Taking care of Black Leather Dress Shoes

If you're planning on hanging around SF for a while, I suggest you sell those shoes while they're still fairly new... most of us have learnt the hard way too

Use leather cleaner and conditioner on that type of shoe you describe, not polish.

Originally Posted by JamesX

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Quick Dirty Instructions use a tooth brush (or the small circle brush you can buy at shoe stores) to spread a thin (very thin) layer of polish/cream over your shoe. let it dry for 15-20 minutes Brush with a large horse hair brush to get rid of the big chunks then "sand" the shoe down with a cotton T-shirt or strip of cotton cloth. Just stretch the cloth between your 2 hands and rub the shoe down. Simple and easy. Condition ever so often If you use wax, strip it every 6 month or so to let the leather breath.
These are Army instructions, circa 1939, possibly even from World War 1 era.

Unless I'm mistaken, those shoes are not resoleable, so they only need to survive maybe 200 wearings before they will hit the trash anyway.

A little cheap conditioner once in a while, meltonian to cover up scrapes that show through, and a wax polish if you _want_ a little more shine should keep them looking presentable and ensure that the soles go before the top cracks.

Seems like this needs to be brought up again: EG uses Kiwi when making their shoes. Yes, Kiwi. Which is a perfectly good polish. There actually IS a reason it's sold in every drugstore on the planet, after all.

Originally Posted by FashionFadz

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As well as using the right cream polish and/or conditioner, it a cedar shoe tree is a inexpensive item and a great investment. They help maintain the shape of your shoes and prevent cracking. They also absorb moisture which may avoid the white marks.

I don't think shoe trees will help much with those shoes... But they will be useful later on when he buys better ones.

Originally Posted by Man Of Lint

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These are Army instructions, circa 1939, possibly even from World War 1 era.

Shoe Maintenance haven't changed much since 1939 either

Highly recommend a bottle of Lexol ($5-6) and a tin of Kiwi ($2) and you are good to go. Combine them with a rag and a horsehair brush ($10) and you have the start of a shoe shine kit that will last you for years.

+1 on this for a college kid. You don't need to be spending money on (or even learning about) obscure and expensive shoe polish. Meltonian is a creme (cream?) and works fine. Cremes have more luster and less shine than wax-based polishes such as Kiwi, but Kiwi will do you fine and it's less goopy than a cream, so a little less messy. I would recommend two rags, one to put on the polish (using one finger) and one for buffing. Or you can buy a horsehair dauber for about $2.50. Another tip, and this may seem extreme, but I wear a cheap surgical gloves on the hand applying the polish. That **** is a ***** to get out of the tip of your finger. Good luck.

Originally Posted by JamesX

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Shoe Maintenance haven't changed much since 1939 either

I disagree. There are wonderful products available today that didn't exist in 1939.

Originally Posted by osborn

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patrick

i think this guy is not a serious poster. Actually unless he is marsupialed he is making you look marsupialed.

You have 2000+ posts on here and you cant smell a troll?

Spoken by somebody with 2 posts.

Originally Posted by 997CTSurg

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1. Go to grocery store.
2. Buy groceries including a banana.
3. Go home.
4. Peel banana.
5. Eat said fruit.
6. Use peel to shine shoes.


Have you actually used a banana?

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...ObdfyPRciF1kVA

Have you actually used a banana?

Yes, I did.
I was interviewing for a cardiac surgery job and was on my second interview and noticed that my brown shoes were in dire need of a polish. I was in a smaller town and it was late at night. The practice I was interviewing with had left a fruit basket at the hotel as a welcoming gift. I ate the banana as a snack and polished my shoes with the peel. Wasn't perfect looking and I wouldn't do it again, but the shoes looked far better than before.
I also made sure to polish my shoes before I went out on more interviews....was overworked and sleep deprived and didn't notice the browns were that bad off.

I always rub down my danskos with a peel before heading to the cathlab...

http://www.amazon.com/Kiwi-Select-Sh...GGI,B001N9W0WS

Should I get this?

Or get the meltonian shoe cream and horsehair brush?

Kiwi is perfectly fine.