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

[glenjay]



hi glen,
what do you particularly mean by conditioning?
my standard routine/regiment consists of tin can wax alternating with cream. i use some specific leather grease for the sole edge. especially during winter time i apply a thin coat of this on my most exposed shoes.
actually, i own a number of shoes through the timespan of at least two decades, which allows me to go into experimental mode, which includes grounded sole edges(by my cobbler)...

That's a good question fritzl. I was going to phrase my statement in the context of conditioning in regard to adding oil to leather shoe uppers, but I thought that might be getting too specific, as that seemed to already be the context of the statement I was addressing.

The term conditioning can be applied as a pretty broad term. Certainly applying leather grease to a sole edge would be a type of conditioning, but not one I have any real experence with. I would love to learn more however, if you cared to share the details.

 

[Northampton Novice]

personally, i do not see the need to condition a brand new pair of shoes...
i treat them with wax(from the tin can) and alternating with cream(tube).
as lear said. you've to find out what suits your situation best. it's more about the quality of the leather and tlc, less for the products, imo.
[/quote]

Agree about the quality of leather being a determinant of what sort of care it will need, including frequency.

Disagree about your comment regarding conditioning - particularly if you are still unclear as to the meaning of the term.

 

[fritzl]



The term conditioning can be applied as a pretty broad term. Certainly applying leather grease to a sole edge would be a type of conditioning, but not one I have any real experence with. I would love to learn more however, if you cared to share the details.

sure. get back to you. too lazy for now. watch this space...

 

[fritzl]



personally, i do not see the need to condition a brand new pair of shoes...
i treat them with wax(from the tin can) and alternating with cream(tube).
as lear said. you've to find out what suits your situation best. it's more about the quality of the leather and tlc, less for the products, imo.

Agree about the quality of leather being a determinant of what sort of care it will need, including frequency.
Disagree about your comment regarding conditioning - particularly if you are still unclear as to the meaning of the term.

well, english is not my mother tongue. i try to improve my ability, though.

 

[Northampton Novice]

Fritzl - you are conditioning your shoes already, it's just that you don't know it!

 

[Northampton Novice]



well, english is not my mother tongue. i try to improve my ability, though.

That makes two of us...

 

[Kevlarsoul]

Hi,

What color of Saphir Medaille d'Or Créme 1925 do you recommend to C&J "chestnut burnished calf '?

 

[razl]



Hi,
What color of Saphir Medaille d'Or Créme 1925 do you recommend to C&J "chestnut burnished calf '?

It looks to be between a light brown and a medium brown. The light should maintain the color, the dark (if it's actually darker) will impart a little antiquing/burnishing.

The Hangar Project has images of the color cards here: http://www.hangerproject.com/closet/saphir-pommadier-cream-shoe-polish.html

 

[chogall]

Not sure if this has been posted or not, but here's Olga Berluti doing polishing herself.

http://www.berluti.com/#/creation/polish

Very interestingly, she uses 3 polishes - colorless, brown and black. No creams no renovators, etc.

She first uses the colorless polish to nourish the wax threads.

Then uses the colorless polish to 'remove' old polishs.

Then waterproof w/ polish? (looks like dubbing instead of wax polish to me?)

Finally doing a bit of spit/high shine with colored polish.

Thoughts?

 

[fritzl]



Fritzl - you are conditioning your shoes already, it's just that you don't know it!

you're a clever bloke. my question was directed into the direction what to understand by conditioning.

i take care for my own shoes more than thirty years and my inventory has the number four in front. i'm open to learn every day, though.

 

[fritzl]



Thoughts?

i have to get me some colorless polish again. thank you for pointing me into this direction.

i share my love for renovateur with mrs. berluti, quasi.

 

[Northampton Novice]



Not sure if this has been posted or not, but here's Olga Berluti doing polishing herself.

http://www.berluti.com/#/creation/polish

Very interestingly, she uses 3 polishes - colorless, brown and black.  No creams no renovators, etc.

She first uses the colorless polish to nourish the wax threads.

Then uses the colorless polish to 'remove' old polishs.

Then waterproof w/ polish?  (looks like dubbing instead of wax polish to me?)

Finally doing a bit of spit/high shine with colored polish.

Thoughts?

Thanks for posting the vid Chogall - a nice watch.

The video shows when polishing shoes, use polish - it doesn't say don't use renovateur or that conditioning shoes is not necessary.

I know a lot of SF members use renovateur in their polishing regimes and often too good effect. Personally as I have already mentioned in this thread I don't use renovateur as part of my routine polishing. My routine polish consists of using Saphir creme in jars followed by wax out of a tin. I like Olga B use wax all over the shoe - but only ever use neutral as a very mild solvent, to clean the shoes, perhaps twice a year. I only use renovateur after using products like renomat which is part of a big cleanse.

 

[Northampton Novice]



you're a clever bloke. my question was directed into the direction what to understand by conditioning.

That makes two of us...(again)

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Ok, I have been wondering this for years now and I can't find any information on it. Maybe DFW could help? I bought this pair of C&J shoes on discount as seconds because they have what is apparently called "chattering". I will show you what I mean in this picture. If you look closely at the shiny parts on this heel counter you will see faint lines that run from the shoe opening down to the heel. What causes this? Is it a defect in the leather, or is it due to the machine lasting?

 

[DWFII]



Ok, I have been wondering this for years now and I can't find any information on it. Maybe DFW could help? I bought this pair of C&J shoes on discount as seconds because they have what is apparently called "chattering". I will show you what I mean in this picture. If you look closely at the shiny parts on this heel counter you will see faint lines that run from the shoe opening down to the heel. What causes this? Is it a defect in the leather, or is it due to the machine lasting?

It's hard to say...could be any number of things. But while not a fan of machine lasting, I don't think that's the problem.

The striations appear to be too regular to be stretch marks. I'd be more inclined to suspect that the leather was "dry split" and that there was a nick in the splitter blade, or improper feeding into the blade.

It might be the result of some sort from an automatic gluing machine...although that seems a bit far-fetched of all the possibilities.

It might be an artifact of some sort of finishing process, which more than likely occurred before the leather was shipped to the maker or cut.

If it is any of the above, it is not a defect in the leather per se. Nor is it particularly worrisome...functionally or aesthetically. But I suspect it could have been avoided.