Having retired from the Marine Corps, I can say that while I am no 'expert cobbler', I am pretty experienced in 'cleaning, conditioning and taking care of' boots. That said, and you won't believe this, but the BEST PRODUCT on ANY market, bar-NONE, is Edge Gel shaving cream! Wet your overly-waxed shoes slightly (tap water), then PACK a 'hog hair wax applicator brush' with Edge Gel...and START SCRUBBING! It will strip Quartermaster, paint, wax, you name it, from your shoes (old combat boots, it could strip base Quartermaster down to 'gray leather'). Once you have COMPLETELY stripped your boots (or shoes), begin by conditioning the leather, then wax...LIGHTLY...the traditional 'Kiwi Boot Black' will return black color, while the leather is now conditioned and again healthy. NEVER wax a shoe more than three times, before you strip it and start again...I've had ABUSE VICTIM boots that lasted 10-years (and 4-6 resoles) by doing this! (Now...ask yourself...if both work equally well, would you shave your face with Reno'mat, or Edge Gel?)
Kinda late with this reply... but you saved this 15 year Sailor some heartache! I used some acetone first, didn't like the results, then went to shaving cream, then saddle soap. Between scrubbing with all those, I was able to get to the base leather and start over. Thank you!
hey guys you should really use a glove when working with solvents like acetone or turpentine. it basically breaks down oil and fats and such. it penetrates your skin and is now in your body where it will eventually attack the myelin sheath around your nerves. this is why you see so many painters and older cobblers with shaky hands. some have attributed parkinson's to this type of damage. love your channel thanks for the great content.
One of the things I do once a month with my welted shoes is use an old toothbrush and rub in along the welt some shoe conditioner. I like to use obenauf which contains all natural beeswax and propolis. Just a little goes a long way and it really helps keep the welt and stitching in excellent condition. I use it also on waxy or non shiny leather finishes but not on coated or high shine finish leather as it dulls it and does not sink into the open pores of leathers such as natural calf, deer or ostrich. You can tell that the gentleman who owns these likes to keep them looking nice it’s just the balance of products to also keep the leather in good condition is needed in his shoe cleaning regime. Excellent advice you have given, it will put years of life on a shoe.
I used to use a standard toothbrush also but found they flatten quickly due to being too soft. If you found this too, you may want to try a denture brush - they're much sturdier!
You can use various grades of sand paper and file those cracks completely away . I’ve done it on old Italian leather which you all know is notoriously thin, and I approached it with caution, as I did not want to cut through the leather. Which you most certainly won’t if you are watching and feeling what you are doing as you go and not going Willy nilly. You get beyond that fear and the reward is a renewed shoe with zero cracks 😁 You’d want to use the same grit that you would for fingernails emery board nothing heavier and work your way to lighter grit from there. The shoes will have a second chance but last chance as there isn’t much material left to file away if you develop more cracks again so going forward properly condition your leather and they will last you the rest of your life. That’s a guarantee..
so if you want to condition a highly polished pair of shoes... let's say once every 6 months... do you need to strip off the wax? will conditioner ever go thru wax? or is it a matter of zeroing out the finish, reapply conditioner and then wax it back up to a shine?
thank you very much for an excellent educational video. for future vids could you do some close-ups on the progress so that we may see it more clearly. cheers!
I just received some dark brown Gucci Loafers and thought I'd treat them with some bees wax. Unfortunately some of it accumulated particularly in one spot, thus I now have this dark stain on my new shoes... Could this help to remove the wax without damaging the factory painting underneath?
Great video. Helps a lot with my understanding. And thanks also for answering my question i asked previously. You guys should have way more subscribers. Keep going and you will take off.
supercheekykiwi We appreciate it! We’ll continue to bring as much shoe content as we can, and hopefully our channel will continue to grow. Thanks for watching!
👍🙏Thank you for the demo. I know you were probably filming this solo...I just wanted to say, it would have also been helpful (as a point of reference) to see a close up of the cracks in the shoe(s) that you mentioned. 🤗
Know I'm 3 years late but I do the same thing with a hair dryer. However I don't use and conditioner or soap as I don't have any. And as a result (I think) I have this weird spot on my shoe that just rejects all polish and I can't get rid of it. If anyone has some advice on what to do please help me, cheers.
@@adept322These guys used a product for that exact reason, but I couldn’t tell you what product or which video. Basically they sprayed a stubborn stain and the product dries and lifts the oil stain out of the leather. I believe it was Avel Hussard Stain Remover Spray. Came in a tan and burgundy can with a green top. I do not see it on Amazon.
Is there a way to save patina finishes and also remove the wax? Or can I re-create the patina finish with regular shoe cream? Like, if I put darkbrown shoe cream on the toe cap(and the heel) and try to fade it back by making it thinner as I work my way inwards the shoe(but first use a neutral product in the middle section of course). Would this work or is there a better way? I am also going to put wax on the toe cap and on the heel afterwards.
IMO, cotton balls saturated with the solvent is the best means to completely remove the built up wax. You're fighting evaporation, capillary action and wax buildup when you use a large rag. The cotton ball is better at concentrating the solvent which allows the liquidated wax to move inside the cotton ball which allows it to continue to wet and cut at the old wax much longer per application. The final wipe-down with a solvent dipped rag should only reveal the slightest haze of the old wax color. Then you're ready to do the rest.
Having been in the army for 15 years and all the polishing I put into my parade boots, I actually just used hto water and a brush as no one had mentioned the proper way to clean shoes. but yes there was a lot of cracking and dryness
Hello, Thank you for the video it was very useful. I had one question in my mind that I am seeking for an answer. Say I condition and wax my leather shoes. The next time that I have to polish them (say in a week or two), should I once again condition on the previous wax layer and apply the wax again or do I have strip the previous wax from the leather and then condition them and apply a new coating of wax? It is also not advisable to shampoo / clean the shoe every week or month right. Looking forward for your reply.
Love your videos! Unrelated question though: How do you feel about manufacturer's refurbishment. They often include rewelting while cobblers would use the existing welt, as far as I understand. So what are the pro/cons of refurbishment vs resole?
Good question. It does seem counter productive if the welt is in good shape. I haven't had to use this service yet for my AE's but I would consider taking w/ CS prior to sending them in.
Thanks...glad you’re enjoying the channel! Our opinion is this. We definitely think manufacturer refurbishment programs can be a good thing, especially if you’re shoes are in pretty rough shape. Manufacturers can put everything back to original specs. Do I think a shoe needs a new welt each time they are resoled? Definitely not! If the welt is still in good shape, why remove it and put a new one on? Who do you think is paying for the cost of that? Good shoe cobblers can re-welt a shoe as well. We’ve put on new welts in a couple of our videos. In regards to a resole vs a refurbishment, I think a resole is just that...putting on a new sole and maybe new top lifts. A refurbishment is what we do when we completely resole a pair of shoes. We strip it completely down, add a new welt if needed, re-cork the shoe, new sole, new top lifts and/or stacked heel blocks, and give the uppers a facelift. In short, a reputable shoe cobbler can do most everything a manufacturer refurbishment program can do.
You could do with a clip-on mic to remove the hard room ambience that spoils the audio of this presentation. There is nothing wrong with the content. Love it.
I bought a pair of 70s florsheim imperials that look like they were worn like twice but it has this factory sheen to it that looks kinda cheap, I was wondering if using Renomat would be a good idea in this case because I actually dont see any polish on them or should I just use Renovateur? It doesnt look like the kind of leather I usually use Renovateur on although I dont know much about leather
Good video, thank you. I've seen many tutorials where they tell to not apply anything on the side of the sole (or on te sole directly) because the leather used for the sole has specific treatments and you may apply a product that causes bad interactions. Any clue on this ? Tank you, also apply a bit of cream on the pitched thread is a good key to durability because it avoids it to dry and break.
Would depend on how often you wear the shoes and polish them with wax polish. Not an expert but its certainly not something you'd do very often! Even for a pair you wear and polish regular it has to be 5 years minimum you'd be doing this. I've never done it or needed to but don't wear my shoes every day.
You showed the cracks on the side of the shoe at the beginning. What happened to these? Were they remedied by removing all the caked on polish? Do you treat a crack in a different manner?
Would acetone also help one a shoe cream polish? I just purchased my first pair of shoes and I created a spot of polish since I didn’t spread it out fast enough.. HELP!!!
Love your videos! Keep them coming! Random question, how do you get the polish of your shammies after using heavily pigmented cream polishes? Does it stain your towels and shammies?
Jesse Salver Thanks! Honestly, we usually throw ours in the washing machine, separately of course, with some mild detergent. All of our rags are stained even after washings. Just comes with the territory. You could also wash them out by hand.
Question: I accidentally used a chestnut color Meltonian cream over a beautiful pair of Johnston and Murphy Italian shoes with a lighter, more natural color leather. Could you please tell me how do I get the extra color from that Meltonian cream off to restore the natural color and grain of the shoe?
So , I take it saddle soap doesn't remove the old wax??? Ruh ro! Lol! I honestly thought it did. I have several pairs of boots that I routinely saddle soap about once a year to what I thought was removing the old wax. I also routinely" lightly" wax my boots about every other week. With daily brushing only before wearing. Would you recommend that I use this product to remove all the wax considering all I've ever done is use saddle soap?? All my boots are solid color and are made from calf skin. Thank you!!
Hey guys, what would you use to strip off the polish from the mid level neutral coloured sole on the redwing 8111? I've just got a pair 2nd hand and the are dark brown all over. Many thanks
The other way I would suggest is to use a heat gun or blow dryer and rubbing hard with a terry cloth or shammy until the excess wax is removed. That will not get everything but it is less “dangerous” to the patina.
Hi Trenton & Heath! I recently bought a pair of second hand nubuck Timberland boots which I realised have been polished with normal shoe polish. I’ve managed to scrape a lot of it off with a stiff suede brush but there are still patches, I want to try acetone but not sure about it on nubuck? Any advice welcome!
Do you recommend using a coat of wax to protect and waterproof dress shoes and dressy boots or do you prefer Saphir Super Invulner? Are there waxes that don’t darken the leather? Which wax do you recommend?
Would this work on exotic cowboy boots that have a shine spray added to them? I can’t seem to be able to remove the shining spray and it won’t let me condition the leather
I want to treat with Saphir water repellent spray and then SaphirCreme UNIVERSELLE Baolzam and then brush it. Whether it is possible to stop on it or this and to not put or render a cream?
Anthony Lorenzana Saddle soap and a lot of elbow grease...if the wax is caked on. If you only have a couple of light coats of wax, some saddle soap should do the job.
@@TrentonHeath Thanks again! That's what I was thinking. Now I have a ton of work to do stripping shoe wax... LOL. What do you think about cutting the wax stripper with a little water so it's less aggressive? Or maybe using a damp towel with stripper?
Hey guys, can you share how to remove bloom or spew that has accumulated on my uppers? It’s seems to be spreading from across the top over to outer side of the shoes.
How does the leather conditioner pass thru even a normal layer or wax? What allows it to penetrate thru wax so that it can condition leather, without stripping the wax off?
I got a tiny bit of black wax polish on my brown Allen Edmonds, how can i solve this problem, i tried to wipe it off and put a water stain on them :( i think there was very minimal black wax polish that mixed in with my brown cream polis, and the water stain is no good now
Hey Trenton & Heath, great tutorial. Thank you! Do you have a video on how you are supposed to care for Terracotta-style leather boots? (Wax, products, etc?).
If you advise against using renomat on patina/colored shoes, what is a good way to remove wax layers on those shoes (thinking especially about spit shine toes/heels).
voodoo1988 Our recommendation would be to use a milder saddle soap. It may take a couple of coats and some elbow grease to strip off the wax on the toes and heels, but it’ll be milder than the Reno’mat or acetone.
I never wax shoes !!! I prefer to use a waterproofing agent/spray to a) take off a too much of the shoe cream I put on and b) to impregnate the leather from any type of rain it has to cope with ... I also prefer to use the term "moisturizing" or "fattening" the leather instead of "conditioning" it. I find it to be more to the point ... I wonder however if the waterproofing agent will also take of wax ... any ideas to that ??
I really enjoy you videos. I have slowly findings good used quality shoes. However, one of the shoes I bought needed new soles. I brought them to a local cobbler (in Mexico). They guy put varnish on them!!! What would you recommend?
Great video. Would you please explain about difference in usage purpose between the Saphir Creme Universalle vs Saphir Renovateur? By the way, a recommendation on saddle soap would be really appreciated.
tanetkato Both are good conditioners. The Renovateur is mink oil based and is a very deep conditioner. The Universal Cream doesn’t quite have all of the same conditioning agents that the Renovateur has, but again, both are good. As far as saddle soaps go, we use both the Leather Soap and Saddle Soap by Saphir at our shop, as well as saddle soap by Angelus. The leather soap is a little less mild than the saddle soaps.
Great video Trenton & Heath. I have the Saphir Medaille Dor Renovateur and Pate De Luxe for a new pair of Crockett & Jones. I am unsure how to use them in combination and whether I should just stick to a creme as opposed to the wax polish. What advice do you have for beginners like myself in terms how frequently I should be applying the Renovateur and Pate De Luxe. Should I be taking the wax off every time I intend to apply creme or conditioner to the shoe?
Basic shoe care sequence: 1. Clean with damp cloth or if noticeably dirty, use a saddle soap. 2. Renovateur (1-2 coats), 3. Cream (1-2 coats), 4. Wax (1 coat), 5. Optional: extra layers of wax on the toe box and heel (only the areas that DO NOT bend).
Thanks Eye Heart Sushi and Sean Benay, how often would you use the Renovateur? Also, how often would you do a complete cleanse of the shoe to strip away the build of wax so that conditioners can be better absorbed into the leather?
@@alanyu2561 Renovateur/ conditioner: I've heard advice ranging from every week to every month. Personally, I probably do it once every 2-3 mths, and once every 4-6 mths with shoes I rarely wear. After a while, you'll become familiar with the leathers for each shoe and therefore will be able to tell when the leather needs some conditioning. With people that maintain their shoes, the issue is usually applying product too frequently than the other way around. People who have shoes with cracking and what not is because the shjoes were NEVER conditioned rather than not conditioned frequently enough. Re: wax stripping...maybe once/ year or so, depending on frequency/ quantity of wax application of course....I do more like once every 2yrs.
Would you recommend using the heatgun/blow dryer to remove the wax? I'd imagine using no harsh chemicals and not overheating the shoe would work great.
B Smith We also follow both of those guys, as well as many others. What we decided when we started our channel was to be different from the other two channels you mentioned by incorporating a little bit of everything we’ve come across as shoe cobblers. One guy focuses only on refurbishing shoes, while the other focuses primarily on catering to his higher end clientele. We wanted to focus on Main Street customers and answer as many of the questions we’ve been asked over and over again...what should I be doing to my shoes to keep them in good shape, what brands of shoes do you recommend, what should I be doing differently, what products do you recommend. Answering as many of these questions as possible is our goal on this channel, and that requires us to come at you from different angles, which may at times look similar to what you’d see on some other channels.
@@TrentonHeath I'd love to see you decompose and review the construction details of all the bench made English shoes, ie Cheaney, Crockett, Trickers, Sanders, Edward Green, etc. Kirby isn't a cobbler so he won't chop up the insides and Steve usually shows great projects of high complexity. Showing regular resole worked on a large product mix and reviewing the insides would be neat. But how often are you working on a EG or Crockett handgrades?
T&H, I do have a question. What conditioner do you use on dress shoes in your shop? I have Venetian shoe cream and I use that on my boots but notice it darkens the leather quit a bit but don't want that for my dress shoes. What do you recommend??
We use Saphir Renovateur on most of the higher end shoes that come into our shop. We also frequently use Saphir Universal Creme. There’s a possibility the Renovateur could slightly darken the leather, due to the mink oil in it, but it’s great stuff. The Saphir Nappa Leather Balm is also a great choice, as it contains mostly plant based conditioners and generally will not darken leathers at all. Currently we are out of this product but will have more in next week. Hope this helps.
i don't like to use hard wax on loafers, they tend to crease in all directions and much softer strcuture than say an Oxford shoe. A cream polish is more than enough (and it has some wax as well, just enough for the loafer).
Jun Ian Lim We will be doing a video on chromexcel leather closer to this fall. I own a pair of boots with chromexcel leather, and I use leather/saddle soap to clean and then apply Saphir Oiled Leather Cuirs Gras lotion. I don’t put wax on mine.
My Dad always told me to wax new shoes before wearing them to make them last, but I never knew what waxing alone could do to leather. Wish I knew this sooner as I am approaching retirement age. Thank God I have always used an electric polisher that removed most of the wax.
Sungodv Hi! So putting a couple of light coats of wax on a shoe when they’re new can actually be a good thing. It helps protect the leather against water, dust, etc. It’s when people continuously apply wax and never strip it off, so that the shoes can be conditioned, that it can cause damage to the leather. Thanks for watching!
@@TrentonHeath I used 50/50 H2O / Alcohol to strip all of my dress shoes of wax. There wasn't very much wax at all so glad about that. Most was in the creases and the creases now look better. Used shoe creme and only waxed the toe rather than the whole thing. Dad stressed never wearing them two days in row and using shoe trees. He probably never knew about using creme versus only wax polish. Not to mention leather conditioner. Glad I found this vid.
Sungodv Good deal! Yes, definitely use shoe trees. When I was growing up, all we used was wax as well. It wasn’t until I really got into nice shoes and the shoe business that I learned that too much of something can be a bad thing. 😉
Derrick Estell No, not necessarily. Unless it’s a major color change, you don’t need a different brush. One brush for browns, one for black, and if you really want one for your burgundy, you can; however, I use my black brush on my burgundy shoes, and it does fine. Hope that helps.
Jeb767 Generally, shoe cream is sufficient. In this case, since the shoe had been completely stripped down to bare leather, it was best to add conditioner to it before the cream. If you’re not stripping down your shoes, shoe cream will usually do a great job on its own.
How do I remove the wax buildup off of a leather shoe that is not as good of quality as an Allen Edmonds and is a brown color? I am afraid the heavy-duty cleaners will strip the color with the wax. Thanks!
@@TrentonHeath Hey again! I used M'edaille D'or 1925 burgundy creme on my CXL #8 boots. How long would you recommend I way for the boot to dry out before wearing them? Each time I tried to after removing polish, there's a very very very dramatic line where the crease is in color tone when wearing it and it looks too contrasting. When I put on a fresh layer, and let it sit, It doesn't do that.
Having retired from the Marine Corps, I can say that while I am no 'expert cobbler', I am pretty experienced in 'cleaning, conditioning and taking care of' boots. That said, and you won't believe this, but the BEST PRODUCT on ANY market, bar-NONE, is Edge Gel shaving cream! Wet your overly-waxed shoes slightly (tap water), then PACK a 'hog hair wax applicator brush' with Edge Gel...and START SCRUBBING! It will strip Quartermaster, paint, wax, you name it, from your shoes (old combat boots, it could strip base Quartermaster down to 'gray leather'). Once you have COMPLETELY stripped your boots (or shoes), begin by conditioning the leather, then wax...LIGHTLY...the traditional 'Kiwi Boot Black' will return black color, while the leather is now conditioned and again healthy. NEVER wax a shoe more than three times, before you strip it and start again...I've had ABUSE VICTIM boots that lasted 10-years (and 4-6 resoles) by doing this! (Now...ask yourself...if both work equally well, would you shave your face with Reno'mat, or Edge Gel?)
Kinda late with this reply... but you saved this 15 year Sailor some heartache! I used some acetone first, didn't like the results, then went to shaving cream, then saddle soap. Between scrubbing with all those, I was able to get to the base leather and start over. Thank you!
Adding cream or wax to the edges is a step often missed on other tutorials. Good tip.
hey guys you should really use a glove when working with solvents like acetone or turpentine. it basically breaks down oil and fats and such. it penetrates your skin and is now in your body where it will eventually attack the myelin sheath around your nerves. this is why you see so many painters and older cobblers with shaky hands. some have attributed parkinson's to this type of damage.
love your channel thanks for the great content.
One of your best! I bet I’m not the ONLY one who didn’t know the proper way to remove built-up shoe wax. Great tutorial-as always!
Thank you, Gretchen!
What I learned from this video is ... what I don't know is a lot. Keep them coming guys.
About to use some Renomat for the first time on a 30 year old pair of brogues. Thanks for your advice.
Please cut to some closeups on before and after videos. I’m really enjoying your tutorial vids. Pls keep them coming. 👍
I came back to the comment cession just to say that Saaohir Reno'Mat is the product for its job. Thank you so much.
Soap after Reno Mat is a good idea. Will do that now. Thks
One of the things I do once a month with my welted shoes is use an old toothbrush and rub in along the welt some shoe conditioner. I like to use obenauf which contains all natural beeswax and propolis. Just a little goes a long way and it really helps keep the welt and stitching in excellent condition. I use it also on waxy or non shiny leather finishes but not on coated or high shine finish leather as it dulls it and does not sink into the open pores of leathers such as natural calf, deer or ostrich.
You can tell that the gentleman who owns these likes to keep them looking nice it’s just the balance of products to also keep the leather in good condition is needed in his shoe cleaning regime.
Excellent advice you have given, it will put years of life on a shoe.
I used to use a standard toothbrush also but found they flatten quickly due to being too soft. If you found this too, you may want to try a denture brush - they're much sturdier!
I have found that a code of Saphir's navy blue cream polish as a part of the restoration really makes the shoe pop! Thanks for the video!
Navy blue over black? 🤔
@@EnlightenedRogue24 sounds crazy, I know. I follow up the cream polish with black wax for my shine. It really adds some nice dimension to the shoes!
You can use various grades of sand paper and file those cracks completely away . I’ve done it on old Italian leather which you all know is notoriously thin, and I approached it with caution, as I did not want to cut through the leather. Which you most certainly won’t if you are watching and feeling what you are doing as you go and not going Willy nilly.
You get beyond that fear and the reward is a renewed shoe with zero cracks 😁
You’d want to use the same grit that you would for fingernails emery board nothing heavier and work your way to lighter grit from there.
The shoes will have a second chance but last chance as there isn’t much material left to file away if you develop more cracks again so going forward properly condition your leather and they will last you the rest of your life. That’s a guarantee..
What would you recommend to strip Corcoran jump boots?
so if you want to condition a highly polished pair of shoes... let's say once every 6 months... do you need to strip off the wax? will conditioner ever go thru wax? or is it a matter of zeroing out the finish, reapply conditioner and then wax it back up to a shine?
thank you very much for an excellent educational video. for future vids could you do some close-ups on the progress so that we may see it more clearly. cheers!
Bruce S Thanks, Bruce! Will do. 👍🏻
I just received some dark brown Gucci Loafers and thought I'd treat them with some bees wax. Unfortunately some of it accumulated particularly in one spot, thus I now have this dark stain on my new shoes... Could this help to remove the wax without damaging the factory painting underneath?
Great video. Helps a lot with my understanding. And thanks also for answering my question i asked previously. You guys should have way more subscribers. Keep going and you will take off.
supercheekykiwi We appreciate it! We’ll continue to bring as much shoe content as we can, and hopefully our channel will continue to grow. Thanks for watching!
👍🙏Thank you for the demo. I know you were probably filming this solo...I just wanted to say, it would have also been helpful (as a point of reference) to see a close up of the cracks in the shoe(s) that you mentioned. 🤗
So that’s why my shoes cracked. Had no clue. Thanks!
I use a hair drier first to get most of the wax off. Then saddle soap, then conditioner. Then cream polish and light coat of paste wax.
Know I'm 3 years late but I do the same thing with a hair dryer. However I don't use and conditioner or soap as I don't have any. And as a result (I think) I have this weird spot on my shoe that just rejects all polish and I can't get rid of it. If anyone has some advice on what to do please help me, cheers.
@@adept322These guys used a product for that exact reason, but I couldn’t tell you what product or which video. Basically they sprayed a stubborn stain and the product dries and lifts the oil stain out of the leather. I believe it was Avel Hussard Stain Remover Spray. Came in a tan and burgundy can with a green top. I do not see it on Amazon.
Is there a way to save patina finishes and also remove the wax? Or can I re-create the patina finish with regular shoe cream? Like, if I put darkbrown shoe cream on the toe cap(and the heel) and try to fade it back by making it thinner as I work my way inwards the shoe(but first use a neutral product in the middle section of course). Would this work or is there a better way? I am also going to put wax on the toe cap and on the heel afterwards.
I wish you guys would do a video on how to get rid of Creases!
IMO, cotton balls saturated with the solvent is the best means to completely remove the built up wax. You're fighting evaporation, capillary action and wax buildup when you use a large rag. The cotton ball is better at concentrating the solvent which allows the liquidated wax to move inside the cotton ball which allows it to continue to wet and cut at the old wax much longer per application. The final wipe-down with a solvent dipped rag should only reveal the slightest haze of the old wax color. Then you're ready to do the rest.
What solvent do you use?
Having been in the army for 15 years and all the polishing I put into my parade boots, I actually just used hto water and a brush as no one had mentioned the proper way to clean shoes. but yes there was a lot of cracking and dryness
Great video, and it answered my question on how to strip wax buildup from shoes.
Hello,
Thank you for the video it was very useful.
I had one question in my mind that I am seeking for an answer.
Say I condition and wax my leather shoes.
The next time that I have to polish them (say in a week or two), should I once again condition on the previous wax layer and apply the wax again or do I have strip the previous wax from the leather and then condition them and apply a new coating of wax?
It is also not advisable to shampoo / clean the shoe every week or month right.
Looking forward for your reply.
Love your videos! Unrelated question though: How do you feel about manufacturer's refurbishment. They often include rewelting while cobblers would use the existing welt, as far as I understand. So what are the pro/cons of refurbishment vs resole?
Good question. It does seem counter productive if the welt is in good shape. I haven't had to use this service yet for my AE's but I would consider taking w/ CS prior to sending them in.
Thanks...glad you’re enjoying the channel! Our opinion is this. We definitely think manufacturer refurbishment programs can be a good thing, especially if you’re shoes are in pretty rough shape. Manufacturers can put everything back to original specs. Do I think a shoe needs a new welt each time they are resoled? Definitely not! If the welt is still in good shape, why remove it and put a new one on? Who do you think is paying for the cost of that? Good shoe cobblers can re-welt a shoe as well. We’ve put on new welts in a couple of our videos.
In regards to a resole vs a refurbishment, I think a resole is just that...putting on a new sole and maybe new top lifts. A refurbishment is what we do when we completely resole a pair of shoes. We strip it completely down, add a new welt if needed, re-cork the shoe, new sole, new top lifts and/or stacked heel blocks, and give the uppers a facelift.
In short, a reputable shoe cobbler can do most everything a manufacturer refurbishment program can do.
You could do with a clip-on mic to remove the hard room ambience that spoils the audio of this presentation. There is nothing wrong with the content. Love it.
Would be nice to have some close ups through the video. Thanks
I bought a pair of 70s florsheim imperials that look like they were worn like twice but it has this factory sheen to it that looks kinda cheap, I was wondering if using Renomat would be a good idea in this case because I actually dont see any polish on them or should I just use Renovateur? It doesnt look like the kind of leather I usually use Renovateur on although I dont know much about leather
What about the cracks on the side? Are they still visible or filled in with wax?
Good video, thank you. I've seen many tutorials where they tell to not apply anything on the side of the sole (or on te sole directly) because the leather used for the sole has specific treatments and you may apply a product that causes bad interactions. Any clue on this ?
Tank you,
also apply a bit of cream on the pitched thread is a good key to durability because it avoids it to dry and break.
This is a great video and will help me in the future. How often should I be using this on my shoes?
Would depend on how often you wear the shoes and polish them with wax polish. Not an expert but its certainly not something you'd do very often! Even for a pair you wear and polish regular it has to be 5 years minimum you'd be doing this. I've never done it or needed to but don't wear my shoes every day.
I really like those shoes where can I get a pair like those? Nice Job on the shoe treatment.
Do you have to strip the wax each time you are going to add cream polishes?
Thank you best way to remove without harsh products?
Just did this a couple of days ago. Reno Mat works great.
You guys are the best, great info!
I never knew about any of this! Wax is the only thing I had been aware of for shoe care.
Sir
Please tell me what I can put on the toe cap to reduced wear
Thank you.
You showed the cracks on the side of the shoe at the beginning. What happened to these? Were they remedied by removing all the caked on polish? Do you treat a crack in a different manner?
Would acetone also help one a shoe cream polish? I just purchased my first pair of shoes and I created a spot of polish since I didn’t spread it out fast enough.. HELP!!!
Love your videos! Keep them coming! Random question, how do you get the polish of your shammies after using heavily pigmented cream polishes? Does it stain your towels and shammies?
Jesse Salver Thanks! Honestly, we usually throw ours in the washing machine, separately of course, with some mild detergent. All of our rags are stained even after washings. Just comes with the territory. You could also wash them out by hand.
Question: I accidentally used a chestnut color Meltonian cream over a beautiful pair of Johnston and Murphy Italian shoes with a lighter, more natural color leather. Could you please tell me how do I get the extra color from that Meltonian cream off to restore the natural color and grain of the shoe?
So , I take it saddle soap doesn't remove the old wax??? Ruh ro! Lol! I honestly thought it did. I have several pairs of boots that I routinely saddle soap about once a year to what I thought was removing the old wax. I also routinely" lightly" wax my boots about every other week. With daily brushing only before wearing. Would you recommend that I use this product to remove all the wax considering all I've ever done is use saddle soap?? All my boots are solid color and are made from calf skin. Thank you!!
Hey guys, what would you use to strip off the polish from the mid level neutral coloured sole on the redwing 8111? I've just got a pair 2nd hand and the are dark brown all over. Many thanks
Really great demo and tutorial. I learnt so much about how to care for my leather shoes 🙂 Big thank you 🙏
Another great video Trenton, thank you.
Thank you!
What products do you recommend for cleaning leather shoes and boots that are not abrasive like the Reno Mat?
How do you remove the wax on patina shoes?
You do it the same way- you just have to be gentle and more careful
The other way I would suggest is to use a heat gun or blow dryer and rubbing hard with a terry cloth or shammy until the excess wax is removed. That will not get everything but it is less “dangerous” to the patina.
hello to all, another great video, very helpful, thanks
Hi Trenton & Heath! I recently bought a pair of second hand nubuck Timberland boots which I realised have been polished with normal shoe polish. I’ve managed to scrape a lot of it off with a stiff suede brush but there are still patches, I want to try acetone but not sure about it on nubuck? Any advice welcome!
Do you recommend using a coat of wax to protect and waterproof dress shoes and dressy boots or do you prefer Saphir Super Invulner? Are there waxes that don’t darken the leather? Which wax do you recommend?
Would this work on exotic cowboy boots that have a shine spray added to them? I can’t seem to be able to remove the shining spray and it won’t let me condition the leather
How do I best care for my Nubuck boots? I am not sure which products to use to keep the leather happy yet not stained...
How do you know when you are done removing wax and now removing pigment?
I want to treat with Saphir water repellent spray and then SaphirCreme UNIVERSELLE Baolzam and then brush it.
Whether it is possible to stop on it or this and to not put or render a cream?
What are the milder methods to removing wax?
Anthony Lorenzana Saddle soap and a lot of elbow grease...if the wax is caked on. If you only have a couple of light coats of wax, some saddle soap should do the job.
Is there a difference between using the leather soap and the saddle soap from saphir on dress shoes?
Just curious, is there any particular reason to use universal cream instead of renovateur?
can u do a video about how to take care of suede shoes?
Giannis Tziambazis Coming soon.
I second this!
Wash them with special shampoo and spray them if very dirty.
Cream seems to be better than using wax is what I gather. Will be buying it instead. Thanks for the information and great demo!
Both products can be good and each have a purpose; however, shoe cream definitely has more benefits and is an absolute go-to.
@@TrentonHeath Thanks again! That's what I was thinking. Now I have a ton of work to do stripping shoe wax... LOL. What do you think about cutting the wax stripper with a little water so it's less aggressive? Or maybe using a damp towel with stripper?
@@67spankadelik Shining your favourite shoes and then taking a break to have some fun with a damp towel and a stripper: we're on the same page 67!
Hey guys, can you share how to remove bloom or spew that has accumulated on my uppers? It’s seems to be spreading from across the top over to outer side of the shoes.
Will the saddle soap remove the wax? I use saddle soap occasionally to remove grime. I don’t have Reno Mat or Acetone.
Also can use acetone. Just get a bottle of cheap nail polish remover. It’s 100% acetone.
How does the leather conditioner pass thru even a normal layer or wax? What allows it to penetrate thru wax so that it can condition leather, without stripping the wax off?
If I have patine in shoes what can I use to remove the regular wax that I used to brush in it?
I got a tiny bit of black wax polish on my brown Allen Edmonds, how can i solve this problem, i tried to wipe it off and put a water stain on them :( i think there was very minimal black wax polish that mixed in with my brown cream polis, and the water stain is no good now
Hey Trenton & Heath, great tutorial. Thank you! Do you have a video on how you are supposed to care for Terracotta-style leather boots? (Wax, products, etc?).
So how often should you strip it all down and start over again?
How to strip wax from shoes with patina? Thank you.
what would you use to strip the wax off of a shoe that has a patina finish on it?
Useful demo! Thank you.
What would u recommend for stripping wax from a low quality dress shoe like a Florsheim that are factory treated with a glossy finish?
If you advise against using renomat on patina/colored shoes, what is a good way to remove wax layers on those shoes (thinking especially about spit shine toes/heels).
voodoo1988 Our recommendation would be to use a milder saddle soap. It may take a couple of coats and some elbow grease to strip off the wax on the toes and heels, but it’ll be milder than the Reno’mat or acetone.
What should you use if you are trying to take wax of a patina shoe?
What kind of soap can I use after using Reno Mat? Is there one specific or could be anyone?
I really enjoy these videos, so nice to learn this. Thanks
Any. I've used the kiwi leather soap before.
I never wax shoes !!! I prefer to use a waterproofing agent/spray to a) take off a too much of the shoe cream I put on and b) to impregnate the leather from any type of rain it has to cope with ... I also prefer to use the term "moisturizing" or "fattening" the leather instead of "conditioning" it. I find it to be more to the point ... I wonder however if the waterproofing agent will also take of wax ... any ideas to that ??
I really enjoy you videos. I have slowly findings good used quality shoes. However, one of the shoes I bought needed new soles. I brought them to a local cobbler (in Mexico). They guy put varnish on them!!! What would you recommend?
Lamuel Vaughn Varnish on the bottoms of the soles?
What brand saddle soap do you recommend or are using here
Do you have any videos removing scratches and scuffs please?
can you use the Reno'Mat on Redwing Iron Rangers?
Great video. Would you please explain about difference in usage purpose between the Saphir Creme Universalle vs Saphir Renovateur? By the way, a recommendation on saddle soap would be really appreciated.
tanetkato Both are good conditioners. The Renovateur is mink oil based and is a very deep conditioner. The Universal Cream doesn’t quite have all of the same conditioning agents that the Renovateur has, but again, both are good. As far as saddle soaps go, we use both the Leather Soap and Saddle Soap by Saphir at our shop, as well as saddle soap by Angelus. The leather soap is a little less mild than the saddle soaps.
Great video Trenton & Heath. I have the Saphir Medaille Dor Renovateur and Pate De Luxe for a new pair of Crockett & Jones. I am unsure how to use them in combination and whether I should just stick to a creme as opposed to the wax polish. What advice do you have for beginners like myself in terms how frequently I should be applying the Renovateur and Pate De Luxe. Should I be taking the wax off every time I intend to apply creme or conditioner to the shoe?
Alan Yu I would only use wax on the hard sections of the shoe (e.g. toe box and heel). Use cream for the rest.
Basic shoe care sequence: 1. Clean with damp cloth or if noticeably dirty, use a saddle soap. 2. Renovateur (1-2 coats), 3. Cream (1-2 coats), 4. Wax (1 coat), 5. Optional: extra layers of wax on the toe box and heel (only the areas that DO NOT bend).
Thanks Eye Heart Sushi and Sean Benay, how often would you use the Renovateur? Also, how often would you do a complete cleanse of the shoe to strip away the build of wax so that conditioners can be better absorbed into the leather?
@@alanyu2561 Renovateur/ conditioner: I've heard advice ranging from every week to every month. Personally, I probably do it once every 2-3 mths, and once every 4-6 mths with shoes I rarely wear. After a while, you'll become familiar with the leathers for each shoe and therefore will be able to tell when the leather needs some conditioning. With people that maintain their shoes, the issue is usually applying product too frequently than the other way around. People who have shoes with cracking and what not is because the shjoes were NEVER conditioned rather than not conditioned frequently enough. Re: wax stripping...maybe once/ year or so, depending on frequency/ quantity of wax application of course....I do more like once every 2yrs.
Greetings, fellow Nashvillians! I’ll be visiting you guys soon! When would you recommend using the Saphir Dubbin Graisse?
Would you recommend using the heatgun/blow dryer to remove the wax?
I'd imagine using no harsh chemicals and not overheating the shoe would work great.
The heat will damage the leather if left in an area for too long as well as affecting the fit of the leather.
This is an interesting channel. are you guys trying to be half a Bedos Leatherworks and half a Kirby Allison hangar project? I follow all 3!
B Smith We also follow both of those guys, as well as many others. What we decided when we started our channel was to be different from the other two channels you mentioned by incorporating a little bit of everything we’ve come across as shoe cobblers. One guy focuses only on refurbishing shoes, while the other focuses primarily on catering to his higher end clientele. We wanted to focus on Main Street customers and answer as many of the questions we’ve been asked over and over again...what should I be doing to my shoes to keep them in good shape, what brands of shoes do you recommend, what should I be doing differently, what products do you recommend. Answering as many of these questions as possible is our goal on this channel, and that requires us to come at you from different angles, which may at times look similar to what you’d see on some other channels.
@@TrentonHeath I'd love to see you decompose and review the construction details of all the bench made English shoes, ie Cheaney, Crockett, Trickers, Sanders, Edward Green, etc.
Kirby isn't a cobbler so he won't chop up the insides and Steve usually shows great projects of high complexity.
Showing regular resole worked on a large product mix and reviewing the insides would be neat. But how often are you working on a EG or Crockett handgrades?
T&H, I do have a question. What conditioner do you use on dress shoes in your shop? I have Venetian shoe cream and I use that on my boots but notice it darkens the leather quit a bit but don't want that for my dress shoes. What do you recommend??
Saphir Renovateur is the best shoes conditioning, spendy but worth every single dime.
We use Saphir Renovateur on most of the higher end shoes that come into our shop. We also frequently use Saphir Universal Creme. There’s a possibility the Renovateur could slightly darken the leather, due to the mink oil in it, but it’s great stuff. The Saphir Nappa Leather Balm is also a great choice, as it contains mostly plant based conditioners and generally will not darken leathers at all. Currently we are out of this product but will have more in next week. Hope this helps.
Would this strip the color too?
i don't like to use hard wax on loafers, they tend to crease in all directions and much softer strcuture than say an Oxford shoe. A cream polish is more than enough (and it has some wax as well, just enough for the loafer).
if I just put cream polish do I still need to strip it
How would you advise on cleaning chomexcel leather? I applied some wax on it before and thinking of stripping it off.
Jun Ian Lim We will be doing a video on chromexcel leather closer to this fall. I own a pair of boots with chromexcel leather, and I use leather/saddle soap to clean and then apply Saphir Oiled Leather Cuirs Gras lotion. I don’t put wax on mine.
@@TrentonHeath Thanks. Look forward to watching the video
Thank you. Would love to see more resole videos.
Definitely more to come.
Do you know the name of the shoe on the thumbnail of this video?
My Dad always told me to wax new shoes before wearing them to make them last, but I never knew what waxing alone could do to leather. Wish I knew this sooner as I am approaching retirement age. Thank God I have always used an electric polisher that removed most of the wax.
Sungodv Hi! So putting a couple of light coats of wax on a shoe when they’re new can actually be a good thing. It helps protect the leather against water, dust, etc. It’s when people continuously apply wax and never strip it off, so that the shoes can be conditioned, that it can cause damage to the leather. Thanks for watching!
@@TrentonHeath I used 50/50 H2O / Alcohol to strip all of my dress shoes of wax. There wasn't very much wax at all so glad about that. Most was in the creases and the creases now look better. Used shoe creme and only waxed the toe rather than the whole thing. Dad stressed never wearing them two days in row and using shoe trees. He probably never knew about using creme versus only wax polish. Not to mention leather conditioner. Glad I found this vid.
Sungodv Good deal! Yes, definitely use shoe trees. When I was growing up, all we used was wax as well. It wasn’t until I really got into nice shoes and the shoe business that I learned that too much of something can be a bad thing. 😉
Is renomat safe for cordovan shoes?
Do you need to have a different horse hair brush for every color of shoe? E.g. black, brown, burgundy, etc?
Derrick Estell No, not necessarily. Unless it’s a major color change, you don’t need a different brush. One brush for browns, one for black, and if you really want one for your burgundy, you can; however, I use my black brush on my burgundy shoes, and it does fine. Hope that helps.
@@TrentonHeath Awesome! Thank you so much!
It’s a beautiful shoe, can you tell me which make/ brand it is please ? Thanks
Charles van den Kerckhove I believe these were older Allen Edmonds.
is it necessary to also use conditioner before the shoe cream? is shoe cream not enough?
Jeb767 Generally, shoe cream is sufficient. In this case, since the shoe had been completely stripped down to bare leather, it was best to add conditioner to it before the cream. If you’re not stripping down your shoes, shoe cream will usually do a great job on its own.
How do I remove the wax buildup off of a leather shoe that is not as good of quality as an Allen Edmonds and is a brown color? I am afraid the heavy-duty cleaners will strip the color with the wax. Thanks!
Can you tell me if this is good to use on Chromexcel leather?
Yes, you can occasionally use this on Chromexcel when really needed. Just be sure to follow it up with conditioner.
@@TrentonHeath Hey again! I used M'edaille D'or 1925 burgundy creme on my CXL #8 boots. How long would you recommend I way for the boot to dry out before wearing them? Each time I tried to after removing polish, there's a very very very dramatic line where the crease is in color tone when wearing it and it looks too contrasting. When I put on a fresh layer, and let it sit, It doesn't do that.