I hang out both in the goth subculture and the adult leather community. Well kept doc martens are critical. I just severely scuffed mine today and I could cry. Highly reflective doc martens are both prized in the leather and latex community. but I originally also chose doc martens because I wanted something that could take a beating and be used for work around the house so I guess I should have expected a scratch sooner or later. I just didn't expect it by bumping into a gravestone when I was taking photos in a cemetery.
@@sadpostrayne I just found my doc martens that I used to wear A LOT. They are in pretty bad shape. I used to wear them everywhere and didn't really take care of them. I scuffed them from work, since I had to bend down to pick up heavy boxes sometimes. The damage is around the lower part of the shaft where it crinkles when you squat down. The rubber sole is still surprisingly good, so im trying to find a way to fix the leather. Should've maintained them better. Fingers crossed.
@@rotenhoko Sounds like you have a proper pair of English made Doc Martin's which were better constructed than their modern day counterparts. In the 70's everybody wanted Doc Martin's and they took awhile to wear in! Save them if you can I would say!
There's a reason this 30 min video has 252k views. Engineering analysis is sorely lacking in so many areas of craft and repair content, so I really appreciate it. Even if it's information I personally know, it builds credibility and kept me watching to the end.
Congrats on 5K subscribers! We don't care if you're a "professional" or not. We like hearing you talk about your shoes, and watching you care for them.
On work-boots, yeah i suppose. Its basically an inevitability. Now if we are talking about a pair of $800 Salvatore Ferragamo's or something, i think id prefer mine without character.
Thank You Robert! You explained it very well and showed how to do it wonderfully! I went thru about a dozen videos before I found yours. Had to fix a large scratch in $400 pair of boots! This worked Great. it helped that you explained it in car terms. I totally got it then! (seriously, not being sarcastic in that remark at all. I was raised with 3 brothers LOL) Thanks!
Jon Walker I’m only 19 and these have been pretty useful since leather soled shoes are good for something like tango (not to mention that Allen Edmonds look nice imo) and it convinced me to look at a local thirft store and I found myself some Auburns
@@walkermorales337 19 tango hoo ha tango try twisting in them.none of you lot just go into a shop and buy a pair of brand new pair of Brouges,Shoes not salvation army or ebay sweaty halitosis diseased shoes dirty mingers get spruced up in top hat and tails in your tramp shoes and go for a slap up in dennys....nuggets
I took sandpaper to my black leather boots and all I saw was myself making it worse and I stopped. I have a small gouge in the toe and ended up filling it with with sealant for waders and polishing over it. It didn’t last so here I am. This video is exactly what I needed. Thanks!
Really great work Robert! It is not easy to take on this kind of project. I have done similar jobs my self and want to give you two tips that have helped me alot with the end result. 1: use even finer sandpaper, I actually tried it with 2000 grid and the spot got even nicer than before, it is also much easier applying both creames and waxes afterwords. 2: when U start to polish with the waxes, start with the pate de lux from saphir and then end with the mirror gloss. It is easier for the leather to take in. :) But overall, great work and congrats to 5k subs! 👏
Bob, this is my first pair of shoes. (Very important to me”. Black leather Chelsea boot. Got scuffed. How do I repair this. The boot was scraped against the curb. Thanks for the video. ;)
It all depends... I've got at least 2 other videos on scratch repair. It depends on how deep it is, where it is, and how much material is removed. I'll say this though, the majority of the time, they can be disguised with just polishing! Try coating the area liberally with black paste wax (not cream polish, but the harder paste wax in a tin). Use multiple coats and don't hesitate to try and fill in the scratch. Without seeing it it's hard to say, but I have a video of a buddy's black Florsheims that he ran a hotel door over the toe, and it made a huge cut in the toe cap. Those were too deep to cover with polish, but unlike these shoes, since the cut was so deep and since it was on the top (flat area) of the toe cap, I elected to fill it with acrylic paint. It's one of the 2 videos I'm referencing. The good thing about black is it's EASY to match the color. I wouldn't fill a cut in a brown or walnut shoe with acrylic for example. I hope this helps? feel free to email me at robertpowers1972 at gmail dot com.
Rob I am the guy who commented about restoring my shoes, actually therebwas deep cracking spots on them, on my $690 Fratelli Rossetti Brera tassel loafers. Let me tell you I followed the steps you did on a previous video and the results were just awesome. If you can give me you email I can send you some pictures of the process and final result so you can share as well. Thanks a lot Im also a ”shoe head” keep up your videos. Salute from Panama City 🇵🇦
Robert Powers yes the results were great, people in the office are even bringing their shoes to me for shines and so on....sure you can show them on a video whenever you want. Once again thanks 🙏
The first thing you need for these type of repairs is an OptiVisor, which is a magnifying vision tool with light. That on itself, will make your repairs invisible to the naked eye. Guitar repair shops, weavers, etc. use this tool in their crafts.
I'm mostly a cowboy boot guy (15+ pairs) but your info applies as well and is much appreciated. Well done sir, keep up the great work and God bless! (New sub BTW!)
You’re an artist sir. I’ve bought my first supplies of Saphir and loving it.... Be fascinating to see you do the same on English shoes. I’m a big fan of church’s
I’m watching carefully trying to learn if I can repair my nude color flats... 🤦♀️. I’m not feeling positive. If they were black? Yes! Nude? Not so much. Sigh.
Oh Bob, thank you for this video ! I’ve got my favourite pair of brown leather boots with 2 scuffs just like your clients shoes. I’m over the moon I’ve found you, thank you for your detailed explanation- even to the smallest detail of the sand paper levels... I would have most certainly bought the wrong ones and ruined my boots even more. I’ve subscribed- thank you again! Life saver 👍🏻
Please help me!! My mother gifted me a pair of really nice shoes and like a dumbass I scraped them 2 days later 🤦🏼♀️ It’s really a little scrape but it’s on the front of the boot and it had a "mirror shine" as you call it I believe and I don’t want to risk ruining them even more but putting a sanding them aggressively like this.. what do I do?!
Do you know anyone local that’s a sharp dresser? Do you have a cobbler you trust locally? Definitely DON’T take sand paper to expensive shoes your 1st time. If you want to do it yourself first to go to a thrift store and find a pair of shoes for $4 to practice on. Also, it depends how bad it is. A lot of these things if they’re not as bad as the one I showed can be fixed with just polish.
Great job! What would really help is if you would show and name the products you use. I have no idea what was in that metal can you were using while sanding? Then what else did you use? Please be more informative. Thanks
Are you talking about at 17:00? It’s Acetone. I did show the label (you could pause the video) and I did also say that it was Acetone. Sorry if it wasn’t clear.
hi.. today i have sanded one boots. Tried to use Saphir color creme but the color did not fits well. Then I use Saphir neutral creme followed by hard wax. Do comments on the results for improvements. Thanks
My apologies for missing your comment! Getting the color right on mid brown or tan shoes is defitely the toughest part. I assume you're coloring with cream polish? Don't be afraid to mix a tan or light brown cream polish with another color like black to change it. Just err on the side of too light, as it's easier to darken leather than to strip off cream polish and start over. The cream polish does penetrate the surface to some degree, which is why I use it to re-color the leather afterwards. This is why I always warn people to test or try these things on cheaper shoes first before attacking your treasured or expensive shoes for the first time. I hope that helps?
Congrats on 5,000 Bob! Watching your videos and techniques has encouraged me to try some repairs and restorations I wouldn't have attempted otherwise. For sanding/smoothing I've had great success with the emery boards specifically the foam backed ones. Can get them in a range of "grits" even up to a buffed or polished finish at your local Sally's or other beauty supply shop.
I have to tell you, I stumbled onto this video in searching for a way to repair gouges in a pair of black dress boots (cheap boots but SO comfortable haha). Your video is extremely helpful and you’re quite talented at your craft, thank you for sharing and I’m definitely subscribing.
I prefer to condition the leather first (my favorite nowadays is Pure Polish Products Cleaner Conditioner) then polish the shoes with cream polish after. I make sure to leave the shoes sit for at least an hour after applying the Cleaner Conditioner (per the directions), before brushing to allow the product to get into the leather.
Would putting renauvator be better if you applied after sanding the leather? Just thinkingabout 1)moisturise the leather with renauvator 2) apply leather cream to add pigment 3)apply saphir pate de luxe to seal layers 4)use saphir mirror shine to finish.
I’m sure it would help, but to be honest, since it’s on the hard toe cap I wasn’t worried about the leather cracking there (it always seems to crack on the areas that flex). But you’re right, it would be a good idea.
Any ideas on distressed leather boots? They are new and full grain leather but I don’t like the spots that are lighter and look like they’ve peeled (bed Stu distressed leather boots)
I have a pair of Brown Learher Timberland Brogue Boots and they have a few scuffs on them can you tell me what I could use on them to get them out. I hope you can help me thanks.
It all depends on the material and how severe the scuffs are. I’m not up to speed on Timberlands, but first try shoe polish. If that doesn’t do it, then you might want to take them to a cobbler, or if you’re brave try the technique I’ve documented here. Be careful though, do not make your first attempt at repairing a bad scratch a $200 or $300 pair of boots. Practice on some shoes you can throw away if you mess up.
Ok thanks. They are not really that deep. I’m gonna try to find a cobbler cause They were like $300 a pair. The leather is really nice leather they used. Thanks for the replying back
A pair like this brown full grain leather pair of shoes I would NOT paint. You’ll never get the color to match. You CAN also dye a repaired area. When I do that, I typically would make the entire toe darker, blending it back into the rest of the shoe. I did a repair on a black pair of shoes. I have found that black is black. I mean, there aren’t really different shades of black. I did a repair that was filling a large scratch, I filled it with black acrylic paint.
"no one's face is gonna be that close to the shoe" Uh, The reason I looked up this video is because people's faces usually are that close to my shoes and I just scuffed them today. Without going into too much detail let's just say people like me to get my boot real close to them and they like to be real close to it. 😉
As I began to read this post, my thought was "Oh... military... boot camp..." By the end, (bright light shine on dim head) I realized... NOPE... Not military; not even a little bit. Not that kinda boot camp o.O LMAO
@@truckertriesfarming9792 yeah I'm in both the leather and the latex community. Nothing quite goes with a latex cat suit like a hycar rubber gas mask and a pair a polished doc martens.
D K - just to make sure we are on the same page, you’re saying it is natural colored leather? In other words very very light tan leather? If that’s the case, maybe just a neutral polish?
Do you have any experience repairing (filling in) scuffs/gauges/cuts in shell cordovan? Supposedly you can use a wax crayon and the back of a spoon. Perhaps you can do a video of that one day....
Jack Toews - no, I don’t have any experience! I’ve handled and shined up probably 4 pairs of Shell Cordovan shoes, and none of them have had any cuts or scratches that couldn’t just be polished over.
Great work Sir. I am from the Philippines and ever since I watched your videos I was encouraged to start my own collection of good quality Dress shoes. I have been watching your Thrift Guide on buying shoes and I can say that I have learned a lot from you. 😊 Thank you so much Cobbler Bob. Godbless you always.
Hey there i just thrifted some church's shoes in pretty good condition that i would like to sell on e-bay cause they arent my size would you be available for contact cause im having trouble identifiying them
Good to see…On some small repairs, I’ve used a hot teaspoon and tiny amounts of solid beeswax. Heated it, rubbed it down and repeat if necessary. Once happy, blend the colours and start bulling. Always good to see the results. Years in the military has taught a few things. I’ve got a small scuff on the front of my Loake Chester brogues (tan) and am about to strip back and renovate them. 🤞
The only leather I would not try this with is corrected grain leather aka bookbinder, PU leather, or genuine leather. It's coated with a polymer coating that you'll sand thruogh.
Layers: of the mirror shine? That's a tough one to answer, because it all depends on the hardness of the wax, the temperature, the humitidy, the shoes receptivity to wax... but I nowadays put 5-6 fairly heavy coats on all at once, let it set up, then start shining. If you're not sure, put LESS wax on and do MORE layers. A lot of my recent videos have some tutorials in the mirror shine portion; check out the descriptions for the times stamps. If it feels like you're pushing around vasalene on the toe cap, you either put too much wax on, or you didn't let it harden up enough, or both.
I honestly haven’t ever handled Western boots, but I don’t think whether it’s repairable or not is dependent on the style of shoe, but will be dependent on where the gouge is, how deep it is, how thick the leather is, the color of the leather, etc. If the gouge is too deep, this method may not work. If the gouge is on a flat area where you can’t sand it out, this method may not work and you may need to fill it with Saphir Renovatrice jnstead. The trick to using Renovatrice is getting a matching color. If the gouge is on an area that flexes, filling in the gouge may not work long term, as the filler material may crack or come out. Light brown and tan shoes are tougher to fix because the light colors are harder to match. Black is easy to match.
Good job,i scuffed my berghaus hillwalkers 2's after two days of wearing them,tripped over a concrete step in the dark..its the reason im here,going to try this technique,thank you
I sand $3000 Hermes and Chanel purses. LOL Women really can beat up a purse. I did give up on super glue for cracks. I found something that worms much better and disappears into the leather.
Looks good. I have tried for minor scratches one of those nail polishing sponges or even on of the two stage double faced files. This was much finer than most sandpaper I had available. From model airplane building I found this method to be extremely great at getting that fine glass like finish.
Same thing happened to me, had a fresh pair of butta soft timbs and scraped them on the concrete stoop and it feels like they're ruined. Ive sanded them down. But i need a smoother sand paper and maybe use dye to bring back to life, any tips are appreciated! Thanks for this video man, I learned alot, I typed the first part about ten minutes in and im thinking get a 400 grit sand paper and maybe the color will come back once its smooth.
Using one of these 13 in a dozen nail polishing files (with 6 different grains) will have the leather almost shining before even the first treatment with any oil or cream.
Nathan Cole - I have zero experience with either! Check out Lee Morrison’s TH-cam channel: “Bespoke Addict The Brighton Gentleman” and his instagram @bespokeaddict - both have GREAT info on repairing exotics!
The big surprise here, for me at least, was the use of the black wax. It's a matter of experience, I guess - I would never dare do that to a brown shoe myself.
I think I would have taped off the toe cap and used acetone to remove ALL of the factory finish, and then used dye. I think it would have been a much better result.
is there any reason you didn't use the saphir renovating repair cream? that would have permanently filled in the scuffed area, after which you could have polished on top of it.
lullemans72 - i’ve never used it, and therefore maybe I am wrong, but I have read the directions for it. The directions say it will fill small scratches. Not to split hairs, but I would not call this a scuff, it’s a major gouge into the leather. I find it hard to believe that a cream from a tube will fill a large area like this, dry, and have any decent tensile strength. Have you personally used the it to fill a large deep area like this?
farhad azimi - LOL, here’s another area where I will never be able to please everyone. No music, I get complaints. I play music, different people don’t like it. It’s one of those things that everyone will just never agree on.
Hmmm... I don't think that's CCR. TH-cam would flag it and not let me monetize my video with copyrighted music. It's probably one of these songs from TH-cam Free Audio Library: 1. "My_Peeps" by Aaron Lieberman 2. "Rainforest Canopy" by Magic in the Other 3. "Move Up to the Mountains" by Aaron Lieberman 4. "Midnight Special" by E's Jammy Jams 5. "Straight Out Cold" by Noir Et Blanc Vie
I really like your work and I learn much fro your videos. However, their is a Zen Buddhist saying concerning the infusion of life into any work, "One must always stop short of going far enough". It has been my experience that in order to know what that point is, one must have gone too far. And, that is oh so easy!
LOL, sorry for missing your comment… I’ve learned over the years of doing my channel to watch what I say. Most of what I show has specific applications in which it WILL work, and then many in which it won’t. If I don’t cover my butt, people will be more likely to ruin expensive shoes and put the blame on you-know-who.
The problem with that is it will not allow Leather to breathe. Check out a recent video I posted with Andy Vaughn from pure polish products, he talks about that specifically.
Lol, didn’t know how strong pressure washers were till I sprayed my boot with it. Big line across my boot now, bright brown that stands out a lot compared to the nice, dark brown my boots have, I’m gonna have to recolor the leather some how
Wow! Easiest way is with cream (not paste) shoe polish. You can use a color darker than the leather. Hopefuylly that does it. Either that or hose off the rest?? LOL. Re-dying would be a last resort, but you could dye the whole boot(s) a darker shade rather than trying to get the light area to match?
Amazing video Bob, God Bless You my man I’m starting a sneaker cleaning and leather care business and I’m learning some from you and your videos. God Bless You mate ! 😀🤝☘️🙏
Steve, sorry for missing your comment! It's not dependent on the style of shoe, but on the quality of the leather. I would not try the sanding down method on corrected grain aka bookbinder aka PU leather aka genuine leather bc it has a polymer coating on it that you'll sand through.
i wonder if after sanding and adding a dye to match the color if burnishing the leather with something like Tokonole would help seal and provide a smooth surface.
I wouldn't see why not. The one I would be careful of is corrected grain leather, aka bookbinder leather or PU leather. It's coated with a polymer that would probably make a sanding repair not feasable. BTW I apologize for missing your comment!!
car ha a paint code colouring shoes by the seat of your pants, either you get it or muck it up.try magic marker has anyone ever used a spray gun to colur match
Sorry, everything on my channel tends to be detail oriented. I usually do have time stamped topics in the description if you want to jump ahead though.
This is why I love TH-cam and content creators like you Robert! I found a pair of pretty scuffed black Ferragamo women's loafers at the thrift. Paid a mere $5.99 for them. So there's really no downside to trying your technique to repair them! Also found a pair of vintage Ferragamo boots this summer at the Salvation Army for $3.75 (75% off boots)! No major scuffs but they can definitely use conditioning. Will update if I'm successful. Thanks again...
![[ASMR] Everyone Does It Wrong! - How to Clean Red Wings, Thorogood, Thursday Boots](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3cWM7W9vMJ4/mqdefault.jpg)
![ผัวเถื่อน - ยูริ โตเกียวมิวสิค [ OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/P08ORRVDGl8/mqdefault.jpg)
![[Live] ศึกมหึมันส์มวยไทยสังเวียนเดือด เวทีมวยชั่วคราวสวนสยาม | จันทร์ 30 กันยายน 2567](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/pM1k6f7JXUc/mqdefault.jpg)
When you’re too attached to your Docs to get new ones (too broke for new ones anyway lmao)
I hang out both in the goth subculture and the adult leather community. Well kept doc martens are critical. I just severely scuffed mine today and I could cry. Highly reflective doc martens are both prized in the leather and latex community. but I originally also chose doc martens because I wanted something that could take a beating and be used for work around the house so I guess I should have expected a scratch sooner or later. I just didn't expect it by bumping into a gravestone when I was taking photos in a cemetery.
@@sadpostrayne I just found my doc martens that I used to wear A LOT. They are in pretty bad shape. I used to wear them everywhere and didn't really take care of them. I scuffed them from work, since I had to bend down to pick up heavy boxes sometimes. The damage is around the lower part of the shaft where it crinkles when you squat down. The rubber sole is still surprisingly good, so im trying to find a way to fix the leather. Should've maintained them better. Fingers crossed.
@@rotenhoko Sounds like you have a proper pair of English made Doc Martin's which were better constructed than their modern day counterparts. In the 70's everybody wanted Doc Martin's and they took awhile to wear in! Save them if you can I would say!
Thats why I am here.
Lol. I know the feeling but love my Fg boots.
(Actual repair starts at 12:40) Good info. Thanks for sharing.
Saved me a year thanks
Thank you!!!
Too much bla bla bla
There's a reason this 30 min video has 252k views. Engineering analysis is sorely lacking in so many areas of craft and repair content, so I really appreciate it. Even if it's information I personally know, it builds credibility and kept me watching to the end.
« He’ll probably buy me chipotle if I do a good job ». I love that 😂
The value of this man's shoe maintenance and repair products is worth more than what he spent on his entire shoe collection and I respect that lol
Congrats on 5K subscribers! We don't care if you're a "professional" or not. We like hearing you talk about your shoes, and watching you care for them.
What school did Plato attend? Yet today universities and scholars infer mainly from Plato’s writings. So, by definition, you are a PRO
A little imperfection adds some character. Buff it out and let those imperfections shine. Lol
On work-boots, yeah i suppose. Its basically an inevitability.
Now if we are talking about a pair of $800 Salvatore Ferragamo's or something, i think id prefer mine without character.
Thank You Robert! You explained it very well and showed how to do it wonderfully! I went thru about a dozen videos before I found yours. Had to fix a large scratch in $400 pair of boots! This worked Great. it helped that you explained it in car terms. I totally got it then! (seriously, not being sarcastic in that remark at all. I was raised with 3 brothers LOL) Thanks!
TH-cam influencer for middle aged men who wear Allen Edmonds and Brooks Brothers!!!
Jon Walker I’m only 19 and these have been pretty useful since leather soled shoes are good for something like tango (not to mention that Allen Edmonds look nice imo) and it convinced me to look at a local thirft store and I found myself some Auburns
@@walkermorales337 19 tango hoo ha tango try twisting in them.none of you lot just go into a shop and buy a pair of brand new pair of Brouges,Shoes not salvation army or ebay sweaty halitosis diseased shoes dirty mingers get spruced up in top hat and tails in your tramp shoes and go for a slap up in dennys....nuggets
This is ART.
Bob, personally, I like your enthusiasm and your down to earth style. Keep up the good work.
👊🏼 thank you!
I took sandpaper to my black leather boots and all I saw was myself making it worse and I stopped. I have a small gouge in the toe and ended up filling it with with sealant for waders and polishing over it. It didn’t last so here I am.
This video is exactly what I needed. Thanks!
Really great work Robert! It is not easy to take on this kind of project. I have done similar jobs my self and want to give you two tips that have helped me alot with the end result. 1: use even finer sandpaper, I actually tried it with 2000 grid and the spot got even nicer than before, it is also much easier applying both creames and waxes afterwords. 2: when U start to polish with the waxes, start with the pate de lux from saphir and then end with the mirror gloss. It is easier for the leather to take in. :) But overall, great work and congrats to 5k subs! 👏
Bob, this is my first pair of shoes. (Very important to me”. Black leather Chelsea boot. Got scuffed. How do I repair this. The boot was scraped against the curb. Thanks for the video. ;)
It all depends... I've got at least 2 other videos on scratch repair. It depends on how deep it is, where it is, and how much material is removed. I'll say this though, the majority of the time, they can be disguised with just polishing! Try coating the area liberally with black paste wax (not cream polish, but the harder paste wax in a tin). Use multiple coats and don't hesitate to try and fill in the scratch. Without seeing it it's hard to say, but I have a video of a buddy's black Florsheims that he ran a hotel door over the toe, and it made a huge cut in the toe cap. Those were too deep to cover with polish, but unlike these shoes, since the cut was so deep and since it was on the top (flat area) of the toe cap, I elected to fill it with acrylic paint. It's one of the 2 videos I'm referencing. The good thing about black is it's EASY to match the color. I wouldn't fill a cut in a brown or walnut shoe with acrylic for example. I hope this helps? feel free to email me at robertpowers1972 at gmail dot com.
Rob I am the guy who commented about restoring my shoes, actually therebwas deep cracking spots on them, on my $690 Fratelli Rossetti Brera tassel loafers. Let me tell you I followed the steps you did on a previous video and the results were just awesome. If you can give me you email I can send you some pictures of the process and final result so you can share as well. Thanks a lot Im also a ”shoe head” keep up your videos. Salute from Panama City 🇵🇦
Gian Famiglietti - LOL I’m so relieved!! I just saw the pictures, and they’re fantastic! Maybe I could show them on a future video?
Robert Powers yes the results were great, people in the office are even bringing their shoes to me for shines and so on....sure you can show them on a video whenever you want. Once again thanks 🙏
The first thing you need for these type of repairs is an OptiVisor, which is a magnifying vision tool with light. That on itself, will make your repairs invisible to the naked eye. Guitar repair shops, weavers, etc. use this tool in their crafts.
I'm mostly a cowboy boot guy (15+ pairs) but your info applies as well and is much appreciated. Well done sir, keep up the great work and God bless! (New sub BTW!)
Thank you!!
You’re an artist sir. I’ve bought my first supplies of Saphir and loving it....
Be fascinating to see you do the same on English shoes. I’m a big fan of church’s
I’m watching carefully trying to learn if I can repair my nude color flats... 🤦♀️. I’m not feeling positive. If they were black? Yes! Nude? Not so much. Sigh.
There’s the possibility of repairing them, then dying them darker?
Oh Bob, thank you for this video ! I’ve got my favourite pair of brown leather boots with 2 scuffs just like your clients shoes. I’m over the moon I’ve found you, thank you for your detailed explanation- even to the smallest detail of the sand paper levels... I would have most certainly bought the wrong ones and ruined my boots even more. I’ve subscribed- thank you again! Life saver 👍🏻
B macklen 👊🏼
Please help me!! My mother gifted me a pair of really nice shoes and like a dumbass I scraped them 2 days later 🤦🏼♀️ It’s really a little scrape but it’s on the front of the boot and it had a "mirror shine" as you call it I believe and I don’t want to risk ruining them even more but putting a sanding them aggressively like this.. what do I do?!
Do you know anyone local that’s a sharp dresser? Do you have a cobbler you trust locally? Definitely DON’T take sand paper to expensive shoes your 1st time. If you want to do it yourself first to go to a thrift store and find a pair of shoes for $4 to practice on. Also, it depends how bad it is. A lot of these things if they’re not as bad as the one I showed can be fixed with just polish.
Great job! What would really help is if you would show and name the products you use. I have no idea what was in that metal can you were using while sanding? Then what else did you use? Please be more informative. Thanks
Are you talking about at 17:00? It’s Acetone. I did show the label (you could pause the video) and I did also say that it was Acetone. Sorry if it wasn’t clear.
hi.. today i have sanded one boots. Tried to use Saphir color creme but the color did not fits well. Then I use Saphir neutral creme followed by hard wax. Do comments on the results for improvements. Thanks
My apologies for missing your comment! Getting the color right on mid brown or tan shoes is defitely the toughest part. I assume you're coloring with cream polish? Don't be afraid to mix a tan or light brown cream polish with another color like black to change it. Just err on the side of too light, as it's easier to darken leather than to strip off cream polish and start over. The cream polish does penetrate the surface to some degree, which is why I use it to re-color the leather afterwards. This is why I always warn people to test or try these things on cheaper shoes first before attacking your treasured or expensive shoes for the first time. I hope that helps?
hey Bob, why do you use the aceton? what is the purpose of aceton on the scuffing?
Zzakii18 - to remove the old polish around the repair area. If you notice in the video, the sandpaper starts to get gummed up with the polish.
@@CobblerBob okay, I get it now. Thanks alot for the response Bob :)
I like your work 👍 but the talking was exhausting so I turned the sound off. Much better for me. 👍☮️🌞🌟
Hey, I'll take a viewer either way at this point!
Congrats on 5,000 Bob! Watching your videos and techniques has encouraged me to try some repairs and restorations I wouldn't have attempted otherwise. For sanding/smoothing I've had great success with the emery boards specifically the foam backed ones. Can get them in a range of "grits" even up to a buffed or polished finish at your local Sally's or other beauty supply shop.
Mike McCoy - thank you! And, good idea!
I have to tell you, I stumbled onto this video in searching for a way to repair gouges in a pair of black dress boots (cheap boots but SO comfortable haha).
Your video is extremely helpful and you’re quite talented at your craft, thank you for sharing and I’m definitely subscribing.
Thank you! I do have another video on repairing a cut on the toe cap of a pair of Florsheim monk straps. That one I fix with acrylic paint.
Im new to the boot game. Question: do you put cream before or after the conditioner? I've seen both ways.
I prefer to condition the leather first (my favorite nowadays is Pure Polish Products Cleaner Conditioner) then polish the shoes with cream polish after. I make sure to leave the shoes sit for at least an hour after applying the Cleaner Conditioner (per the directions), before brushing to allow the product to get into the leather.
Would putting renauvator be better if you applied after sanding the leather? Just thinkingabout 1)moisturise the leather with renauvator 2) apply leather cream to add pigment 3)apply saphir pate de luxe to seal layers 4)use saphir mirror shine to finish.
Amazing results regardless though- it looks great and unnoticeable!!
I’m sure it would help, but to be honest, since it’s on the hard toe cap I wasn’t worried about the leather cracking there (it always seems to crack on the areas that flex). But you’re right, it would be a good idea.
Any ideas on distressed leather boots? They are new and full grain leather but I don’t like the spots that are lighter and look like they’ve peeled (bed Stu distressed leather boots)
Gracie, sorry for missing your comment! Unfortunately, without seeing it, it's hard for me to say...
For the average Joe where I'm from $300 for shoes is considered expensive.
Jason, Sorry for missing your comment! Remember though, this pair was thrifted. I don't remember the price, but I can assure you it's less than $20.
I have a pair of Brown Learher Timberland Brogue Boots and they have a few scuffs on them can you tell me what I could use on them to get them out. I hope you can help me thanks.
It all depends on the material and how severe the scuffs are. I’m not up to speed on Timberlands, but first try shoe polish. If that doesn’t do it, then you might want to take them to a cobbler, or if you’re brave try the technique I’ve documented here. Be careful though, do not make your first attempt at repairing a bad scratch a $200 or $300 pair of boots. Practice on some shoes you can throw away if you mess up.
Ok thanks. They are not really that deep. I’m gonna try to find a cobbler cause They were like $300 a pair. The leather is really nice leather they used. Thanks for the replying back
Could isopropyl alcohol work instead of acetone?
Yes. Try it first, as alcohol is not as strong as acetone.
Wait so can you paint them with leather paint or do you have to Polish them
A pair like this brown full grain leather pair of shoes I would NOT paint. You’ll never get the color to match. You CAN also dye a repaired area. When I do that, I typically would make the entire toe darker, blending it back into the rest of the shoe. I did a repair on a black pair of shoes. I have found that black is black. I mean, there aren’t really different shades of black. I did a repair that was filling a large scratch, I filled it with black acrylic paint.
Theres a ghost moving around at 2:22 behind you.
LOL I think it's a fly
Are you in America? I need some pointers on my wolverine boots
Yes, I'm in Ohio. Feel freet to email me at robertpowers1972 at gmail dot com.
"no one's face is gonna be that close to the shoe"
Uh, The reason I looked up this video is because people's faces usually are that close to my shoes and I just scuffed them today. Without going into too much detail let's just say people like me to get my boot real close to them and they like to be real close to it. 😉
As I began to read this post, my thought was "Oh... military... boot camp..." By the end, (bright light shine on dim head) I realized... NOPE... Not military; not even a little bit. Not that kinda boot camp o.O LMAO
@@truckertriesfarming9792 yeah I'm in both the leather and the latex community. Nothing quite goes with a latex cat suit like a hycar rubber gas mask and a pair a polished doc martens.
Sorry for missing your comment... I hope the video still helped.
I have some boots that are not shine finished... how would I finish those off to match the natural (soft? not suede) finish around a scuff?
D K - just to make sure we are on the same page, you’re saying it is natural colored leather? In other words very very light tan leather? If that’s the case, maybe just a neutral polish?
Do you have any experience repairing (filling in) scuffs/gauges/cuts in shell cordovan? Supposedly you can use a wax crayon and the back of a spoon. Perhaps you can do a video of that one day....
Jack Toews - no, I don’t have any experience! I’ve handled and shined up probably 4 pairs of Shell Cordovan shoes, and none of them have had any cuts or scratches that couldn’t just be polished over.
Great work Sir. I am from the Philippines and ever since I watched your videos I was encouraged to start my own collection of good quality Dress shoes. I have been watching your Thrift Guide on buying shoes and I can say that I have learned a lot from you. 😊 Thank you so much Cobbler Bob. Godbless you always.
Lawrence Anthony Marcaida you’re welcome! Thank you for your kind words!
Robert Powers this is therapeutic, almost like ASMR. Lovely to watch and listen to you. It’s ART.
Concision. Editing. Please!
I’m not sure what concision is, I’ll have to look that up, but I’m getting better and better every day in every way, or at least that’s my goal.
Congrats on the 5k legend, thankyou for the fantastic vids.
👊🏼
Hey there i just thrifted some church's shoes in pretty good condition that i would like to sell on e-bay cause they arent my size would you be available for contact cause im having trouble identifiying them
ZagorTeNayebo - I’ve handled a pair or two of Church’s, but am no expert... email me good pics to rpowers3@neo dot rr dot com.
Good to see…On some small repairs, I’ve used a hot teaspoon and tiny amounts of solid beeswax. Heated it, rubbed it down and repeat if necessary. Once happy, blend the colours and start bulling. Always good to see the results.
Years in the military has taught a few things.
I’ve got a small scuff on the front of my Loake Chester brogues (tan) and am about to strip back and renovate them. 🤞
Will this work on a combat boot with safety toes?
The only leather I would not try this with is corrected grain leather aka bookbinder, PU leather, or genuine leather. It's coated with a polymer coating that you'll sand thruogh.
How slow should you build up the layers?
Layers: of the mirror shine? That's a tough one to answer, because it all depends on the hardness of the wax, the temperature, the humitidy, the shoes receptivity to wax... but I nowadays put 5-6 fairly heavy coats on all at once, let it set up, then start shining. If you're not sure, put LESS wax on and do MORE layers. A lot of my recent videos have some tutorials in the mirror shine portion; check out the descriptions for the times stamps. If it feels like you're pushing around vasalene on the toe cap, you either put too much wax on, or you didn't let it harden up enough, or both.
Sir got western boots does it work on my brown boots.
I honestly haven’t ever handled Western boots, but I don’t think whether it’s repairable or not is dependent on the style of shoe, but will be dependent on where the gouge is, how deep it is, how thick the leather is, the color of the leather, etc.
If the gouge is too deep, this method may not work. If the gouge is on a flat area where you can’t sand it out, this method may not work and you may need to fill it with Saphir Renovatrice jnstead. The trick to using Renovatrice is getting a matching color. If the gouge is on an area that flexes, filling in the gouge may not work long term, as the filler material may crack or come out. Light brown and tan shoes are tougher to fix because the light colors are harder to match. Black is easy to match.
Good job,i scuffed my berghaus hillwalkers 2's after two days of wearing them,tripped over a concrete step in the dark..its the reason im here,going to try this technique,thank you
Nothing to lose bybtrying, except having to wear wounded leather.
I sand $3000 Hermes and Chanel purses. LOL Women really can beat up a purse. I did give up on super glue for cracks. I found something that worms much better and disappears into the leather.
Great repair, you cant even tell.
Looks good. I have tried for minor scratches one of those nail polishing sponges or even on of the two stage double faced files. This was much finer than most sandpaper I had available. From model airplane building I found this method to be extremely great at getting that fine glass like finish.
Same thing happened to me, had a fresh pair of butta soft timbs and scraped them on the concrete stoop and it feels like they're ruined. Ive sanded them down. But i need a smoother sand paper and maybe use dye to bring back to life, any tips are appreciated! Thanks for this video man, I learned alot, I typed the first part about ten minutes in and im thinking get a 400 grit sand paper and maybe the color will come back once its smooth.
Why did you/he use the black mirror saphir instead of brown? You used brown cream. ??? TIA
Imagine if he saw my skate shoes 🤭😳
LOL
Look good. Thanks for posting.
Using one of these 13 in a dozen nail polishing files (with 6 different grains) will have the leather almost shining before even the first treatment with any oil or cream.
...i was wondering if that would work. Havent tried it yet but might pick.up a set!
Shoe cracks are from using show wax too much without taking it off; use shoe cream and maybe one layer of wax for protection.
What about with alligator/Camen?
Nathan Cole - I have zero experience with either! Check out Lee Morrison’s TH-cam channel: “Bespoke Addict The Brighton Gentleman” and his instagram @bespokeaddict - both have GREAT info on repairing exotics!
The big surprise here, for me at least, was the use of the black wax. It's a matter of experience, I guess - I would never dare do that to a brown shoe myself.
Not bad at all Robert. You sir, are an inspiration and as such I’ve ordered my shoe care products to begin this stage of my journey
Great video subbed
Thank you!
I think I would have taped off the toe cap and used acetone to remove ALL of the factory finish, and then used dye. I think it would have been a much better result.
is there any reason you didn't use the saphir renovating repair cream? that would have permanently filled in the scuffed area, after which you could have polished on top of it.
lullemans72 - i’ve never used it, and therefore maybe I am wrong, but I have read the directions for it. The directions say it will fill small scratches. Not to split hairs, but I would not call this a scuff, it’s a major gouge into the leather. I find it hard to believe that a cream from a tube will fill a large area like this, dry, and have any decent tensile strength. Have you personally used the it to fill a large deep area like this?
Shoe make up artistry.
Good job.
Not clear on whether 600 paper was used or not.
First off, excellent video, and congrats on 16K subs! I hope to get there eventually.
Thank you! I like the font you've been using on your more recent video thumbnails BTW.
Great job, enjoying your youtube video's.👍🇬🇧
So many polish and max...waaaa better but a new shoe☺️
can you not plaster them?
Huh? Plaster? As in fix with a repair cream? Probably, yes.
I'd only recommend doing this to shoes that were basically free and you might not ever need to wear again 😀
Would this treatment help with my Lugz. My cat got to them and scratched em up..... they were brand new to boot, no pun intended. Lol
Sorry for missing your comment... without seeing them it's hard to say.
Please don't play any music, if you want me to watch your videos with the sound on.
farhad azimi - LOL, here’s another area where I will never be able to please everyone. No music, I get complaints. I play music, different people don’t like it. It’s one of those things that everyone will just never agree on.
Instrumental credence Clearwater revival,, in the background…
Hmmm... I don't think that's CCR. TH-cam would flag it and not let me monetize my video with copyrighted music. It's probably one of these songs from TH-cam Free Audio Library:
1. "My_Peeps" by Aaron Lieberman
2. "Rainforest Canopy" by Magic in the Other
3. "Move Up to the Mountains" by Aaron Lieberman
4. "Midnight Special" by E's Jammy Jams
5. "Straight Out Cold" by Noir Et Blanc Vie
You polish very fast...
can you dodge bullets too, like on the Matrix?
Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
😆
How do you deal with metalic colours? Have blue metalic docs and cannot find exact polish
Uh, honest answer is I haven’t, sorry!
dont look perfect but they do look a heel of a lot better than before. better looking than most people wear around
Just gouged my 1980s combat boot toe that I use for reenacting. Plan to try this. It's black leather so I hope it'll be easier.
Black is easier from the color match standpoint! Good luck, and be cautious not to sand off too much. Go slow.
@@CobblerBob Thanks! I'm scared that I'll sand through to the steel toe.
I wonder if leather upholstery/car upholstery methods might work on certain repairs too?
There are many different ways to repair leather, this is just one. There are also fillers, so yes…
welcome to the Jerry's land
I really like your work and I learn much fro your videos. However, their is a Zen Buddhist saying concerning the infusion of life into any work, "One must always stop short of going far enough". It has been my experience that in order to know what that point is, one must have gone too far. And, that is oh so easy!
This guy has more caveats than a phen/phen commercial, LOL. Pretty informative, really appreciate the guidance though!
LOL, sorry for missing your comment… I’ve learned over the years of doing my channel to watch what I say. Most of what I show has specific applications in which it WILL work, and then many in which it won’t. If I don’t cover my butt, people will be more likely to ruin expensive shoes and put the blame on you-know-who.
@@CobblerBob It was definitely helpful for me, and was part of my new interest in refurbishing old shoes. Very therapeutic, I think.
I wonder if they sell a sealant that is stronger than wax and permanent. Like what the manufacturers use.
The problem with that is it will not allow Leather to breathe. Check out a recent video I posted with Andy Vaughn from pure polish products, he talks about that specifically.
Congratulations on 5K Robert!
🙏🏼 thank you!
You may not be a professional but I think the job on those shoes is better than a lot of professionals could do!
Thank you!!
Lol, didn’t know how strong pressure washers were till I sprayed my boot with it. Big line across my boot now, bright brown that stands out a lot compared to the nice, dark brown my boots have, I’m gonna have to recolor the leather some how
Wow! Easiest way is with cream (not paste) shoe polish. You can use a color darker than the leather. Hopefuylly that does it. Either that or hose off the rest?? LOL. Re-dying would be a last resort, but you could dye the whole boot(s) a darker shade rather than trying to get the light area to match?
@@CobblerBob nah, I ain’t messing the rest of it up, I don’t like that bright brown color, I’m gonna have to buy some of that coloring paste stuff
Amazing video Bob, God Bless You my man I’m starting a sneaker cleaning and leather care business and I’m learning some from you and your videos. God Bless You mate ! 😀🤝☘️🙏
Should this work for loafers? I don't know if it's real leather.
Steve, sorry for missing your comment! It's not dependent on the style of shoe, but on the quality of the leather. I would not try the sanding down method on corrected grain aka bookbinder aka PU leather aka genuine leather bc it has a polymer coating on it that you'll sand through.
i wonder if after sanding and adding a dye to match the color if burnishing the leather with something like Tokonole would help seal and provide a smooth surface.
YES. I’ve burnished the repair on a few jobs since. Good call 👊🏼
Can you do this with chrome tan leather that doesn't have an inherent colour. Cheers
I wouldn't see why not. The one I would be careful of is corrected grain leather, aka bookbinder leather or PU leather. It's coated with a polymer that would probably make a sanding repair not feasable. BTW I apologize for missing your comment!!
Scratched my Rick toe box :(
car ha a paint code
colouring shoes by the seat of your pants, either you get it or muck it up.try magic marker
has anyone ever used a spray gun to colur match
Yes, but not for a scratch or scuff. I've sprayed dye on with a spray gun in a lot of my videos.
Would you or have you ever used leather filler
please hurry and show me how to fix the leather 😫 your talking to much 😂
Sorry, everything on my channel tends to be detail oriented. I usually do have time stamped topics in the description if you want to jump ahead though.
Love watching your videos-definitely subscribed
👊🏼
Congratulations on reaching 5000 Bob!
When you use leather dye, do you ever use an Acrylic Finisher? Fiebings has them, I‘ve used them on handbags, but so far never on shoes.
Friederike F - no, I haven’t. I have used acrylic paint on a couple pairs of black corrected grain leather shoes repairing cuts before though.
Robert Powers thank you! Did you use the acrylic paint to smoothen the area?
This music is HILARIOUS LOLL
Liked. Subscribed.
Gonna try this. Just put a deep scuff on a brand new pair of shoes.
LuisManuelHdez go slow and maybe practice on an old pair if they’re expensive!
Good info here. Awesome work
This is why I love TH-cam and content creators like you Robert! I found a pair of pretty scuffed black Ferragamo women's loafers at the thrift. Paid a mere $5.99 for them. So there's really no downside to trying your technique to repair them! Also found a pair of vintage Ferragamo boots this summer at the Salvation Army for $3.75 (75% off boots)! No major scuffs but they can definitely use conditioning. Will update if I'm successful. Thanks again...
Robert where can I get these supplies to do this? Awesome work!
I get a lot of my supplies from eBay! Check out the seller "Nordshoe". For polishes, www.PurePolishProducts.com is my favorite brand.