Shoes that look better with age...

[edmond]

pretty cool planning to get a cheap pair of these..or similar.. saw it at drewsboots.com

hey greg howd you shine your dark brown semi dress wht did you use? what kind of cloth to polish it off?

[percy]

i have a cheap pair of justin ropers which look ok but dont have the comfort the lucchese had. plus lucchese ropers can come with their own slanted heel (r9 i think) which helps with gait and looks great.

the pairs i owned were a few years ago now and i sent them back directly to the lucchese warehouse where they told me they would have had to replace the whole sole unit and they hadnt seen the problem before!

the pic i posted before is a brush off goat in brown. the colour i had before was an oiled calf:

[Denim Phenom]

Greg, that's a good military shine you've got there. That would definitely pass.

Indigo, no offense but you should strip that polish off and try again, this time with less. A little polish can go along way. Also, spit is only really necessary when water isn't available.

But that's just my opinion.

[GregNYC]

pretty cool planning to get a cheap pair of these..or similar.. saw it at drewsboots.com

hey greg howd you shine your dark brown semi dress wht did you use? what kind of cloth to polish it off?

Not sure how much detail you'd want, but it can take time and practice. The short and easy version is to use Kiwi and get a cotton handkerchief, a horsehair brush and an over-the-ankle nylon stocking. Then:

1. Apply the polish with a damp handkerchief. Light coat not heavy.

2. Brush with the brush. This helps fill the pores of the leather with polish.

3. Buff with the nylon fitted over your hand.

Repeat 1-3 several times. Then again each week. There are other tricks, but try this first...

[edmond]

just did this what can you say? some melatonin and kiwi..all neutral

[emmitbrown]

Melatonin is a neurohormone produced in the brain by the pineal gland, from the amino acid tryptophan.

did you polish your shoes with a turkey?

[GregNYC]

just did this what can you say? some melatonin and kiwi..all neutral

Pretty good, but there's something to watch out for with neutral polish. When you bend the shoes, the neutral piles up in the tiny cracks in the leather and you can see it caked up. Try bending the shoes and see.

As for the shininess, you can go over it with a nylon, then apply polish again, a very light coat. Brush any nylon. The next time, an even lighter coat, rubbed well around with a handkerchief, then go right to the nylon....

emmitbrown - I think he means Meltonian. A good one is leather lotion

or Delicate creme #170:

[edmond]

hah! its meltonian have to stop reading those med books !

[edmond]

oh with the color of this leather what kind of meltonian color could you recommend greg? thanks yeah thats what happened to my redwings they caked up on the creases.. btw how do you take polish off the shoe? any kind of polish remover or something?

[edmond]

what does the lotion do greg? ill try to grab a jar of those 170's

[emmitbrown]

Oh I know what he means.

For removing polish I would use a little thinner on a rag.

http://www.kitkraft.biz/product.php?productid=4835

Thats what I used to use on the undertakers shoes...they shine their shoes everyday....lots of caked up polish on an undertaker's shoes.

[edmond]

wont it hurt the leather?

[emmitbrown]

If the leather is porous I wouldn't reccomend it. If you are working with soft leather you should be using a meltonian cream polish, and as a result of the soft porous leather it would be absorbed into the leather, and therefore wouldn't cake up.

Something like a black dress shoe has smooth shiney leather that you would polish with a paste it is fine, since the polish more or less "sits on top".

I'm not sure what the leather is like on the boots in question.

[edmond]

these are suppose to be dry tanne dleather as they say ( semi dress leather) im not sure either yeah i tried bending the shoe it caked up on the creases.. i tried rubbing them off while bended.. it helped..

[emmitbrown]

For your case:

Spit on the shoe, and rub with a rag...then try not to put too much polish on next time. See how that works out.

[Madmax]

oh with the color of this leather what kind of meltonian color could you recommend greg? thanks yeah thats what happened to my redwings they caked up on the creases.. btw how do you take polish off the shoe? any kind of polish remover or something?

I think you normally use saddle soap, but i just took like five years of too much polish on my sisters riding boots yesterday and i used baby oil which worked much better than saddle soap and also easier. Just rub som baby oil on a paper towel and rub of. But if you have only put on a thin layer of neutral wax on i cant see the meaning of cleaning the shoes, just brush them with a horsehair brush.

[GregNYC]

Demonito - you asked about what color. The color comes from the Kiwi. So get Kiwi that's brown or one shade lighter than the boots themselves. Depends on what kind of look you want. I don't want brown boots to darken like black, so I use a lighter brown, or tan or even occasionally oxblood/cordovan color for highlights. Then brush and buff the Kiwi. Then on top of the buffed Kiwi put a light coat of the 170 and buff again for gloss.

You don't have to remove all the polish, just the excess. Try AFTA it's what the pro shoe shine folks use to remove stuff. As long as there are a few coats already on the shoes it won't dry the leather. It should remove the part that cakes.

[CAUTION: never use AFTA or thinner on shell cordovan]

[Bill2]

Stronghold is pleased to announce our newest addition: Russell Moccasin! Handmade in Berlin, Wisconsin since 1898

We will be STOCKING the following styles (quoted from Russell's website):

"RUSSELL’S CAVALIER is a sporty dressy-looking boot that can be put on and taken off quickly. It is a sturdy, rugged boot with leather counters ideally suited for the construction engineer, surveyor, etc. as well as the sportsman. Double vamp design, quarters and vamps entirely hand-sewn. Uppers made of choicest grade leather or French Veal, with Black Vibram 430 soles and heels, firm oak leather counters. Hand-sewn seams around entire vamp.

The Chukka fills that “what-should-I-wear†gap between the sport oxford and a regular boot. Has all the comforts and lightness of an oxford, but is higher cut to keep out dirt and sand. Slips on and off easily and laces quickly with one pull. The Chukka’s many uses will make it your favorite outdoor footwear. Uppers are specially tanned to make them water repellent and to dry out soft and pliable even if soaked. True moccasin design. Brass eyelets. Choice of soles. Hand sewn toe seams. Crepe rubber soles

The Russell Oneida has been continuously produced sine the early 1900's and during World War II was purchased by the U.S. Government for workers producing Dirigible Balloons. The smooth but tough molded leather outsoles prevented any tears in the fabric as the balloons were produced. A sewn in leather label features original W.C. Russell Moccasin Co. logo.

It makes a wonderful driving moccasin. Nine oz. hand molded boar hide leather outersole gives ample protection from small stones. A great moccasin to slip on after a day in the field. Also can be used for stalking with bow and arrow. Factory resoleable."

[percy]

that reminds me, ive always like these yuketen hunting boots:

[Denim Phenom]

This might seem strange but i've heard that shaving cream also works in removing excess polish.

In my 8 years of being in the military I don't think i've ever spit shined my boots once. I used Kiwi's black polish and black Parade Gloss. I would apply the polish to the boot, run a flame over the applied area, put on another coat, buff it out with a damp cotton ball, then repeat if necessary. I think I put a coat of floor wax on the toe caps once. It was like a mirror.

[ChattyPuma]

It was like a mirror.

Two-Bar shine.

[mcdevil]

I got my paraboots back from the Cesar's

This is what they looked like before;

What they look like now;

I wish I had picture of them with there original sole, which was a honey colored gum rubber. I've had these for many years and I like they way that they have evolved. I'm not sure I would have tried leather soles on them if it hadn't been for this thread. It inspired me to take a pair of shoes that I had consigned to dead shoe storage and experiment with them.

[thoran]

One thing i have not being able to find is how to care for the elastic on elastic sided boots. My RM Williams boots are perfect aside from the elastic which is getting a little grotty and i have no idea how to clean that part. Any suggestions?

Also if anyone interested i live in Adelaide and might look at checking out the factory where they are made they have a storefront there i'll take lots of pics and report back here !

Also there isn't enough interest here for them - they're amazing. They basically require no wear in time they're comfy walking out of the store. Tough as nails too.

[GregNYC]

One thing i have not being able to find is how to care for the elastic on elastic sided boots. My RM Williams boots are perfect aside from the elastic which is getting a little grotty and i have no idea how to clean that part. Any suggestions?

Also if anyone interested i live in Adelaide and might look at checking out the factory where they are made they have a storefront there i'll take lots of pics and report back here !

Also there isn't enough interest here for them - they're amazing. They basically require no wear in time they're comfy walking out of the store. Tough as nails too.

Oh yes, we've talked quite a lot about RMW. I have 3 pairs. They are the best-fitting shoes right off the bat I've ever worn. I once jogged 5 miles in a pair of Craftsman with the composition sole. But after wearing them for like 7 years straight, I branched out to other styles, brands, etc.

Cleaning the elastic parts. Use a sponge and either one these. Don't submerge the boot, but don't worry about getting it wt either. After it dries, give it a good polish:

--Woolite

--ReviveX

--Lynn Kelly's

[Guest hossoso]

To those asking for shoe shining advice, here is a fairly complete rundown from AskAndy. I have used it many times with great success.

http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/Clothes%20Articles/perfect_shoeshine.htm

[thoran]

Thanks for that tip - i'll see if i can one of those today! Mine are almost a year old and after a polish look brand new except for the elastic so i'm stoked !

[jiomitori]

Okay, you all have me convinced. I'm about to buy a pair of Alden's. I wear size 8.5D in White's, and from what I've read on this thread, I'm planning to get the same size in a barrie lasted Alden. Sound like a good idea? I'll post photos when they arrive.

[jo3 b]

as soon as i saw russel i thought my dreams of creating the perfect safari boot were going to come true...

[ChattyPuma]

Digging something up form the past so I can ask a question. From what I understand metal pegging is not as good as wood pegs. Apparently the metal does not expand/contract with weather conditions and moisture like a wood peg does and this will eventually cause the metal pegs to fall out when a wooden one would not.

Is this BS or solid info?

Also, does anybody know of a good place to get a heel replaced/switched on White's Semi Dress? I'd like to put a lower heel with a straight slant/rake instead of the higher curved one that comes with them.

Thanks in advance.

Have a poll! I vote double-leather, here's why.

1. Leather rather than composition: When I took my Whites to Jim's Shoe Repair in NYC, they said that the White's oak-tanned, oiled leather is superb, and they they can't get it even if a customer wanted to order it. And they can get Rendenbach, so they're no slouches when it comes to access. Plus, the sole is nailed down and the waist is very slim and elegant for a leather sole on a (semi) work boot, especially at the price. I wouldn't want to pass up the chance to get such good leather on the boot!

2a. If you want a leather sole, then definitely go with double leather, not single. Because of the broad toe, the entire boot looks a lot better and a lot less duck-like with a thicker sole. This is not an elegant shoe, not like an R.M. Williams that looks good with single leather. I was amazed what a better 3/4 view from the top the boots had with the extra layer of rubber.

2b. If you want a rubber surface, then get single leather, and put Vibram or Cat's Paw *half-soles* on. This will keep the leather sole, and keep the waist exposed to view. Double leather+rubber is too platform-like.

Here's my single leather. If I do it again, it's gonna be double all the way!

[denimdestroyedmylife]

that reminds me, ive always like these yuketen hunting boots:

i have read that yuketen are quoddy trail made to yuketen specs