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

[csh212]

Can anyone suggest how I should repair to prevent further wear of the sole on the anterior toe of my brogues? I'm aware of toe taps but unless theyre inset I'm not a fan. Also churchs will service the entire shoe, but there's plenty of life left in the sole. Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

[/IMG]

 

[csh212]

Here's another photo.

 

[kwhitelaw]

I'd throw a topy on it to try and get a little more life out of it

but definitely do inset taps in the future. that's pretty aggressive wear imo

 

[AlexanderTG]

I've only worn these lace up boots a few times. Would I be smart to get them Vibramed or is that something to do after heavy wear?

They were purchased new.

Thanks.

 

[csh212]

I would not vibram them Alex. I find it cheapens the feel of the shoe.

 

[David Copeland]

Apart from cleaning shoes when they are scuffed or generally dirty, how many 'wears' do most people allow before they give them a polish? If you have a number of pairs of shoes and rotate them, you ain't going to wear them all that often. Do you rotate the polishing too? Again, if so, how often?

If I apply a good cream, followed by a good wax - brush and polish . . . and I am not hard on them - and each morning before I choose to wear them, do a 60 second light brush and light buff, followed that evening with a 15 minute open air dry time (before inserting shoe trees, followed by another 60 second brush and buff - then I do not expect to do another full polish for at least 7-10 full day easy wears.

Given a reasonable collection to rotate every day a different shoe or boot - that expands the life span of each pair quite a bit.

Enjoy,

David


"Glass for that extra protection from dust."

 

[gsgleason]

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Here's another photo.

I think once you're through the leather and into the cork it's time for a re-sole.

 

[nemo]

Greetings,

Any of you gents spare a moment and take look at this patch of shell and tell me if it is a cause for concern with regards to the durability of the leather.

This is off of a brand new pair of color 8 boots and is the only spot. The affected area has a softer spongy feel to it rather the typical stiffness of new shell, with the finish lightly flaking off in some of the creases. Possibly also worth noting is the existence of some sort of white powdery patches on various areas of the boots. I can provide additional photos if need be. Also, as mentioned previously the boots are new and looked as though they were untouched since leaving the factory so I don't think it's any sort of damage caused by handling.

My concern is not so much cosmetic but rather the integrity of the leather. Thanks in advance for any insights.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

I think that perhaps that section of the shoe was cut from either the outskirts of the shell, or even past the shell and into adjacent muscle tissue. Probably not an issue as horween's tannage is top notch.

 

[chogall]



Can anyone suggest how I should repair to prevent further wear of the sole on the anterior toe of my brogues? I'm aware of toe taps but unless theyre inset I'm not a fan. Also churchs will service the entire shoe, but there's plenty of life left in the sole. Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

[/IMG]

You need a resole. It's eating into your welt already. Ask for flushed metal toe tips to prolong the toe wear.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

This looks like an interesting product: http://www.leatherdoctor.com/servlet/the-233/Leather-Doctor-Fatliquor-dsh-5.0/Detail

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Interesting little paper I found on the deterioration of vegetable tanned leather with the addition of sulphuric acids. Apparently around a ph of 3 leather begins to rapidly break down. DW commented once upon a time on the breakdown of my shoes possibly being because of sulphuric acids in the air and rainwater in nyc.

http://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/jres/10/jresv10n4p559_A2b.pdf

This is interesting because Glen states on his website that vegetable tanned leather has a ph of about 3.2 and chrome tanned leather 3.8. Either the tannages used in 1933 were very different, or leather is just very fickle when it comes to small fluctuations in ph.

 

[Munky]

Brush them when you take them off, before you put them on, or both?

 

[patrickBOOTH]

I usually let mine sit with trees in them after taking them off. Gives the fibers a chance to "cool off" so to speak. I brush them before I put them on to raise the fibers back and get the dust off. Something in my mind tells me vigorously brushing a shoe that is warm and has been flexed due to walking is counter productive. Just a feeling though.

 

[BootSpell]

I give them a good brushing when I take them off. A very quick brushing before I put them on.