Leather shoe care

AssaTM

AssaTM

AssaTM

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Hi all! I've never really been one to wear leather shoes to work as I've never needed to, but now im in a position where I have decided to buy a pair of leather shoes just to smarten up a bit more and all of that jazz :p but I only know the very basics about leather shoe care and while I didn't spend a ton on my shoes, I want them to last as long as possible while still looking good of course. Which leads me to my question which I thought was best to ask here, what do people recommend to take care of and maintain their leather shoes? nothing too crazy but since it is coming up to winter and it will be rainy I don't want to ruin them a few months after buying them :), I've read up about it but every single site recommends something different so any basic tips about conditioning (if its needed?) and waxing etc and how often would be greatly appreciated, thank you :)
 
Shoe trees
Don't wear them every single day (alternate)
Dry them out with newspaper if wearing them in the wet
Polish and conditioner is all that you need

It's definitely worth looking after good shoes.
 
Good polish, brushes and cloths. Keep them away from direct sources of heat (it'll dry out the leather), so never stick them under radiators, especially if they're soaked. If they get soaked, lots of newspaper inside and place them near a radiator. But not right beside one or directly under. That's my basics for maintaining my DM boots anyway.
 
Yea cant recommend waterproofing them enough. Pretty much what everyone has said above.

Are they leather soles as well? If so be careful, might want to scratch them up a bit first (shuffle on some concrete for a bit). This is so you don't slip over on wat / icy surfaces.
 
Don't wait for the soles to wear too much before getting them replaced

I still find Kiwi to be some the best polish out there, specifically parade gloss, useful trick with black leather is to put a base layer of brown polish and top off with black, gives a much deeper shine
 
gobbo said:
Don't wait for the soles to wear too much before getting them replaced

I still find Kiwi to be some the best polish out there, specifically parade gloss, useful trick with black leather is to put a base layer of brown polish and top off with black, gives a much deeper shine
Click to expand...

So polish with brown, let it dry, then black? or..

I am constantly wearing leather shoes for work, brogues/ loakes, etc. Would be nice little trick to know.
 
Are they leather soled or rubber?

If rubber, you don't need to worry much about wearing them during winter. I don't wear leather soled shoes in winter as rain and walking in standing water ruins them quicker.

To do it properly you really need a few pairs of shoes, that way you can alternate wear.

And I've never heard of using brown polish on black shoes! If you polish them properly, you will get the required amount of shine.
 
Rotation is key, I currently have 3 pairs on rotation, one of which has been resoled.

Surprising how much difference it makes.

Just one shoe will be shot to bits in about 3 months by itself.

Rotating two and I can get through most of the year.

3 and I'm laughing!!
 
Dubbin is ok, but it's only used for waterproofing the leather - over time it will cause the leather to crack, as it softens the grain allowing it to split. I've had this on several pairs of british army boots (from new) and a couple of pairs of ordinary shoes where they got dubbin applied 2 or 3 times a week.
I still use dubbin on my boots and shoes (worked into the leather with a cloth), but only applied occasionally - 2-3 times a year maybe.

The rest of the time you cannot go wrong with kiwi shoe polish and a couple of brushes (wax on/wax off). Dab the brush into the polish and brush on to the leather (wax on). Leave for 5 or 10 mins until the polish goes dull (only a thin layer is required) then use your other brush to buff to a shine (wax off).
Try the kiwi parade gloss premium stuff it's great - contains chemicals/parafin etc loads better that the crappy water based polishes out there.
My leather shoes get polished 3-4 times a week if I'm wearing them every day.

Unless you're traipsing your shoes over muddy fields then kiwi shoe polish will keep the wet out, condition the leather and keep your shoes nice and shiny, depending on the surface finish of the leather.

If you have brown leather shoes 'mid tan' covers pretty much any shade of brown (try on a small hidden area first if you're not sure).
 
naefeart said:
And I've never heard of using brown polish on black shoes! If you polish them properly, you will get the required amount of shine.
Click to expand...

Brown or oxblood will give a much deeper shine to a black shoe if you put a couple of layers on before using black polish, it's a well known trick in the forces.
 
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