Went from 2 good dress shoes to these: Am I missing anything? Advice on cleaning/repairing?

[bmwe30nut]

Learning a LOT from on here, and maybe too much (got more shoes than I really need...probably).

Old shoes in 10 D (unfortunately my feet have changed, and I now am 10 to 10.5 Wide (E to EEE) and I got tired of my feet hurting at the end of a wedding reception, etc. by wearing the old shoes.

A pair of Florsheim Imperials and Allen Edmonds Greene Street.

Then I found this forum, and went down the rabbit hole of You Tube videos (The Elegant Oxford, Kirby Allison and others) on polishing, repairing, etc. good shoes.

And I wound up with these: The Allen Edmonds Fifth Ave (tan) is new from AE on one of their sales, the rest are from Ebay. The AE Randolphs in the middle are shell cordovan (burgundy), and next to them are Alden burgundy shoes. One pair is AE made for Brooks Brothers. Missing is a black shell cordovan Randolph, and a tan loafer (on their way).

The Aldens have significant scuffs and a few tiny nicks. The Park Ave in the back left have one tiny through hole (looks like a small nail puncture near the top on the side) and a few scratches (one of them the leather is peeled back just a bit). most have light to significant creasing (although once I got the shoe trees, they look better) and minimal scuffs . I have a good bit of Saphir stuff for the shoes (cream and waxed base polishes), Renovateur cleaner/conditioner, renovating creme (burgundy and black), Bick leather conditioner, leather glue, and the Saphir cordovan creme. Dye for the edges of the soles (brown/black for now).

I'm thinking:
1. Brush well (horsehair brushes)
2. Clean with saddle soap.
3. Renovateur cleaner/conditioner (or is that overkill to do one, then the other).
4. Check the scuffs. if they're gone or so minimal the polish will cover them, then great, if not, pencil eraser, magic cleaner sponge, toothpaste (in that order, I believe).
5. Polish. (The Park Ave will probably get a mirror toe cap polish, but with the brogued shoes, how high should the polish go?).
6. Shoe Tree.

After wearing, brush and put the shoe tree in.

My question is at what stage in the above does the repair of any scratches/the pin hole (with glue) go?
Where should removing creases go in the list?
(I have multiple fine grits of sandpaper from doing some car part painting not too long ago if they need gently sanded down)


And, finally, anything missing from the shoes I should consider getting? Not sure on getting a dress boot of some kind.... any advice?
(I have some inexpensive chukka boots (Clarks, Merrill, Ugg) but don't wear them much if at all)

Thanks again for the help.

 

[bmwe30nut]

400 views and no replies...

Tan loafers came in and look great. Black Shell loafers have a huge amount of wear in the back (inner) heel area. I think I'm going to a cobbler soon to see what can be done (don't have much in them, so I can afford to spend a bit to fix them up...overall they look pretty good (maybe the heel was redone, but the sole is solid/original)).

 

[sho'nuff]

I dunno know, i can understand why no one would reply as your original post is all over the place.
Also sand paper to file down creases on shoes? Huh?
No one here is entitled to any replies best thing is just search and read the forum for answers to your questions. The majority here likes to read for fun and entertainment which includes me so you'll have to excuse no one answering you.

All I can say is in answering the title, if you're looking to fulfill a working personal wardrobe of shoes, best left answered by you not us. You may be a train engineer, or a musician, or a office worker, or someone who walks a lot on gravel a lot who knows? As you find a need for a shoe buy it. The wardrobe eventually ends up being formed as an incidental effect of you looking for what works for your lifestyle

If you're asking for just amassing a shoe collection, then go get a pair of Edward greens, john lobb, carmina, a bespoke from cleverlely, Italian shoes from Scafora, Vass Budapesters, French Berluti, Corthay, Meermin, and everything else in between that you're missing.

 

[bmwe30nut]

I dunno know, i can understand why no one would reply as your original post is all over the place.
Also sand paper to file down creases on shoes? Huh?
No one here is entitled to any replies best thing is just search and read the forum for answers to your questions. The majority here likes to read for fun and entertainment which includes me so you'll have to excuse no one answering you.

All I can say is in answering the title, if you're looking to fulfill a working personal wardrobe of shoes, best left answered by you not us. You may be a train engineer, or a musician, or a office worker, or someone who walks a lot on gravel a lot who knows? As you find a need for a shoe buy it. The wardrobe eventually ends up being formed as an incidental effect of you looking for what works for your lifestyle

If you're asking for just amassing a shoe collection, then go get a pair of Edward greens, john lobb, carmina, a bespoke from cleverlely, Italian shoes from Scafora, Vass Budapesters, French Berluti, Corthay, Meermin, and everything else in between that you're missing.

Got it. Not sandpaper for the creases, but to fix the deeper scratches in 2 shoes.

Good point on Personal style...that's personal.

I sit in an office and use sharp objects on people most of the time...(not much exercise)...I'm a Podiatrist (which makes my having too tight shoes a bit humorous).

Basically looking for a way to not look like the normal slob look I've been sporting for 50+ years (aside from Weddings/Funerals when I had to wear a suit).

 

[JohnnyLaw]

As far as maintenance goes, I keep it as simple as possible.

Wipe off any dirt with a damp rag, give the shoes a vigorous brushing and occasionally apply Saphir shoe cream in the appropriate colour (once a month should be more than enough).

This has worked well for me. I have shoes that have been worn regularly for 10+ years and still look very good.

I wouldn't try to fix any scratches or holes. You can easily make things worse. They'll probably become less visible over time with a few coats of polish.

 

[bmwe30nut]

As far as maintenance goes, I keep it as simple as possible.

Wipe off any dirt with a damp rag, give the shoes a vigorous brushing and occasionally apply Saphir shoe cream in the appropriate colour (once a month should be more than enough).

This has worked well for me. I have shoes that have been worn regularly for 10+ years and still look very good.

I wouldn't try to fix any scratches or holes. You can easily make things worse. They'll probably become less visible over time with a few coats of polish.

Got it, thanks. If I get shoes cheaply (sub $75 shipped), I'm more willing to try minor repairs myself (not out a lot of money if I screw it up), but most of what I found will be good with minor crease removal (using a shoe tree/cream or the 'iron' trick) and a good polish.

 

[William Kazak]

My question is, why do you want a shoe collection? It is obvious that you have complicated your life. What is your rotation schedule? Do you wear all of them? What colors do you wear with your current outfits? What colors don't work for you? Have you considered owning only four leather shoes that fit you well? Isn't that more reasonable?

 

[NORE]

Got it. Not sandpaper for the creases, but to fix the deeper scratches in 2 shoes.

Good point on Personal style...that's personal.

I sit in an office and use sharp objects on people most of the time...(not much exercise)...I'm a Podiatrist (which makes my having too tight shoes a bit humorous).

Basically looking for a way to not look like the normal slob look I've been sporting for 50+ years (aside from Weddings/Funerals when I had to wear a suit).

I'm curious to hear a Podiatrist's take on wearing pre-owned shoes, and if there is any detriment to one's feet.

I've been where you are and can say, take it slower, buy new shoes. Ones that fit. Enjoy them in good health!

 

[bmwe30nut]

My question is, why do you want a shoe collection? It is obvious that you have complicated your life. What is your rotation schedule? Do you wear all of them? What colors do you wear with your current outfits? What colors don't work for you? Have you considered owning only four leather shoes that fit you well? Isn't that more reasonable?

I need to develop some kind of personal style, and trying varieties is a way to start doing that. I may never wear some of them, but it will at least give me an idea of the fit/style that I prefer and am willing to wear.

That's within budget parameters...I'm never going to be as well dressed as a bunch of the pics on here show, but I can certainly evolve from my 'black Merrell Jungle Mocs (that I use for work/casual), whatever socks are handy in the drawer (usually black or blue solids), worn Guy Harvey T shirt and beat up leather jacket' look. The jeans fade any more and more wear on the T-shirt, you might give me a dollar figuring I'm homeless.

Of the ones I've gotten, I realize that there are some that really would be good to wear (the Dark Chili color looks great), some I may turn around and donate. All fit me well. (Yes, I have access to a Brannock Device...my arch is 10.5, width is E+ a bit, but I have short stubby toes, so I can go wider in a 10 or E width in a 10.5. No real shoe stores near here...and I'm not willing to drive to try stuff on, so I bought some used ones to start with.

 

[bmwe30nut]

I'm curious to hear a Podiatrist's take on wearing pre-owned shoes, and if there is any detriment to one's feet.

I've been where you are and can say, take it slower, buy new shoes. Ones that fit. Enjoy them in good health!

I've seen many, many problems with ill-fitting shoes, including needing to debride a wound to the point tendons were exposed (actually saved the foot...proud of that one). Never seen a problem*** (more on that in a minute) with used shoes.

Properly fitted shoes are much more important than if they've got light wear. Now, if the shoe has completely molded to the prior owner's feet, that might make a difference. The ones I got have minimal internal wear (some scuffs, scrapes, etc), so I'm not afraid of using them. I still have bottles of shoe disinfectant that are good enough it will probably go back and kill the cow/horse that was the source of the leather.

Wooden cutting boards are better than plastic.




You thought that was a non-sequitur there, but that's because the moisture is absorbed into the wood so the bacteria can't grow (oversimplified a bit)...good leather shoes will not likely give you problems (OK, to be fair, if you have major immune problems, etc. they might). Clean them, use a good disinfectant spray (don't damage the shoe). I have a couple of bottles of: Tetra Corporation Clean Sweep that I use. No conflicts to disclose (I don't own stock in the company, etc.), so I'm not worried about used shoes.

I will probably buy some new shoes down the road once I get a better sense of some kind of personal style (both color and shoe design), but with the used shoes (not including the new pair from an AE sale...the fit and comfort was good enough, it got me started on looking at different colors/styles), I'm able to try out 10 different styles/colors for a while and am out around $800 (one of the pairs is a Randolph Burgundy Shell Cordovan in pretty good shape...new, that would go for close to the total for all the shoes). Some might get re-crafted. Some may get donated if I don't like the look, color, fit, etc. Be a lot easier if I were near a real shoe store (Allen Edmonds, say) where I could try them on, etc. But in the future, I can be more selective with ordering new shoes on-line.


****One time a patient came in and blamed shoes he was given at the shelter where he lived for his raging Athlete's feet. Treated it with no problem, but the gentle suggestion was given was to change his socks instead of wearing them every day and night (gave him a few pairs we had as samples), and not wear the shoes to bed. It wasn't the shoes, but the overall conditions that gave him the problem.