performed by someone not so experienced as me or some other gentlemen in here!

Then i give him the solution i think its the best for all the above aspects!

There is no point giving someone the best solution( according to my perspective always) when it is quite impossible for him to perform it correctly for the first time and the possibility to damage his pair permanently is really high!!No point to say to someone to use dyes , harsh cleaners (only with that he can ruin his shoes surface and make the unwearable) etc when he has never used them before and just want to make his shoes look OK!

Thanks for both of these replies. What I do want to avoid with these shoes is trying to get them "perfect". I probably wouldn't even want to wear them if so. Just trying to make it not as noticeable, and something that will hopefully cover up a little more over time. If it comes down to stripping color and all that jazz, I'll just ship them to AE and have them refinish the shoes.

 

[Munky]

Being a simple soul, I tend to use Occam's Razor, on this one and keep it simple. For me:

1) Shoe cream is what I put on when I want to do a routine clean of my shoes. It is possible just to do this. Shoe polish tends to come in pots.
2) Shoe wax is what I would use if I wanted more shiny shoes. [I don't use it as I don't like brightly polished shoes]. Wax tends to come in thin, round, tins.
3) Conditioner, such as Renovateur, is what I use, very occasionally, if I want to keep my shoes supple and well nourished. It comes in various formats.

Most of all, though, I brush my shoes a lot. At least, before I go out and when I get back.

One little indulgence. I put a tiny touch of Renapur on the vamp of my shoes, if they haven't been polished for a bit and look a bit dry.

Yours, with very best wishes, Munky.