Sole Oil

[The Knize]

Is there a substitute for Saphir sole oil? Hopefully one more easily available and cheaper. I suppose I can get the Saphir for $34 on Amazon. It seems to be cheaper other places, but those sources that I see are overseas and the shipping and delay a factor.

Judging by the Google results, neatsfoot oil may work, but I do not see that actually stated anywhere. The Saphir sole oil says it is vegetable. I suppose one might ask if they could just get out the Wesson, but I do not think I am up for trying that, yet.

I, like johnniegold, really like the Saphir. And a bottle lasts a long time. But I am about ready for a new bottle and I thought I would check into alternatives.

 

[Dogrescuer]

My 2 cents, I love Saphir polish. Pricey, definitely.

 

[Barley]

This might work for you, but do your own due diligence

Amazon.com

 

[blantyre]

Saphir is probably the way to go - their products seem to be very well developed for task at hand. I use neatsfoot oil on some brush handles. It’s rather “greasy” - it might permeate better if it’s warmed up a bit to thin it out.

Maybe it’s time for decants? I still have a few frags from the days of bottle splits - some even took place legally on B&B! Of course you really want to get the original bottle, not a blue glass screw top from the local craft store. I won’t tell if you pm anyone.

 

[The Knize]

This might work for you, but do your own due diligence

Amazon.com

Thanks. Does not talk about using it on soles. I do not know whether there would be any negatives to using it hat way or not!

Saphir is probably the way to go - their products seem to be very well developed for task at hand. I use neatsfoot oil on some brush handles. It’s rather “greasy” - it might permeate better if it’s warmed up a bit to thin it out.

I suppose it is not like I cannot afford the Saphir sole oil and it seems easy enough to get these days. I do not want to end up with something on my good dress shoes that I will regret. So I guess Saphir it is until I get some expert and/or experienced advice that something else works as well. Seems odd that there is not more on the internet about this. Surely I am not the first one to have this question.

I do like using the Saphir sole oil. I think it probably does prolong sole life. And I hate having walked on a marginally wet surface and then have the inside bottoms of my shoes and my socks be damp.

 

[The Knize]

There is at least on other "sole oil" out there. See Leather Sole Oil | 1049-us - https://www.colourlock.com/Leather-Sole-Oil/1049-us/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw7-SvBhB6EiwAwYdCATHt8PAmRPUNwV2HB05dtj_4nJc8Nd7bmT78hDaH6TsQfJH0BeF-hBoCDK8QAvD_BwE But it is less available and not much better priced. I know know nothing about it.

When one Googles "sole oil" neatsfoot oil comes up in the results along with some other oils. But have yet to find anything within the actual result that talks about using these products as "sole oil." The are some products for painting or dyeing leather soles, I think mostly for cosmetic purposes not water proofing, and I do not necessarily want colored shoe soles anyway, although some of the folks on You Tube do interesting things in coloring shoe soles. Maybe I do want colored soles!

 

[The Knize]

Here is an example of a product for dyeing or painting the soles of shoes. Angelus Walk on Black - https://angelusdirect.com/products/angelus-walk-on-black It comes in red, too. I cannot tell whether it has a waterproofing function. From various text I have the impression it is intended to made soles last a bit longer, and to touch up shoes that came with colored soles in the first place.

I guess my impression is that painting the soles of my shoes black might well make them seem cheaper, as if the paint was there to cover up inferior materials. The red seems too attention getting, and I guess folks would think I was trying to pretend I was wearing Christian Louboutin brand shoes! There are men's shoe in that brand, it turns out. I do not think it is a brand I wouild be trying to fake.

 

[ZeelandsRoem]

I’ve had the same question some time ago. Saphir sole oil is a lot cheaper on this side of the pond, but I was still curious what kind of oil they use.

I have used Saphir for many years because it increases the flexibility of the sole and the grip a bit as well.

Now, with neatsfoot oil, I did not see any improvements in the grip but the opposite, they felt more slippery.

Curious if you find a viable alternative.

 

[The Knize]

I’ve had the same question some time ago. Saphir sole oil is a lot cheaper on this side of the pond, but I was still curious what kind of oil they use.

I have used Saphir for many years because it increases the flexibility of the sole and the grip a bit as well.

Now, with neatsfoot oil, I did not see any improvements in the grip but the opposite, they felt more slippery.

Curious if you find a viable alternative.

Thanks! That is exactly what I was looking for. To take advantage of someone else's good or bad experiences. Makes sense to me that neatsfoot oil would be more slippery and I sure do not want that. Thanks. I would not have thought of that!

I had not thought about flexibility either. I would think that oil would prolong the life of the leather. Seems to me that when I have applied the Saphir to new shoes the soles really soak it up, as if they had really dried out. I would think that any kind of leather is worse off without any kind of conditioning.

I will certainly post on B&B if I find a viable alternative and any experiences I have or knowledge I gain along the way. Thanks again.

 

[The Knize]

the grip a bit as well.

I was thinking about what you wrote and I think grippiness is a good thing to take into account. Aside from being thirsty for conditioning I think I remember the last couple of pairs of leather soled shoes I got being very slippery at first. Some of that is from being very smooth before the soles get roughed up a bit from being worn. But I do think applying some sole oil made them considerably less slippery. I am getting kind of old. It would be embarrassing to sprain an ankle or take a header just because I was wearing new shoes.

Anyone remember back in the day wearing Weejuns with real leather heels? Even after the soles and heels got roughed up a bit they were dangerous on a shiny floor.

 

[ZeelandsRoem]

I remember the last couple of pairs of leather soled shoes I got being very slippery at first. Some of that is from being very smooth before the soles get roughed up a bit from being worn

Some leather soles are more slippery than others.

What I do with every new sole is to remove every finishing product that was applied on the areas which come in contact with the floors. For that, I either use a sanding sponge, a palm sander or a multitool with a sandpaper on.

Be careful when using power tools, you can quickly remove leather if you use too much pressure, speed and low grit abrasive. Idea is to remove only the top layer which is covering the leather.

 

[musicman1951]

I’ve had the same question some time ago. Saphir sole oil is a lot cheaper on this side of the pond, but I was still curious what kind of oil they use.

I'm on a river cruise in France this May (Lyon to Avignon), maybe I will find one of those cheaper bottles.

 

[The Knize]

Some leather soles are more slippery than others.

What I do with every new sole is to remove every finishing product that was applied on the areas which come in contact with the floors. For that, I either use a sanding sponge, a palm sander or a multitool with a sandpaper on.

Be careful when using power tools, you can quickly remove leather if you use too much pressure, speed and low grit abrasive. Idea is to remove only the top layer which is covering the leather.

Probably good advice that I will end up neglecting to do. You can laugh at me when I break an ankle!

In my experience leather soled shoes rough up enough to no longer be exceptionally slippery fairly quickly, but I admit that I have had some disconcerting slips wearing new shoes in recent years. I have been buying mostly Beckett Simonon (sp?). The soles do seem to come especially slip and "dry." Otherwise I have had excellent luck with BS. I like them as much as I like AEs, which is going some.

I did find an article that talked about putting mink oil on soles.

 

[The Knize]

There is at least on other "sole oil" out there. See Leather Sole Oil | 1049-us - https://www.colourlock.com/Leather-Sole-Oil/1049-us/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw7-SvBhB6EiwAwYdCATHt8PAmRPUNwV2HB05dtj_4nJc8Nd7bmT78hDaH6TsQfJH0BeF-hBoCDK8QAvD_BwE But it is less available and not much better priced. I know know nothing about it.

I ordered a bottle of this stuff and it finally came on Saturday. I am kind of unimpressed so far. The stuff sort of reeks of petroleum and some added scents that seem mostly weird. The smell does dissipate after not too long, though. The instructions are confusing. On-line it says "When using for the first time, apply the leather sole oil sparingly and evenly two to three times without completely soaking the leather. Apply with a cloth or brush until the sole is saturated. Repeat one-coat application two to four times a year." The directions on the bottle say, as I recall, more simply, to saturate the sole leather avoiding the uppers.

Saturate seems like a kind of drastic move compared to the Saphir sole oil, which is a pain in that it calls for multiple light applications, but I do not think I am looking for my dress shoes to be saturated with something that looks and smells like neatsfoot oil to me. It does not seem to make my shoes slippery or anything. And it did seem to absorb enough not to leave oily marks on the floor or anything like that.

I think I will stick to the Saphir over this stuff. It is not that much more expensive.

This stuff does claim to prolong the live of soles. That does make sense to me and the more I use these products the more I think that shoe soles should have some kind of treatment. That hey are generally very dried out and I can't think that is good for any kind of leather's durability. Also, I really do dislike simply waking on we pavement making the insides of my shoes damp. Having show soles soak up water from the street can't be good for the soles or the insides of the shoes.

 

[johnniegold]

I think I will stick to the Saphir over this stuff. It is not that much more expensive.

You want the best, you got the best.

 

[The Knize]

You want the best, you got the best.

I hate to admit it, but I have sort of slipped back to using the Colourlock Sole Oil rather than the Saphir. I hate the way the Colourlock smells, and it seems disturbingly a product obviously derived from petroleum, but it applies more easily and thoroughly, if that makes sense. One can put on a reasonable "coat" of it in one application, which I frequently do first thing in the morning on shoes I intend to wear that day, if I have not treated them with some kind of sole oil recently.

I do not know how you are feeling about sole oil in general these days, Bob, but untreated soles seem very dry to me nowadays, as if untreated they are going to wear out faster or just in general be unhappy, as well as, of course, sopping up water if I walk on any wet surface. So I feel compelled to treat all of my leather soled shoes.

 

[johnniegold]

I hate to admit it, but I have sort of slipped back to using the Colourlock Sole Oil rather than the Saphir. I hate the way the Colourlock smells, and it seems disturbingly a product obviously derived from petroleum, but it applies more easily and thoroughly, if that makes sense. One can put on a reasonable "coat" of it in one application, which I frequently do first thing in the morning on shoes I intend to wear that day, if I have not treated them with some kind of sole oil recently.

I do not know how you are feeling about sole oil in general these days, Bob, but untreated soles seem very dry to me nowadays, as if untreated they are going to wear out faster or just in general be unhappy, as well as, of course, sopping up water if I walk on any wet surface. So I feel compelled to treat all of my leather soled shoes.

The fact that we oil the soles of shoes at all, puts us way ahead of the shoe maintenance game.

 

[The Knize]

The fact that we oil the soles of shoes at all, puts us way ahead of the shoe maintenance game.

I might not have "said that out loud," but that is the way I am feeling. I just don't think that a
piece of leather is happy in the dried out state most shoe soles are in! Good leather is a wonderful thing that deserves good care. I sure knew nothing of sole oil a couple of years ago!

 

[Multum in parvo]

That’s the stuff that I’m using for the first season. Scent is subtle and inoffensive, performance I don’t know yet. 18.85 for 100ml vs. Saphir 26.00

 

[ZeelandsRoem]

18.85 for 100ml vs. Saphir 26.00

The price difference is more than what I would have expected. After a quick search, in the NL (and DE as well), Burgol is 19.99 EUR while Saphir is 20.95 EUR. I remember buying the Saphir for 17 EUR a few years ago though, but that shop doesn't seem to carry it anymore.