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

[glenjay]



Thanks for the reply!  So it sounds to me like you are saying that using saddle soap on shoes made of cowhide will not cause them to disintegrate, but there are more gentle options that would be more highly recommended?

Yes, I would agree with that.

 

[Gus]

I found this on Tumblr. Look at this dye project.

http://dandyshoecare.tumblr.com/

 

[Noo Guy]

So would you use Venetian Shoe Cream or Renovateur to clean? Sorry to keep repeating myself - the new plethora of products to use have me a bit stymied.
*** Edit - I missed your post on the last page about cleaner/ conditioner - mea cupla ***

On the plus side, I just bought my second pair of AEs on ebay. Two in two weeks so far...

 

[Crat]

Yeah, Alexander N. sure knows what he's doing.
Its a bit #Pitt 2011 though...He's done better stuff.

 

[Winston S.]



So would you use Venetian Shoe Cream or Renovateur to clean? Sorry to keep repeating myself - the new plethora of products to use have me a bit stymied.
*** Edit - I missed your post on the last page about cleaner/ conditioner - mea cupla ***

On the plus side, I just bought my second pair of AEs on ebay. Two in two weeks so far...

I use Venetian shoe cream to moisturize shell. Renovateur is a cleaner/conditioner.

 

[patrick_b]

I was inspired by Gerry Nelson's recent post about the fine leather apron he acquired for shoe care. Even more impressive was the image capturing him among glorious leather surroundings. Like Lear, I too had a "friend" who was interested in a leather apron for shoe care duties. Since I couldn't I mean my "friend" couldn't justify a large purchase for such an apron, Chogall's Harbor Freight recommendation was just the ticket.

Split Leather Welding Apron

http://www.harborfreight.com/split-leather-welding-apron-45193.html

This one may be shorter than Gerry's example and hits right at the knee. It's not made from full grain leather, as its name indicates, it's split leather with a roughout/suede-like feel. It actually feels quite nice given that it is leather and I'm used to using an old towel on my lap during shoe care duties. It has a single chest pocket and three lap-height pockets. It also differs from the website in that it doesn't have a buckle closure.

For $10, you really can't go wrong. Now I have a reason to pick up that welding rig I've been considering as well.










Note, the shoe shining apron is almost as essential as the water-droplet dispenser that we all saw on the japanese shoe shine video. I had to buy one of those too

.




Video where I saw the water droplet dispenser. It's actually used for solvent.

 

[Lear]

Wow patrick_b, and you come across as so normal in your posts.

You have it pretty bad mate. You can only be helped once you realize you have a problem. Denial will solve nothing, and it'll only get worse.

Lear

 

[Lear]

Just saw EnsitMike's first post in another thread: http://www.styleforum.net/t/341274/mirror-shine-success-kind-of . Don't want to start another shoe maintenance thread.

Coincidentally, I had my first 'crack' experience last week. Four years ago, I bought, mirrored and stored a new pair of JL cap-toes. Completely forgot about them for all those years, having worn for just a week. Rediscovered them last week and touched up the mirror. Then putting one step in front of another, I heard and watched them crack (just the toecaps) like crazy paving. Pretty severe stuff indeed.

My conclusion: absolutely nothing wrong with my technique - I've done this with many shoes since - nor has it anything to do with them being lost and the wax drying out. It has everything to do with the fact that these shoes in particular have an extremely soft (almost unstructured) cap-toe. It's as if they forgot to put in any kind of stiffener. A soft finger press will cause the buttery soft leather to give immediately. I'm talking about just toecap cracking here, everything else being fine.

Upon reflection, I should've realized this this would happen. I was a mere novice back then

So, realize that if the toe-box is too squishy it might crack the mirror. Nothing to do with cost or quality of shoe.

Lear

 

[DerangedGoose]

Ive been wondering: what if you attached a tall vertical grip to the heel portion of a shoe tree? Wouldnt it make it easier to fill out the shoe for a shining and to gain leverage when buffing? Assuming there was a way to lock the shoe tree in its extended position, of course.

 

[EnsitMike]

Thanks for the reply and message redirecting me here, Lear. What you said actually makes a lot of sense. The toes aren't soft really, but when I first started, having no idea what I was doing, I remember pressing quite firmly as I polished. Later on, from trial and error, I found that sweet spot which actually ended up being a fairly light rub.

I took some pictures which showed the cracking better, and they looked especially bad this morning. I'll try the shine on a nicer pair of shoes, as these were also my first experiment with acetone, I didn't want to dive into the deep end.

As a contingency, If I go and do a mirror on a pair I like a little more, I can remove the wax right? I've read mixed feelings, some people say if you remove wax you're bound to remove the shoes finish in the process, others have said it's perfectly removable.

Just saw EnsitMike's first post in another thread: http://www.styleforum.net/t/341274/mirror-shine-success-kind-of . Don't want to start another shoe maintenance thread.

Coincidentally, I had my first 'crack' experience last week. Four years ago, I bought, mirrored and stored a new pair of JL cap-toes. Completely forgot about them for all those years, having worn for just a week. Rediscovered them last week and touched up the mirror. Then putting one step in front of another, I heard and watched them crack (just the toecaps) like crazy paving. Pretty severe stuff indeed.

My conclusion: absolutely nothing wrong with my technique - I've done this with many shoes since - nor has it anything to do with them being lost and the wax drying out. It has everything to do with the fact that these shoes in particular have an extremely soft (almost unstructured) cap-toe. It's as if they forgot to put in any kind of stiffener. A soft finger press will cause the buttery soft leather to give immediately. I'm talking about just toecap cracking here, everything else being fine.

Upon reflection, I should've realized this this would happen. I was a mere novice back then

So, realize that if the toe-box is too squishy it might crack the mirror. Nothing to do with cost or quality of shoe.

Lear

 

[EnsitMike]

double post**

 

[benhour]

From this





To this



Amazing SheenorShine
Quote: collonil 1909 series is really great stuff(paste especially) !! according to the wax has a great shine but when u are going for a mirror shine is a real payne in the a....

 

[patrick_b]

Wow patrick_b, and you come across as so normal in your posts.

You have it pretty bad mate. You can only be helped once you realize you have a problem. Denial will solve nothing, and it'll only get worse.

Lear

It all went downhill after I came across posts by an Englishman mirror shining a pair of RMW boots.


From seeing this:



...to an apron for shining shoes in a few short years.

 

[Coldcava]



I was inspired by Gerry Nelson's recent post about the fine leather apron he acquired for shoe care. Even more impressive was the image capturing him among glorious leather surroundings. Like Lear, I too had a "friend" who was interested in a leather apron for shoe care duties. Since I couldn't I mean my "friend" couldn't justify a large purchase for such an apron, Chogall's Harbor Freight recommendation was just the ticket. Split Leather Welding Apron http://www.harborfreight.com/split-leather-welding-apron-45193.html This one may be shorter than Gerry's example and hits right at the knee. It's not made from full grain leather, as its name indicates, it's split leather with a roughout/suede-like feel. It actually feels quite nice given that it is leather and I'm used to using an old towel on my lap during shoe care duties. It has a single chest pocket and three lap-height pockets. It also differs from the website in that it doesn't have a buckle closure. For $10, you really can't go wrong. Now I have a reason to pick up that welding rig I've been considering as well. Note, the shoe shining apron is almost as essential as the water-droplet dispenser that we all saw on the japanese shoe shine video. I had to buy one of those too

. Video where I saw the water droplet dispenser. It's actually used for solvent.

I'll get two of those water droplets things.. I think it can be cross purposed for Scotch as well.

 

[TheSizzle]

I'll get two of those water droplets things.. I think it can be cross purposed for Scotch as well.

I'm pretty sure it's called a "hand lap," and that brings up pictures, but I can't find one to order.