Basic Shoe Care Advice Needed

[dgreene120]

I finally ordered some shoes from the AE Shoe Bank (pics below). They are a step up for me from the cheap shoes I've been buying in the past and I'd like to take care of them properly, so that they last a good long while. I've been searching around and am a bit overwhelmed with the amount of shoe care information out there. I'm not looking for spit shine, light the polish on fire, buffing with a dremel, etc. techniques, but was wondering if you guys had some basic tips for keeping new shoes looking good and in good condition, including recommendations for any polish, etc. that you think might be good to have. Thanks!

 

[01HDFXD]

I wipe the shoes with a slightly damp cloth to remove dirt and dust. Then I let them sit for a while so any moisture can evaporate. Then I use a shoe cream (usually Proppert's) rather than a wax.

 

[jpakstis]

Those are nice shoes. This is what I do: buff with a shoe brush to remove dirt. Then I apply leather conditioner with a cloth (i.e. leftover t-shirt) to keep the leather pliable and supple. I make sure to condition the leather soles to my shoes as well. Then I apply cream polish and then buff again with a brush to even out the cream and shine it up a bit. My goal isn't to get the shoes to a mirror shine but just to get the shoe looking nice and uniform in color without any "brush strokes" remaining. It takes about 10-15 minutes all told with all of my pairs of shoes.

AE has shoe cream tubes with a foam applicator at the tip; that streamlines it even further.

 

[Merle]

I learned the nack of polishing while in the Navy.
Daily use: After damp cloth cleaning, or just a good brushing after each wear, place your shoes on cedar shoe trees at least the first day after wear. (Best care is to have trees for each and every shoe you want to keep well.)

When your shoes are new or you find you deep scuffs or scrapes, to add polish.
Apply a bit thick. Not crazy thick, just darken the leather well to create a good base with a dab brush.
Smooth this in and remove excess with your large horse hair buffing brush. You can come up to a very nice satin/base gloss just with this.
To have an exceptional glass shine on your toe tip and heel, water polish with a soft cloth to glaze.

After that, maintenance is light soft buffing with the large brush, stretch on your cedar over night. A good habit is don't wear them every day. Just like a shave brush, a day or two off does wonders to extend the life.

In this way I've had to replace soles more often than uppers over the past 25 years. That is a very nice feeling on the feet, worth discovering at least once in life.

Enjoy your new investment!

 

[Jarick]

Allen Edmonds sells some shoe care products that you could try for simplicity.

I would get:

- Cedar shoe trees (split toe)
- Black shoe polish (the cream version like AE sells)
- Horsehair shoe brush
- Polishing cloths (or old T-shirts)

After you take off your shoes, put the cedar trees in them to absorb moisture and help keep their shape. Then brush off any dirt. Maybe once a week or every couple weeks, rub some of the polish into the shoes with the cloths to keep them conditioned.

 

[Edcculus]

how do you buy shoes off of the shoe bank? After you search, do you just have to call the store?

 

[malocchio]

http://www.theshoesnobblog.com/polish-your-shoes-properly

 

[jpakstis]

how do you buy shoes off of the shoe bank? After you search, do you just have to call the store?

You can call just about any store or the "main" Shoe Bank store in Port Washington, Wisconsin; I believe that any salesperson can handle the transaction. You can also conduct the transaction over email, but I have found that the easiest way is to call someone. I don't know if someone in one of their mainline stores could do it though.

I haven't ordered any shoes since the Shoe Bank website came about, but I used to just call the Port Washington store and order through them.

 

[dgreene120]

how do you buy shoes off of the shoe bank? After you search, do you just have to call the store?

As noted, you can call any of the stores that have the shoe you like in stock (or presumably the main number). Alternatively, you can send an email with your contact info and they'll call you back in a day or so. They'll do the transaction over the phone and, from what I can tell, then ship by FedEx ground (no charge) the next day.

 

[Edcculus]

Thanks for the info! I'm about to pick up my first ever pair of AEs as well, so this thread is timely. I'm going to be in Charleston SC over the weekend. They have a AE Second store at the outlet mall. I was going to go there to get a good idea on sizing first, and hopefully pick up a pair if they have what I want.

 

[dgreene120]

Thanks for the info! I'm about to pick up my first ever pair of AEs as well, so this thread is timely. I'm going to be in Charleston SC over the weekend. They have a AE Second store at the outlet mall. I was going to go there to get a good idea on sizing first, and hopefully pick up a pair if they have what I want.

I'm jealous that you get to go to a an actual store. I'm hoping to get to one in the Panhandle on a work trip soon. Looking forward to hearing about your visit and seeing what you select!

 

[Edcculus]

I'll be sure to report back. I should be going tomorrow morning.

 

[Edcculus]

I made it to the AE store today. The guy in the store was great and helped me get a good fit. I ended up with a pair of Daltons in chestnut. I'll share pics tomorrow. They are currently packed in my suitcase for a 6:30 am flight to Rochester.

 

[Talon77]

Cedar shoe trees are a MUST!
This is the best guide I have found. http://www.hangerproject.com/shoe-care-guide/basic-shoe-care-guide/
Also, Saphir products are a bit pricey, but WELL worth it! Although I'd recommend the AE cream polish, you should get the Saphir Renovateur to maintain leather quality. As a broke college student, I was hesitant until I got some as a PIF and then saved for 3 months to get a set of Saphir products.

 

[Edcculus]

As promised, here are pictures. Honestly, they do not do these shoes justice. They are absolutely beautiful.









The service at the Charleston store couldn't have been better. If anyone is in the Charleston area, or is visiting I highly suggest getting to the store. A friendly guy named Jay helped me, and seemed to really know his stuff. I ended up getting them for $271 due to a 20% discount on a single item offered by the Tanger Outlet that AE honored. The salesman actually told me to go pick up the coupon in the Food Court before he rang me up. I threw in a pair of shoe trees, conditioner/cleaner and some walnut cream polish and still came out ahead of the normal $339 price on these Daltons at the outlet/seconds stores.

The only flight I was able to get today put me in Rochester around noon. After checking in, and driving around town a bit, I ended up bored back at my hotel. I went ahead and gave them the treatment exactly as the site Talon77 linked to. The pictures are after one treatment with the conditioner, then 3 rounds with the polish as the site prescribed.

I'm dying to wear these, but apparently it just dumped more snow last night in Rochester. Not sure if I want to take these directly out in to the snow and salt.

 

[Jarick]

Beautiful boots. Killer price.

 

[LanceM]

Get a few horse hair brushes. One for each color and one to use to do a light brush after wearing. Use shoe trees. I typically use a damp cloth and wipe the shoes down and let dry. Then apply leather lotion or leather lotion/cleaner and let dry. Then do a coat using AE premium polish, brush and then buff.

 

[jkingrph]

I have those same boots, color is listed as walnut burnished calf. I also have pairs in chocolate brown and a med grey All were purchased direct from AE online as they have no stores near me. I am strongly considering dying the grey to a cordovan or oxblood color as those colors would go with my style better. I also had a pair of the Longbranch, a similar looking boot, heavier, with a Vibram sole, and in a grey distressed leather. The leather appeared to have a cut or break in flex point on the toe, so they wanted them back, and sent a pair that had a defect in the heel. By that point they were out of the distressed grey, so I wound up with a pair in their golden brown which I like much better. I honestly bought the grey for bad weather because the price was so good, and ended up with what I actually wanted.

As far as brushes, I have two large ones, one for black and very dark brown, cordovan ect, the other for tans and light brown.