Wrinkles in Shoes

[Lafont]

I've seen other posts about this and have contributed to them but I have the same sort of thing again.
Searched all over the place for a pair of new black dress shoes and ruled out all sorts of things but finally decided to try out a pair of Kenneth Coles. Did the usual thing - try to dance around that very fine line where I have to wear the shoes long enough to see if they fit properly vs. having too much wear on them to return them and get a true refund. Anyway, in the third day of wearing them much of the day, mostly indoors, I find they both have that darned wrinkle on top. With another thread someone suggested being too large is a cause of this, and that indeed is possible with a pair of Johnston Murphys I got some months back, but they're very comfortable anyway. In this case I'm convinced the shoes are nottoo large, as their 8.5 size is really the lowest I'd possibly consider and they do not flop in the back the

way some too-large shoes do, etc.
Anyway, it's too late to return these shoes, but the wrinkle in one shoes is starting to irritate my toe area. In the past I've done different things with band-aids as a temporary measure, etc., but right now I'm just wondering if anyone has a trick to remove wrinkles in leather. These Kenneth Coles are a rather stiff type - not the soft, malleable type of leather some shoes come in. Thanks.

 

[bigbris1]

I recently purchased a pair of shoes & was on the gate as to whether or not I should keep them. So before I put them on, I applied leather conditioner to them, liberally in the vamp area. This way when I walked around in them, they didn't crease much at all. After I took them off I immediately inserted the cedar shoe trees. Unless you do these two things you will most certainly crease your shoes. But walking in any pair of shoes for 3 days will definitely lead to creasing. YMMV

 

[polar-lemon]

Originally Posted by Lafont

I've seen other posts about this and have contributed to them but I have the same sort of thing again.
Searched all over the place for a pair of new black dress shoes and ruled out all sorts of things but finally decided to try out a pair of Kenneth Coles. Did the usual thing - try to dance around that very fine line where I have to wear the shoes long enough to see if they fit properly vs. having too much wear on them to return them and get a true refund. Anyway, in the third day of wearing them much of the day, mostly indoors, I find they both have that darned wrinkle on top. With another thread someone suggested being too large is a cause of this, and that indeed is possible with a pair of Johnston Murphys I got some months back, but they're very comfortable anyway. In this case I'm convinced the shoes are nottoo large, as their 8.5 size is really the lowest I'd possibly consider and they do not flop in the back the

way some too-large shoes do, etc.
Anyway, it's too late to return these shoes, but the wrinkle in one shoes is starting to irritate my toe area. In the past I've done different things with band-aids as a temporary measure, etc., but right now I'm just wondering if anyone has a trick to remove wrinkles in leather. These Kenneth Coles are a rather stiff type - not the soft, malleable type of leather some shoes come in. Thanks.

I think you answered your own question...they are undoubtedly corrected-grain leather, which is notorious for its short life-span. It does not take polish or conditional as well as full-grain leather, and it also creases much more severely. I'm not sure how you could fix the problem other than trying what Bris recommended, or just making sure that the next pair of shoes you buy are not made of corrected grain leather.

 

[Lafont]

More information on what you refer to as "corrected-grain leather," please. These are reasonably expensive Kenneth Cole shoes of a fairly hard leather which appears the same as the majority of new men's shoes. The leather is very smooth when the shoes are new, for one thing. I'm saying sometimes I buy or pick up a pair that bends with the touch more easily, or the type whereby the whole shoe might bend if one tries to "fold" it over, so to speak.
As for all shoes creasing after three days, there may be something to that but I'm referring here to something more than what most of my shoes have done - permanent-type creases in the vamps - to the extent, in this case, where this compromises the fit and related comfort. In the case of my last pair that creased, the casual JM's, they still feel extremely comfortable, though I have other issues with how quickly the weather has worn (as I have posted in this forum elsewhere). I believe their leather is a tad softer, too.
Yes, I do use wood shoe trees regularly with my dress shoes.
Frankly, I can't imagine applying a leather conditioner to a brand new pair of shoes that I might well take back. The store people might surely notice something had been done with the leather and I wouldn't risk anything that might compromise the sales cleark's accepting the shoes in the closest possible condition to their purchase - and hence totally re-sellable - condition.

 

[Taxler]

Just because a pair of shoes are the correct size, doesn't imply they fit well. I find most shoes to be too full over the toes, and that empty space is where the leather tends to fold over excessively.

 

[bigbris1]

Originally Posted by Taxler

Just because a pair of shoes are the correct size, doesn't imply they fit well. I find most shoes to be too full over the toes, and that empty space is where the leather tends to fold over excessively.

This is exactly the case with the shoes I referred to earlier.

 

[Joseph K. Bank]

Have you considered that you flex your foot too much when walking? I have noticed that the creases on shoes generally develop at the front of the shoe as people unnecessarily deform their footwear because of an unnecessary spring in their step.

 

[khaki sack]

Are they shoes, of ,linen?

 

[denimdestroyedmylife]

 

[datasupa]

I suggest to the OP delete about 99.9% of your text and replace with one picture.

 

[Lafont]

'Don't have digital camera or easy access to scanning.

 

[polar-lemon]

Originally Posted by Lafont

'Don't have digital camera or easy access to scanning.
How do you have 244 posts here and not know what corrected grain leather is? And why would you purchase KC's? They are perhaps the most made-fun of shoe on here, for both stylistic and durability reasons. Do a search on corrected grain and you'll find out what I'm talking about. The other posters correctly point out that this is a matter of fit as well, but if your other shoes are JM, those are likely corrected grain as well; that's probably what is causing the biggest problem. edit: I don't even know if leather conditioner would work on CG shoes, but if it did, it would probably only improve the way the shoe looks and thus the willingness of the store to take them back.

 

[khaki sack]

Do your shoos ,squeek ,when you walk them?

 

[denimdestroyedmylife]

I rolled over my foot with a desk chair but the Kenneth Cole shoes did not show any sign of damage. Only no desk chair. And no Kenneth Cole.

 

[samurai]

I bought a pair of Cole Hahns that have the same problems. They looked great in the store, but the leather is thick and stiff and they do not react to conditioner or polish. They also have creased vamps.

I might try some light oil on the inside to soften them, but they are really clunkers and starting to get on my nerves. May have to drop them off at Goodwill. Larry.

I believe that if you make a mistake, just dump them and move on to a really nice pair. You'll feel so much better. Larry.