Shoe care discussion thread

Shoe care discussion thread

Author
Discussion

Zingari

902 posts

172 months

Monday 8th September 2014
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Failing all the DIY, there's a chap in the Dorchester who can do a good job.

If you want to have a go I'd recommend Kiwi parade gloss wax. Polish up nicely.

Quhet

2,409 posts

145 months

Tuesday 9th September 2014
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I kick my converse into a corner ready for the next time I ram my foot into them over the back of the shoe.
I've got no time for this poncyness drink

Pints

18,444 posts

193 months

Tuesday 9th September 2014
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randlemarcus said:
Please don't expect a single pair of shoes worn daily to last any time at all.
My pair of £50 Hush Puppies have been around for 6 or 7 years being worn almost daily, and it's only in the last month or that I've considered a replacement since the sole is showing signs of starting to crack.

soad

32,829 posts

175 months

Tuesday 9th September 2014
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Pints said:
My pair of £50 Hush Puppies have been around for 6 or 7 years being worn almost daily, and it's only in the last month or that I've considered a replacement since the sole is showing signs of starting to crack.
I don't recall shoes lasting me longer than a year at most. I clearly walk too much. scratchchin

Andy OH

1,903 posts

249 months

Tuesday 9th September 2014
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I've have three pairs of Oliver Sweeney Brogues and two pairs of black slip on Oliver Sweeney's, all the shoes are black and I've only ever used the Oliver Sweeeny bees wax polish on all of these shoes. I have always used cedar wood shoe trees and alternate the shoes on daily basis so each pair are only worn once a week. This has definately helped the longevity of the shoes and having used shoe trees now for roughly eight years I will always use them on decent shoes.

Acehood

1,326 posts

173 months

Tuesday 9th September 2014
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I've had two pairs of shoes lose their heel randomly, within the last 2 weeks. This has left me using my more expensive shoes daily as I've no idea where to take my old ones to be repaired. A quick Google and it seems Timpsons is the nearest place - any good? How much would it cost to re-heel generally and is there anything special I should be asking for? Is there a better solution than gluing bits of rubber on?

I'm thinking it may be an idea to purchase some more expensive shoes rather than buying them from places like Next or Burtons. I definitely can't afford to stretch to £300 for a pair though. What could I get at around £100 that will look nice and last me a long time? I spend quite a lot of time driving which might explain why the heels pop off my cheaper shoes. They seem to just superglue a layer of rubber on, which eventually comes off.

Those tree things, what's the idea behind them? Does it just keep the shoe 'in shape' or is there more to it?

Apt timing for this thread!

SebastienClement

1,950 posts

139 months

Tuesday 9th September 2014
quotequote all
Acehood said:
I've had two pairs of shoes lose their heel randomly, within the last 2 weeks. This has left me using my more expensive shoes daily as I've no idea where to take my old ones to be repaired. A quick Google and it seems Timpsons is the nearest place - any good? How much would it cost to re-heel generally and is there anything special I should be asking for? Is there a better solution than gluing bits of rubber on?

I'm thinking it may be an idea to purchase some more expensive shoes rather than buying them from places like Next or Burtons. I definitely can't afford to stretch to £300 for a pair though. What could I get at around £100 that will look nice and last me a long time? I spend quite a lot of time driving which might explain why the heels pop off my cheaper shoes. They seem to just superglue a layer of rubber on, which eventually comes off.

Those tree things, what's the idea behind them? Does it just keep the shoe 'in shape' or is there more to it?

Apt timing for this thread!
A good cedar shoe tree will reduce creasing to the uppers, rest the leather, soak up moisture (therefore minimising odours) & make them a lot easier to polish!

I'd definitely recommend shoe screams over polish. So easy to administer and they really work well at hiding imperfections, as well as feeding the leather.

Andy OH

1,903 posts

249 months

Tuesday 9th September 2014
quotequote all
Acehood said:
I've had two pairs of shoes lose their heel randomly, within the last 2 weeks. This has left me using my more expensive shoes daily as I've no idea where to take my old ones to be repaired. A quick Google and it seems Timpsons is the nearest place - any good? How much would it cost to re-heel generally and is there anything special I should be asking for? Is there a better solution than gluing bits of rubber on?

I'm thinking it may be an idea to purchase some more expensive shoes rather than buying them from places like Next or Burtons. I definitely can't afford to stretch to £300 for a pair though. What could I get at around £100 that will look nice and last me a long time? I spend quite a lot of time driving which might explain why the heels pop off my cheaper shoes. They seem to just superglue a layer of rubber on, which eventually comes off.

Those tree things, what's the idea behind them? Does it just keep the shoe 'in shape' or is there more to it?

Apt timing for this thread!
For around £100'ish you can get Loake or some Jones shoes, but probably in their respective sales.

Shoe trees help to keep the shoe in shape and also cedar wood shoe trees absorb the moisture left from wearing a shoe all day.

soad

32,829 posts

175 months

Tuesday 9th September 2014
quotequote all
Acehood said:
I spend quite a lot of time driving which might explain why the heels pop off my cheaper shoes. They seem to just superglue a layer of rubber on, which eventually comes off.
idea Invest in purely driving shoes? If you can be bothered to change etc.


Acehood said:
Those tree things, what's the idea behind them? Does it just keep the shoe 'in shape' or is there more to it?
Preserves the shape, stops developing creases and thereby extends the life of the shoe/s.
Higher quality shoe trees are made from solid wood, usually cedar, which helps control odor and absorb moisture.

Or use the crumpled newspapers... hehe

FreeLitres

Original Poster:

6,039 posts

176 months

Tuesday 9th September 2014
quotequote all
The wooden shoe trees keep the shape of the shoe and absorb moisture (sweat!) from the shoes when not in use.

If you don't use shoe trees and wear a pair of shoes every day, the moisture level builds up and the leather gets worn out.

Acehood

1,326 posts

173 months

Tuesday 9th September 2014
quotequote all
Andy OH said:
For around £100'ish you can get Loake or some Jones shoes, but probably in their respective sales.

Shoe trees help to keep the shoe in shape and also cedar wood shoe trees absorb the moisture left from wearing a shoe all day.
I was looking at Jones recently actually, I like some of their stuff. Their website also stocks some Ted Baker shoes, are they any good? They always look really nice.

Will invest in a couple of trees then, sounds like a good idea. I'm not in a position to have a pair per day so will try to look after them a bit more. Shoe horn would be an idea too instead of jamming my feet in like a hooligan every morning

soad said:
idea Invest in purely driving shoes? If you can be bothered to change etc.
I might just wear my trainers while driving! It's just a bit of a hassle having to change them when I arrive at work, especially nice shoes, which always seem harder to get on/off than cheapo ones.

I'm leaning towards wearing shoes more often, even in casual situations. Seems to be the grown up thing to do & now I'm the wrong side of 30 my girlfriend seems to be keen for me to dress more like a gentleman as well. I've got some nice brogues but they're really for 'going out', will have to look for some more casual ones to wear with jeans day-to-day

fatboy b

9,492 posts

215 months

Tuesday 9th September 2014
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Have I inadvertently logged on to Mumsnet? confused

Bebee

4,678 posts

224 months

Tuesday 9th September 2014
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fatboy b said:
Have I inadvertently logged on to Mumsnet? confused
Whats mumsnet then?

Garvin

5,157 posts

176 months

Tuesday 9th September 2014
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fatboy b said:
Have I inadvertently logged on to Mumsnet? confused
Pistonheads - shoes matter!

FreeLitres

Original Poster:

6,039 posts

176 months

Monday 22nd September 2014
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I'm sure you will all be pleased to learn that I had a bit of a breakthrough with my shoe care! ( wink )

My initial attempts of getting nice finish on my Barker shoes involved using a black Barker shoe cream then a layer of Barker branded black shoe polish. Whatever I did and no matter how long I tried buffing them, the finish was always really dull. It's like there was a dull wax residue that would just not polish off. (see pic-)



However, I reverted back to trying my old Kiwi Parade black polish and it worked a treat first time! The shine just builds and builds. Really pleased with the results after a few minutes of effort -



Has anyone else had problems with the Barker branded polish/wax?

LordGrover

33,531 posts

211 months

Tuesday 23rd September 2014
quotequote all
Can't comment on the Barker products, but I've found a reliable and consistent method for getting a good shine - it takes a little while though.
1. use small brush to remove any surface/superficial dust and dirt.
2. apply polish/cream with a small brush to small sections at a time.
3. wait a while ...
4. use another brush to remove polish
5. softer polishing brush to start buffing
6. use polishing cloth and occasional dabs of water to finish
It's a balls-ache but quite therapeutic - I quite enjoy sitting on the back doorstep on a Sunday morning cleaning and polishing my shoes. paperbag

soad

32,829 posts

175 months

Tuesday 23rd September 2014
quotequote all
LordGrover said:
Can't comment on the Barker products, but I've found a reliable and consistent method for getting a good shine - it takes a little while though.
1. use small brush to remove any surface/superficial dust and dirt.
2. apply polish/cream with a small brush to small sections at a time.
3. wait a while ...
4. use another brush to remove polish
5. softer polishing brush to start buffing
6. use polishing cloth and occasional dabs of water to finish
It's a balls-ache but quite therapeutic - I quite enjoy sitting on the back doorstep on a Sunday morning cleaning and polishing my shoes. paperbag
How long does that take you? Far simpler to employ a butler, shirley. wink

LordGrover

33,531 posts

211 months

Tuesday 23rd September 2014
quotequote all
Sound advice from the masters here: youtube.

DoubleSix

11,691 posts

175 months

Tuesday 23rd September 2014
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FreeLitres said:
I am tempted by the stick on rubbers to make them more winter friendly.

However, I was browsing another forum and there was a bit of snobbery regarding stick on rubber sole covers. They said it looks ugly and takes away the benefits of having a leather sole (breath-ability, moulding around your foot, etc). Also, they said that the shoe makers will refuse to change the leather sole if it has a stick-on.

Any truth to these points?
It's not just snobbery though.

All the points above are true. It's akin to wrapping you sofa in clear plastic, you lose the benefit of aesthetic and feel.

Breathability is an important benefit.



EggsBenedict

1,770 posts

173 months

Tuesday 30th September 2014
quotequote all
Use shoe trees (cedar as before), or newspaper (as before - but you really need to cram this in).

Look in you tube for 'bulling shoes' if you want a good shine - there's a vid with James May in it (perhaps LG has linked to this above, can't tell at work as YT is banned). Just use Kiwi black (for black shoes, obvs), the parade gloss stuff has parafin in it which although shiny, isn't that good for the shoes. Other than that, it's a really soft cloth (a jewellers cloth - ebay search for Selvyt), time, and elbow grease. With a decent amount of time and effort, you should be able to see your face in them.