Shoes that look better with age...

[amlai]

The mentioned it earlier in this thread about stitching on the toe that was off on the left shoe. The boots fit fantastic, but to me, I would have labeled them as 2nds.

This seems to be the difference between the Foot Balance standard and the Alden New England standard. My 405s look like they would probably be 2nds by Alden New England standards. Even so, they appear to be better than what I've been seeing on some of the other boots posted here (e.g. White's).

[jubei]

another small shoe care question:

what types of product do you guys use for moisturizing your shoes? I was looking into using Obenauf's for my dress shoes, but I'm not sure if that's necessarily appropriate. Should I be using some other sort of cream instead?

My beloved cordovan colored hanovers are starting to crack a little bit and I'd like to delay the process if at all possible.

[mizanation]

yeah, i have a pair of allen edmonds cordovans that have cracked (possibly because of the previous owners bad maintenance). i have a friend who just bought some used alden cordovan boots that have cracked. my shoe guru says that it's not a big deal, but it's still kinda annoying.

[jubei]

The guy who resoled them for me said that it was mostly due to salt and rapid drying after being trudged through in the snow... he also said the best to prevent it is to let it dry out slowly after it gets really wet and then hitting it with a conditioner (hence my original question)

[GregNYC]

I'll be wearing the boots for this winter, so it'll be in all elements, especially rain and snow. Would you still recommend against treating it with spray? and just leave it with wax and polish on it?

Those sprays don't work anyway too well. Use one or two *thin* coats of beeswax or Pecard's as a base coat on the boot, including the welt. Then the cream, then the polish. You will really want a shine on the glossy surface and yet wear them in inclement weather? That will be a lot of work, but it is do-able.

[Chicken]

Sorry I don't remember what the shoes look like. If it's a glossy surface like top-grain calfskin, I'd leave out the spray altogether. It most likely has silicone, which leather lovers and old-skool folks don't put on their gear. Creams go on before polish. Rub cream into the welt unless it's a lighter color than the upper (like the Indies). Repeat at the polish stage. This is all the protection you should need unless you wear these for inclement weather. And you'll get a natural shine that will develop into a burnish and patina over time.

my personal recipe has been cream, then polish and finish it off with horse hair brush. don't know what you need to do for severely cold weathers though. and i'm always open for new and better suggestions.

jube, bill recommended obenauf's or picards. i think greg can vouch for the picards, too.

[mizanation]

that's the problem with buying used shoes. sometimes the previous owner didn't take care of them well and the problems start showing up after you start wearing them.

[jubei]

^ thanks chicken.

from the brief bit I've read on shoe creams, it sounds like they're more meant to sort of re-dye and maintain a certain color on your shoes... I'm more interested in just moisturizing them, so I think Obenauf's is what I'm looking for. I'd also like to have it around for my other leather goods (like my belt, gf's boots, etc.)

[ajds]

One note on Obenauf's vs. Pecards. I went to my local Red Wings store and the guy there strongly endorsed Obenauf's over the RW brand (made by Pecards). He could be a crazed idiot- but I listened.

I went with the Obenaufs and it seems to do well for my Indys.

----

ajds

[mizanation]

i wonder what obenaufs does for.... human skin.

[jubei]

LOL, that's kinda fucked up

but it does make you wonder...

probably a faster version of fake-bake

[Chicken]

must admit it does feel pretty nice on your fingers after you apply a nice coat of pecards on your jacket and/or boots. stronger than skin lotions.

[ccl127]

anybody have ideas on how to make the Alden Indy less slippery in the snow and rain w/o getting them resoled?

[amlai]

what types of product do you guys use for moisturizing your shoes? I was looking into using Obenauf's for my dress shoes, but I'm not sure if that's necessarily appropriate.

If the leather is really dry, then I would say to use Pecards and let it soak in a few days. If it's just the usual maintenance, then I usually go with Lexol.

[GregNYC]

ajds - I've never tried Obenauf's. It might be better than Pecard's for shoes. Here's a good page from people who are serious about boots.

http://tinyurl.com/23nuvs

I've been using Sno Seal, which is fantastic, but extremely hard to work with.

[GregNYC]

anybody have ideas on how to make the Alden Indy less slippery in the snow and rain w/o getting them resoled?

Try fitting them with the Yaktrax Walker

[theetruscan]

anybody have ideas on how to make the Alden Indy less slippery in the snow and rain w/o getting them resoled?

Topys ?

[amlai]

he also said the best to prevent it is to let it dry out slowly after it gets really wet and then hitting it with a conditioner (hence my original question)

If you get your shoes soaked, you should put newspaper inside (loosely or you can inadvertently cause your shoes to stretch) to soak up some of the moisture and let them dry at standard room temperature. Never under any circumstances should you subject them to heat to dry them out.

[amlai]

Topys ?

I can't imagine Topys being all that much better than the neoprene on the bottom. In all seriousness, outside of a resoling, the best you're going to be able to do is something like Yaktrax or some other crampon-like system. If you need more traction than what's on there, then you should move to a boot with a commando (Vibram) sole.

[ajds]

ajds - I've never tried Obenauf's. It might be better than Pecard's for shoes. Here's a good page from people who are serious about boots.

http://tinyurl.com/23nuvs

I've been using Sno Seal, which is fantastic, but extremely hard to work with.

I'll give snoseal a try- I remember using it years ago. We get plenty of rain out here to say the least.

-----

ajds

[fattybfat]

finally arrived!!!!! just got it about 10 minutes ago

[jo3 b]

not the prettiest whole-cut shoes ever, but still nice.

[fattybfat]

not the prettiest whole-cut shoes ever, but still nice.

oh of course...but i am pretty happy with it for $86 , i actually like the tricker's harrow alot, but is quite expensive for me right now and i believe it doesnt comes in black....so...anyway...i think this is great

[Happy Hooligan]

fattyb...

they remind me of my Aldens I picked up years ago...

[fattybfat]

Happyh...

ya...they look quite similar except for the stitches around the laces...

but i guess your alden is much more expensive when brand new:)

[fre-co]

So, I was playing around on the wesco website customising some jobmasters. I noticed you can have a low 6" boot and a vibram 700 sole as an option. I wondered what the jobmaster would look like in this guise?

I'm particularly interested to see the lower profile sole because the huge lug sole is one thing that puts me off wesco.

Anyone know of any pictures?

[CAFC]

finally arrived!!!!! just got it about 10 minutes ago

I've got a pair of this style in Grensons. £180 at the beginning of the year. My pair are a little on the long-looking side (but then my daily footwear is one of 70-odd models of old-school adidas, so any 'smart' shoes look long on me). Still they're a nice, simple, classic design. I'm sure Grensons describe them as a military model.

[hawkeye]

i wonder what obenaufs does for.... human skin.

There was an article linked here somewhere that was talking about obenaufs, and the guy said he used it for lip balm.

Edit: Found it, From Obenauf's Testimonials:

Well, I'll tell you, You have a great product. Good for lips, cold sores, I use it on cuts occasionally- propolis being anti bacterial, makes a pretty good gun wax too- keeps water out and prevents rust and I've even rubbed it into wooden gun stocks. All that plus protects your boots and leather. Sounds more like "Obenauf's Wonder Grease." Keep up the good work.

Bill Dallmeyer

Craftsbury, Vermont

[jubei]

^uhm... wow.

[coleslawyum]

So, I was playing around on the wesco website customising some jobmasters. I noticed you can have a low 6" boot and a vibram 700 sole as an option. I wondered what the jobmaster would look like in this guise?

I'm particularly interested to see the lower profile sole because the huge lug sole is one thing that puts me off wesco.

Anyone know of any pictures?

Here's what I found online: