Leather shoe/boot upkeep?

Roefisher

Roefisher

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370
Location
The Roe Valley
Hey folks,

I'm used to wearing walking or hiking boots and have just ordered a pair of brogue boots.

So, how do you keep yours?

After you come back in home, anything special? Any favourite treatment products?

All tips and advice welcome... :blush:

Mark
 
When I get new I cover them with polish using a cloth. Really working it into all the nooks and crannies and stitching. I'll leave that on overnight then give them a buff before wearing.

Always use shoe trees.

Never wear them on consecutive days.
 
I polish mine as and when required.
Brush them over when I get in.
Shoe trees straight in.
Let the leather soles dry out if applicable.
Into their bag and/or the wardrobe.
Quick brush up when they go back on.
Never wear them two days in a row.
 
Good rubbing over Vinny-style with Chelsea Leather food then leave for overnight or for at least 14-16 hours. Buff this off with a brush and cloth - it does actually take a shine but not fantastically so. Then set to it with whatever colour of Cherry Blossom or Grangers wax for neutral. Buff with brush and Selvyt cloth. The Chelsea leather food, I use when shoes are new and every now and them when i reckon they need it - perhaps once a month or every couple of months. Shoe trees for certain and now that I have another pair of Loake brogues coming I'll be able to avoid the consecutive day thing though to be honest, I've been wearing my wellies more than anything of late. Maintenance wise, just a polish when I reckon they need it with said CB or Grangers and wipe/brush any muck or dirt of beforehand.

I do however lust after a pair of these currently:

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Roefisher said:
Dammit....

Came back in home and went to order my shoe trees and the other pair of boots I have my eye on, but the Herring Shoes website is down...

Great advice from Vinny & Graeme - thanks fellas.

Mark
Click to expand...

Pediwear have a good range of shoe trees as well as all things shoe, boot and leathery!

They did have Loake cedar shoe trees on special offer at £18.99 but the offer appears to have ended. :icon_sad:
 
It depends on what type of leather the uppers are. Full grain calf I would put some leather conditioner on. Something like a saphir medaille d'or(sp?). Personally I would not put a heavy layer of wax polish on straight away. The leather needs time to break in and begin to breathe. I leather cream would be a better bet. As others have said brush shoes when done with for the day, place into shoe trees (I wouldn't pay the extra for the brand name ones. You can better ones from amazon - Seeadler for less). Try not to wear everyday, condition/polish the leather approx every 2 weeks. You can start to create some nice patina's with the polishing but keep in mind that a leather cream has much more pigment than a wax polish. The wax is mainly for waterproofing.

Waxy/oiled leather is very easy to maintain. Brush/clean and put your shoe trees in. Either rub some dubbin (that's all the Loake waxy leather protector is) or buy some waxy leather cream. The leather will create its patina naturally. This is pretty much the same for waxed suede or waxed nubuck.

Suede, you will need a suede protector spray that creates a water barrier, a suede brush (crepe not brass) and possibly some suede shampoo if you get any stubborn stains. Be gentle with the brushing as you can damage the suede if you brush to hard. Go with the nap.

Never leave a resole that long the cork is showing on the sole. Metal toe caps are a good idea on leather soled shoes as well. That'll stop you needing a resole because you've worn the top of the shoe down quickly.

Look after your shoes and you'll get years of life out of them.
 
Saphir has a product for everything, and are my first choice for fine shoes. Woly products are also good for a cheaper alternative. I damaged the grain on a pair of Grensons using supermarket-bought polish on them, so avoid it these days.

For full grain leather, I normally build up thin layers of wax. If the leather has been scuffed or scratched, I'll apply some Saphir shoe cream to restore the colour, leave it to soak in overnight then re-apply wax.

For suede, Saphir Invulner offers good weatherproffing without discolouration (it's expensive though) and they have something called Gomadin which is good for removing scuff marks.

Shoe trees (even cheap ones although cedar is better) are essential for good shoes and will repay the investment. Shoe bags, or even carrier bags, will keep the dust off and make polishing them much easier.

HTH.
 
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