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

[totolino85]

Hey Team,

Have been lurking this thread for a while and have been learning a lot. Walking through the thrift a couple weeks back I found a candidate to get some hands on training. A solid pair of Church's Stafford in dark brown size 10D. A google search produced absolutely no information on these shoes and no pics either, I contacted Church's CS and found that these were made for the US market in the early 80s and then discontinued.

There was blatant cracking at the creases which I thought was too much wax and thought this would be a solid project shoe.
Up close you can see a bit of discoloration in the cracked wax. Didn't think much of it and for $8 I was willing to get aggressive with the fix

Used Lexol cleaner and it did virtually nothing so I had read nail polish (non-acetate) would get the job done and as long as I used lexol conditioner after it would be fine. Started taking off the polish and look what I found!

Is this normal? Layering on enough dark wax to cover up the true color of the shoe???

I tried to go easy on the nail polish but for some reason the polish seemed to soak into the leather and darken it in spots. Didn't think it would be a huge deal because the Lexol would darken the light leather a bit (in my experience). It did not work, the leather would not absorb the lexol and I soon realized (and with confirmation through Church's CS) that this was made of bookbinder and not calf. Was a bit concerned I wouldn't be able to save these as they were looking dry and boring so I went and tried a bunch of things.

I realize that what I did next is not the recommended SF SOP but it has improved the shoes quite a bit. So because the shoes would not absorb Lexol, I assumed that cream would not work either. A layer of brown kiwi wax polish helped bring back the shine. For no good reason I placed a bit of brown shoe cream on it afterwards and it absorbed/dried well, did a full coat and this is how they came out.


Project isn't done yet. I have tried Lexol again and in small quantities it is absorbing so will ad a couple of coats and then another coat of brown cream and maybe another layer of wax. The discoloration is still there but it is growing on me, a pseudo-antiquing if you will. The pics highlight the contrast between the different shades of leather but is a lot more subtle and blended IRL. I will update in a couple weeks after some work gets done.

Essentially, i have done the conditioner>cream>polish in reverse order and it seems to be working?! Maybe the lesson is doing any kind of upkeep to your quality footwear can help.

FYI, I typically follow the SF approved "normal" conditioner, cream, wax routine on my other footwear.

I know Church's doesn't get much love on SF but I for one am impressed that a 30 year old pair of shoes (with bookbinder leather no less) is still in solid condition and look forward to putting it into my rotation. These are definitely a bit aggressive and busy in terms of styling but a lot more fun then my plain captoes.

I absolutely adore them!!!! they're not exactly wearable with everything but they're the perfect shoes to combine with jeans and a shirt on weekend and look supercool having something no one has!

 

[SoGent]

screwy situation . . . .

i have a pair of AS Exclusives being polished for the first time.
has anyone ever had a pair where one shoe was polishing a shade darker than the other.
i've used the same amount, applied the same way. i've never seen this before.

 

[m0bbie]

I have a question. I have these shoes and wonder if the cracks are repairable? or they are done?

 

[ellsbebc]

I have a question. I have these shoes and wonder if the cracks are repairable? or they are done?

Cracked leather is not repairable. You can cover it with polish but that is only temporary, and will not be very effective since you are dealing with the toe crease

 

[Crat]

You can have your cobbler glue leather 'plasters' on the inside of the shoe to prevent further tearing.

 

[Gdot]



screwy situation . . . .

i have a pair of AS Exclusives being polished for the first time.
has anyone ever had a pair where one shoe was polishing a shade darker than the other.
i've used the same amount, applied the same way.   i've never seen this before.

Hell - sometimes they come from the factory that way!

I'd wait a couple of days and check back. One might simply have been 'dryer' and absorbed more moisture/pigment.

If still uneven after waiting just put another coat on the lighter shoe and they will probably even out.

 

[dbhdnhdbh]

Quote: In addition to the MTO option mentioned a few pages back, some manufacturers let you order standard sizes, but different for the two shoes. AE says there is a slight extra charge, but if the fit or the creases bother you, it may be worth it.

 

[bik2101]

i have two pairs of AE park ave's both in the same size. one is a lot tighter widthwise than the other. is this normal? gonna drop them at a cobbler tomorrow to have them stretched and hope they get to the same comfort as the other pair. but still just wondering about that because it seems odd

 

[Chase H]

Does venetian shoe cream work for calf, as well?

 

[Louis XIV]

I would like to understand if the care for my chelsea boots is wrong or if what I can observe is common.

When I bought them I received a tin of Saphir MdO neutral wax and applied it heavily to the shoes.
Imo I used a whole lot too much of it and thus have stripped the shoes two or three times with nailpolish remover.
At the moment I only use Renovateur on them.
After the application of Renovateur, some time to let the shoes dry and some brushing they look all shiny and fantastic.
Apart from lighter color creases where the leather folds, they maintain their shine nicely for several wears, what I am happy with.
Now please have a look at what they look like after I get into a moderate rainfall.

Is this white shading a sign of excess wax that gets washed out of the leather by the rain?
Is it the deposit of the associated material in the rain?
Would you buy leather soap or Renomat and strip the shoes once again to see if makes any difference?

Here is a side to side comparison of the left shoe after only a few seconds of brushing vs. the right shoe after the rain.
The white shadows in the creases would disappear with an application of Renovateur

 

[joiji]

I would like to understand if the care for my chelsea boots is wrong or if what I can observe is common.

When I bought them I received a tin of Saphir MdO neutral wax and applied it heavily to the shoes.
Imo I used a whole lot too much of it and thus have stripped the shoes two or three times with nailpolish remover.
At the moment I only use Renovateur on them.
After the application of Renovateur, some time to let the shoes dry and some brushing they look all shiny and fantastic.
Apart from lighter color creases where the leather folds, they maintain their shine nicely for several wears, what I am happy with.
Now please have a look at what they look like after I get into a moderate rainfall.



Is this white shading a sign of excess wax that gets washed out of the leather by the rain?
Is it the deposit of the associated material in the rain?
Would you buy leather soap or Renomat and strip the shoes once again to see if makes any difference?

Here is a side to side comparison of the left shoe after only a few seconds of brushing vs. the right shoe after the rain.
The white shadows in the creases would disappear with an application of Renovateur

I don't think its excess wax per se, but it is wax reacting to the water. I'd suggest giving the shoes a good buff with a cloth after brushing, and do this again if the problem persists in the rain. I believe this is a similar problem to having 'welts' appear on waxed shoes when water droplets fall on them.

 

[irelentless]

I have Saphir Reno and cream polish. Am about to get a new pair of Allen Edmonds loafers and was wondering should I do something to the loafers before wearing them? Should I apply some polish or reno? Also, as far as the procedure is concerned, could you lay something out when using the the saphir products? Also, when using a horsehair brush, is there some special technique like in circles, up and down, side to side, or does it matter?

Thanks!

bump

 

[SHS]

It's a good idea to condition/polish the shoes when you get them. No special technique with the buffing brushes. Go crazy! There is much advice in this thread about polishing. Also in the archives on glenjay's blog: http://oldleathershoe.com/wordpress/?m=201208

 

[SuitedDx]



When I bought them I received a tin of Saphir MdO neutral wax and applied it heavily to the shoes.
Imo I used a whole lot too much of it and thus have stripped the shoes two or three times with nailpolish remover.

Never had this happen with my shoes. However, if they brush off, I assume it's just oil/wax/residue?

 

[grendel]

If you're not planning on bringing them up to a high shine I'd suggest something like Obenauf's Leather Oil. It'll moisturize the leather and protect from water, etc.