DIY Shoe Restoration.with PICS!

[AudioNut]

So I got two hand-me-downs from a family member who was going to throw out some shoes just because "they look used".

They aren't that expensive but I figured it would be fun to bring them back to life with what little know-how I know. They were both in bad shape but still useable.

So I thought it would be fun to share my experience fixing these nice shoes.

Here is what one shoe looked liked after a dry brushing and quick wash with shaving soap followed by some conditioner. The other shoe remains untouched.




This is what they looked like after letting them dry:



Next I applied some brown polish followed by black polish to give it some patina. Other shoe remains untouched.

 

[AudioNut]

I then gave it some patina by applying black polish around the edges and then re-colored the soles. After this, I gave it a good fire and spit shine to end up with this....








Rinse and repeat....





Thanks for reading!

I was actually surprised by how much life I was able to bring back out of them. I'm just happy they are not at the local dump.

 

[johnniegold]

Your family member wants his shoes handed back up.
Great job.

 

[Allegrabene]

That's fantastic. How did you recolor the soles?

 

[MichaeltheRomanHistorian]

Pretty amazing work there and proof that all it takes is a shine to get 'beat up' shoes looking bloody fine again! Wear them in good health!

 

[AudioNut]

Your family member wants his shoes handed back up.
Great job.

Ha! In all honesty, if he would want them back, I'd gladly hand them back over.

That's fantastic. How did you recolor the soles?

The soles were really beat up. All I did was use this:


I applied it very carefully being sure not to get it on the leather. Two applications did the trick.

Pretty amazing work there and proof that all it takes is a shine to get 'beat up' shoes looking bloody fine again! Wear them in good health!

Thanks! I plan on wearing them soon when I'm with the family again. Today, I'm sporting these clunky guys...

Pre-restoration....


What they look like now...


Yup...these were also going to the dump...

 

[malocchio]

Great job !!

 

[StillShaving]

Nice work on both pairs. Great that you took the initiative to breath a second wind into those shoes instead of throwing them out.

 

[AudioNut]

So...uncle heard about and saw what I did with the above shoes.

Got these for free just "to see what magic you can do".

Here they are:



Dusty, dry, and dirty...


After cleaning, patination, polish and restoration...

(One of the left is finished....)

Needless to say, I'm very happy with the results. The look and feel high-class now. However, I am not as happy and satisfied as I am with the "Freeman" restoration. ;-)

I'll post the "Freeman" restoration soon....

 

[Boro62]

wow!!! i didn't think this was possible! I am definitely looking forward to the "freeman" restoration you speak of!

 

[Rorpen86]

My wife is going to be a little upset with you when I start bringing home old shoes to restore. Nice work!!