Is there a shoe cleaner I can use for multiple types of leather...do I even need it

[cruz]

Is there one leather shoe cleaner I can use for Clarks Beeswax Desert Boots, Danner full grain leather boots and Cole Haan Jefferson Grand Plain Toe Oxford? Or would a damp rag suffice...

I've been using http://www.danner.com/boot-dressing-clear.html for the Desert Boots and Danners, would this be ok on the Cole Haans or should I use a color matching shoe cream (https://www.allenedmonds.com/shoes/s...F560_color=507)

What's the difference between AE Leather Lotion, Shoe Polish and Shoe Cream?

[JBarwick]

I can't speak for products specifically for boots but I can help with the AE question. Leather lotion or conditioner provides some moisture to the leather so it doesn't dry out. Joe has mentioned in the past he hasn't used it and I have a pair of 6 year old shoes where I haven't used it and they are doing fine. Some people swear by it.

Shoe polish tends to be a wax like product to help shine the shoe. You can buy colored polishes or just stick with neutral for a variety of shoe colors. I personally buy a tin of black and a tin of neutral. If you want a high gloss shine, polish is your best bet.

Shoe cream helps keep the color of your shoes if you get a scuff or something. I have brown, black, and walnut. This may provide some moisture to your shoes but I can't say for sure.

About once a year I will condition my shoes. I use shoe cream maybe twice a year. I use polish more frequently since I use my shoes for work though it may be once every three months I polish them. In between, I brush my shoes with a shoe brush and keep a microfiber cloth handy to buff the shoes.

[evanparker]

it depends highly upon what shoe finished you specifically have on your boots. Most finishes are built on the colored leather itself. there is a layer of color, and a layer of wax on top of that.

What you want to do when maintain shoes is be able to nourish and re-build the finish that came on the shoes . This involves repairing the dried out parts with oils and protectants, as well as replacing color that is in the shoe's finish. You on top of that want to cover the color part with something to protect your shoe.

To do this properly, you will need something that does each of these steps, with respect to the specific finishes.

[hockeysc23]

Forget the thread but someone here stated or referenced an article to use saddle soap to clean leather. I’ve used this on all my shoes prior to a polish and shine. I have danner boots and Cole haans. I then use the danner polish and some other shoe creams after. I haven’t used them on my desert boots bc I don’t think they really need a thorough clean and look better used.

[kastism]

Is there one leather shoe cleaner I can use for Clarks Beeswax Desert Boots, Danner full grain leather boots and Cole Haan Jefferson Grand Plain Toe Oxford? Or would a damp rag suffice...

I've been using http://www.danner.com/boot-dressing-clear.html for the Desert Boots and Danners, would this be ok on the Cole Haans or should I use a color matching shoe cream (https://www.allenedmonds.com/shoes/s...F560_color=507)

What's the difference between AE Leather Lotion, Shoe Polish and Shoe Cream?

Welcome to the wonderful world of Men's Fashion Blog Forums, where everyone is an expert and has an opinion that seems to contradict everyone else's opinion! First off, this is the sort of thing that has been debated ad nauseam on this and every other forum, so you feel free to do some digging if you want more than a summary opinion of some guy on the internets.

But as someone who works with leather on a daily basis and owns over 50 jars of shoe cream, I just might be what they call a SME. The short answer is Yes. And No.

Leather lotion is an all purpose, well, lotion, that moisturizes leather. Leather being skin, needs to be rehydrated or it will eventually dry out and crack. This is most often seen as creases as well as cracks around the eyelets on shoes. YMMV, especially based on how often your shoes get wet, and how much sun your shoes get. The AE lotion, Lexol, and Saphir Leather Lotion are examples of these.

Shoe polish (well, good shoe polish like AE, Lincoln, Saphir, etc.) is mostly carnauba wax and/or beeswax with a lot of color. (Why it is also called shoe wax or shoe paste). These are the ones that come in a tin.

Shoe creams OTOH sit somewhere between the lotion and the polish. They have moisturizers and oils to condition the leather, but also may have some pigment to color in small scratches as well as a lower amount of waxes. They also come in neutral for all purpose use, and you don't have to have a perfect match for your shoes. The amount of pigment will vary between brands and lines. For example Saphir Beaute de Cuir has less pigment, about on par with Meltonian (RIP) while the famous Medal D'Or line has a much higher concentration of pigments and a higher price tag to match.

The typical shoe care routine especially for dress shoes is to use lotion to moisturize the leather, shoe cream to fill in the scratches and build a base layer of wax, and to buff to a mirror shine with a few applications of shoe polish. You can skip one or two of these steps, but if you are looking for the most useful and basic care, I would go with a neutral shoe cream. Bang for the buck and all around usefulness, I highly recommend Venetian Shoe Cream. I use it on almost everything leather I own and make.

A few side notes. You can stop reading here if you just wanted the shorter answer. I am not familiar with the danner boot dressing, but the term is often applied to a variety of products, usually lotion, but sometimes ones that contain a lot of oil and are only suitable for oiled leathers. (Also, should not be confused with Edge Dressing, which is for soles.) I would avoid it unless you knew exactly what was in it. Though since you already used it on the Danners, it should be fine on the Cole Haans if the leathers are similar and you haven't had any problems. Also most brands of shoes have their waxes and creams made for them by one of a few other companies, so the branded products are often quite similar to each other. That said, the AE products are nice for use with AE shoes, as the colors are made specifically for their line of shades.

Forget the thread but someone here stated or referenced an article to use saddle soap to clean leather. I’ve used this on all my shoes prior to a polish and shine. I have danner boots and Cole haans. I then use the danner polish and some other shoe creams after. I haven’t used them on my desert boots bc I don’t think they really need a thorough clean and look better used.

Saddle soap (along with Mink Oil) is one of the more polarizing topics in shoe care. Some folks view it as a sin that can only dry out your leather, others as time tested way to gently clean your leather. YMMV, you will have to decide for yourself. I personally don't care for it and only use it to burnish leather edges, not for cleaning. My method for simple cleaning is to use a dry, clean brush first to dislodge any dirt followed by a clean, damp rag. Alrighty then, glad I just gave you the short answer!

[cruz]

Thank ya'll!

[Dun]

If i cam simplify this down-

Saddle soap will clean off the protective wax coating off of leather(all but the most durable of poly coating grain correction).

And if the dirt/stain is in the wax coating layer it will be clean. But the striped down leather must be re-conditioned and given a new protective coat of shoe waxes.


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[mochi123]

I usually just use the leather wipes every week, more often as necessary, seems to work well enough for me