Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[Domino23]

I grabbed these vintage logger boots yesterday at an estate sale. Leather is so dry it cracks when bent. Trying to rehydrate them. If it's a failure it was only a $4 experiment.
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I read a couple of articles on vcleat where he used liquid glycerin to rehydrate leather shoes, apparently it’s the same method the Smithsonian uses on their historical leather artifacts. Maybe give that a try.

 

[Nealjpage]

I read a couple of articles on vcleat where he used liquid glycerin to rehydrate leather shoes, apparently it’s the same method the Smithsonian uses on their historical leather artifacts. Maybe give that a try.

I generally start with glycerine saddle soap but might start with a bit of neatsfoot oil first.

 

[heathenist]

I grabbed these vintage logger boots yesterday at an estate sale. Leather is so dry it cracks when bent. Trying to rehydrate them. If it's a failure it was only a $4 experiment.
View attachment 1884666

If you figure out a good solution let me know. I have a vintage pair of red wings in similar shape. I’ve tried conditioning them over and over with various conditioners and they are still very dry. My next step is to try to just completely saturate them by using basically an entire bottle of lexol or bick 4.

 

[memoriastoica]

https://poshmark.com/listing/OSullivans-dress-shoe-Size-13-63cefa0ef8c5da45076bb094

Cheap Walk Over pebble grain longwings. Size 13, normal width. Not my listing.

 

[suitforcourt]

If you figure out a good solution let me know. I have a vintage pair of red wings in similar shape. I’ve tried conditioning them over and over with various conditioners and they are still very dry. My next step is to try to just completely saturate them by using basically an entire bottle of lexol or bick 4.

Try @davidVC 's method where he soaks strips of cloth in glycerine and then slathering it on the leather. Then wrap in plastic bag and let it soak for a few hours. Or days. I did that for a few pairs that were pretty dry, including shell. Seemed to work.

Fair warning - others tell me shell has cracked after this treatment.

 

[eTrojan]

After the CORFAM discussion this week, I chose to break mine out for church this morning, especially as rain was in the forecast.

These are Bootmaker Guild by Freeman.

 

[davidVC]

Try @davidVC 's method where he soaks strips of cloth in glycerine and then slathering it on the leather. Then wrap in plastic bag and let it soak for a few hours. Or days. I did that for a few pairs that were pretty dry, including shell. Seemed to work.

Fair warning - others tell me shell has cracked after this treatment.

Its worth a shot. Glycerin is fairly cheap. But it sounds like leather has dry rot and that can't be fixed.

 

[JFWR]

Isn't it supposed to be lanolin + neetsfoot oil is what is used to preserve hundred of year old leather bound books?

My suggestion is to really saturate the living hell out of it with neets foot oil.

Worst case scenario: you waste some neetsfoot oil.

 

[Nealjpage]

Its worth a shot. Glycerin is fairly cheap. But it sounds like leather has dry rot and that can't be fixed.

It's hard as a rock. I'm not sure if rot has set in or not yet.

 

[friendlygoz]

Early 1990s suede AE Chester today…

 

[sam67]

Black shell Freeman at the thrift. 6221. When do you think these were made, roughly?

 

[Nealjpage]

Boy, these things really bloom!

 

[mormonopoly]

Black shell Freeman at the thrift. 6221. When do you think these were made, roughly?

With pics of the soles or label we should be able to guess.

 

[JFWR]

Black shell Freeman at the thrift. 6221. When do you think these were made, roughly?

Don't know, but those awful laces have got to go.

But nice find otherwise!

 

[friendlygoz]

Shell AE Grayson for tassel Tuesday.