Shoe Care Question

[SullyDC]

So I recently starting purchasing nicer shoes (AE) that will last me a long time and I had a question on the caring for the shoes. I copy the following from a style forum post on shoe care:


•Don't wear any pair of shoes 2 days in a row.

•At the end of a day, use (preferrably cedar) properly sized shoe trees in the shoes. leave 24hrs.

•At the end of a days wearing, take a moist but not soaked cloth over them to remove dirt & dust.

•Sparingly apply a leather conditioner (Lexol, etc) to the leather about once per month.

•Let dry about 1/2 hour, then brush with a clean horsehair brush.

•Then buff with an old clean soft cotton or flannel cotton rag.

•Just lotion, dry, brush and buff.


I have been doing all of the steps listed above but in regards to brushing with a clean horsehair brush, do you use one horsehair brush for brushing all of your shoes? Or do you have a separate brush that you use on your walnut colored shoes vs. your black shoes. I have noticed after putting the AE conditioner on my walnut strands some of the color(shoe oil I'm guessing) has come off the shoes when I rub in the conditioner. I didnt want to transfer any black color to the walnut shoes with the brush. Thanks for the help.

[runner-guy]

I use a separate brush for each color of shoe that I have.

[SullyDC]

Thanks that's what I thought but I just wanted to make sure before I ordered more brushes. Do you have a particular brand or company that you like to get your brushes from? My current brushes are from Allen Edmonds.

[runner-guy]

My brushes are from Allen Edmonds as well.

[runners n jeans]

Back when I was doing my shoe care research, it seemed like everyone had their own "policy":


1) 1 brush for each color group, e.g. 1 for black, 1 for all shades of browns, 1 for burgundy

2) 1 brush total

3) 0 brushes


Guys would use spare rags to apply polish. Some guys horsehair daubers (usually for creams)--1 for each color. And so on and so forth.


After doing my first round of conditioning and polishing to a variety of colored shoes--black, brown, walnut, burgundy, chili--it's safe to say that I'll be good with one 8" buffing brush and a handful of microfibre cloths and or spare cotton cloths for buffing and wiping off excess polish.


If I'm concerned that any color gets on the buffing brush, I'll just brush it against a white cloth to remove any excess if there ever is any.


I got my 8" brush from Nordstrom: $12 for the Synovia brand. 8" brushes can also be purchased on eBay for about the same amount. When AE had their 90th anniversary sale, I did pick up a 6" brush for only $5.60 and I can keep that handy elsewhere in the house or in my car. I do like the size of the 8" better though.

[Focuspants]

Dont mean to hijack, but the AE products cost $30 in shipping alone to get to me. What conditioner and polish would be most highly recommended that is comparable to the AE ones, and would actually be available here in Canada?


Oh, and I would like a polish that is neutral, since I have shoes in walnut, burnished brown and black. Thanks!

[tomservo]

Do you have Kiwi up there? They have a whole line of shoe care products that are very good and have been around for a long, long time. Also a lot of guys use Meltonian

[bj]

I use Kiwi and Meltonian for polish, Dyo conditioner and cheap brushes and flannel cloths that I get at the grocery store.

[jessy_diamond]

@Focuspants I went to my local cobbler, he told me the exact color I needed. I can't remember the brand, but it wasn't very expensive. Kiwi does the job too.

[runners n jeans]

@Focuspants: I've read comments that Lexol conditioner can darken lighter colored leather, and I suppose it might be true since they actually make a separate conditioner for just that... But if you have something dark, Lexol conditioner might be available at a local auto parts store.


http://www.lexol.com/product_leather_conditioner.aspx

http://www.lexol.com/Product_neatsfoot.aspx

[Chareth]

I would not use neatsfoot oil on dress shoes.

[dave2]

Reviving this post from the dead:

I have a few pair of dress shoes and some questions

Do I need a different conditioner for each? Or do you use the same conditioner for all leather shoes?

What about polish, do you use the same polish for all of them?

What do you do for your suede chukka boots?

I do not want to change the colors on them too much.

[jessy_diamond]

@Dave

-I use the same conditionner for all my leather shoes.

-Unless you use clear polish, use a different color. I use 3 shades of brown and one black. That said, I have only two horsehair brush (plus a smaller one to remove dirt).

-You can use a suede protector on your suede shoes, my came in a spray can. May or may not darken the color. You can use a suede eraser to remove stains and stuff and a suede brush to make the suede looking nice again.

[KC]

"•Don't wear any pair of shoes 2 days in a row."


I think having a rule like this is a bit ridiculous. Don't over-wear one pair of shoes to the point that the soles are falling off your feet, sure. But if you have a great pair of shoes you like, you should absolutely wear them liberally.

[greg_s]

KC, this helps the shoes adequately dry out and recover from a day of wear. Leather absorbs a lot of water and that will damage it over time if it doesn't properly dry.