Show us your SHOES !!!

guitarmasta12 said:

Okay so those shoes I bought need to some help looking fine again. What do I need to bring the leather back to life?

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I am not sure they can be totally made wearable, but if you can find some cadillac boot and shoe care.....it is a conditioner that works very well. If you cannot find it, I guess the next best thing would be some lexol. It must be a thin conditioner so it can soak into the leather. You will need to literally pour conditioner into those shoes, try to drown them. Let it soak in for over night, use your hand and get some up into all areas all around the entire inside of the shoes. Do the same on the outside. Put conditioner on them like they are on fire and the conditioner will put the fire out. Seriously. I would avoid even moving the leather, bending it.....let is soak up conditioner for some time. You can rub the leather to try to rub the conditioner in....but I would be careful to not bend the leather for a few days. You will know the shoes will feel soft and pliable....the leather will feel soaked rather than dry. Let them sit soaking. Apply conditioner. If I had those shoes, I would use one complete bottle on them. They will use that much at least. You will be amazed at how dry leather can and will soak up conditioner. if you do all this, THEN shove some shoe trees in the shoes. See how they look then. Check the rear seam of the ankle of the shoe. Make sure all that has not "collapsed" from someone not using a shoe horn while putting the shoes on. If nothing is ripped or split and you can use some shoe trees and tighten it up and pull some of the wrinkles in the top of the shoes....then wipe them off and polish. Wipe the insides as well. Take some pictures please and post them here. I would love to see what happens after you have done all this and see what the results have been.


Leather can last more than a hundred years IF it has been conditioned properly.

I love old victorian boots. BUT most of them the leather has actually decomposed some place on the boots, the most common place around the lacing areas. I recently purchased a pair that had never been worn, at least a hundred years old. They fit great and I thought I could condition them enough to wear....but all near the lacing area inside the boots, the leather was so bad, it would simply crumble if I laced them up. I will post some pictures later.

LuvMyMan said:

I am not sure they can be totally made wearable, but if you can find some cadillac boot and shoe care.....it is a conditioner that works very well. If you cannot find it, I guess the next best thing would be some lexol. It must be a thin conditioner so it can soak into the leather. You will need to literally pour conditioner into those shoes, try to drown them. Let it soak in for over night, use your hand and get some up into all areas all around the entire inside of the shoes. Do the same on the outside. Put conditioner on them like they are on fire and the conditioner will put the fire out. Seriously. I would avoid even moving the leather, bending it.....let is soak up conditioner for some time. You can rub the leather to try to rub the conditioner in....but I would be careful to not bend the leather for a few days. You will know the shoes will feel soft and pliable....the leather will feel soaked rather than dry. Let them sit soaking. Apply conditioner. If I had those shoes, I would use one complete bottle on them. They will use that much at least. You will be amazed at how dry leather can and will soak up conditioner. if you do all this, THEN shove some shoe trees in the shoes. See how they look then. Check the rear seam of the ankle of the shoe. Make sure all that has not "collapsed" from someone not using a shoe horn while putting the shoes on. If nothing is ripped or split and you can use some shoe trees and tighten it up and pull some of the wrinkles in the top of the shoes....then wipe them off and polish. Wipe the insides as well. Take some pictures please and post them here. I would love to see what happens after you have done all this and see what the results have been.


Leather can last more than a hundred years IF it has been conditioned properly.

I love old victorian boots. BUT most of them the leather has actually decomposed some place on the boots, the most common place around the lacing areas. I recently purchased a pair that had never been worn, at least a hundred years old. They fit great and I thought I could condition them enough to wear....but all near the lacing area inside the boots, the leather was so bad, it would simply crumble if I laced them up. I will post some pictures later.

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thanks for the tip. i am a man of restoring old things... I fix up old typewriters and make them work again. I do minor hat work. and this will just add to what i can do. i cant wait to make these shoes great again.

guitarmasta12 said:

Okay so those shoes I bought need to some help looking fine again. What do I need to bring the leather back to life?

Click to expand...

Honestly, learn the lesson and move on. They are not from the 1950's, and the original quality was mediocre at best. They are too worn out to revive in any effective way.

Corrected grain leather does not accept conditioner. It's even a waste of time to try.

LuvMyMan said:

I am not sure they can be totally made wearable, but if you can find some cadillac boot and shoe care.....it is a conditioner that works very well. If you cannot find it, I guess the next best thing would be some lexol. It must be a thin conditioner so it can soak into the leather. You will need to literally pour conditioner into those shoes, try to drown them. Let it soak in for over night, use your hand and get some up into all areas all around the entire inside of the shoes. Do the same on the outside. Put conditioner on them like they are on fire and the conditioner will put the fire out. Seriously. I would avoid even moving the leather, bending it.....let is soak up conditioner for some time. You can rub the leather to try to rub the conditioner in....but I would be careful to not bend the leather for a few days. You will know the shoes will feel soft and pliable....the leather will feel soaked rather than dry. Let them sit soaking. Apply conditioner. If I had those shoes, I would use one complete bottle on them. They will use that much at least. You will be amazed at how dry leather can and will soak up conditioner. if you do all this, THEN shove some shoe trees in the shoes. See how they look then. Check the rear seam of the ankle of the shoe. Make sure all that has not "collapsed" from someone not using a shoe horn while putting the shoes on. If nothing is ripped or split and you can use some shoe trees and tighten it up and pull some of the wrinkles in the top of the shoes....then wipe them off and polish. Wipe the insides as well. Take some pictures please and post them here. I would love to see what happens after you have done all this and see what the results have been.


Leather can last more than a hundred years IF it has been conditioned properly.

I love old victorian boots. BUT most of them the leather has actually decomposed some place on the boots, the most common place around the lacing areas. I recently purchased a pair that had never been worn, at least a hundred years old. They fit great and I thought I could condition them enough to wear....but all near the lacing area inside the boots, the leather was so bad, it would simply crumble if I laced them up. I will post some pictures later.

Click to expand...

guitarmasta12 said:

thanks for the tip. i am a man of restoring old things... I fix up old typewriters and make them work again. I do minor hat work. and this will just add to what i can do. i cant wait to make these shoes great again.

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Really, you should just toss these and start with a decent pair of real vintage shoes in decent condition. Luvmyman knows her stuff... but all those strategies ONLY work if you're starting with something of quality... and sadly tht's not what ypou have. I understand wanting to make them work, but your time, effort and money is better spent elsewhere.

Luvmyman, all vintage shoes I have are half lined with linen. When soaking them in conditioner, du you also soak the linen? And if yes, how do you get the fabric clean again?

Rudie said:

Luvmyman, all vintage shoes I have are half lined with linen. When soaking them in conditioner, du you also soak the linen? And if yes, how do you get the fabric clean again?

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Yes, we have the same interior of shoes here, you just go ahead and soak them all up. After the conditioner soaks in, just let it dry a day or so, take a clean clothe and wipe the inside of the shoe out. The linen will be just fine. I personally think it helps the linen by using the cadillac on it, the same as it does the leather. Brings some moisture in the right way into the material, gets rid of how dry and brittle it can be. However, I would strongly suggest you use a spray in the shoes before you do that. Some anti bacterial spray.

I should add that the conditioner is a cleaner as much as a conditioner. So it will actually help clean the inside of the shoes when you use it that way. I pour into the shoes the conditioner, and them use my fingers to rub and work the conditioner into the back side of the tops of the shoes, turning the shoe upside down. If the thin heel pad that normally has the name/brand label of the shoe is glued and comes unglued due to conditioner, I just re glue that back into place with a small dab of some contact cement such as barge.

Isshinryu101 said:

Honestly, learn the lesson and move on. They are not from the 1950's, and the original quality was mediocre at best. They are too worn out to revive in any effective way.

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I think what you are saying is that some leather shoes have a "coating" that seals the leather on the outside of the shoe. When you feel that leather, it feels like a plastic/wax coating on it. Many shoes from the 1960's and newer have that process. More than likely shoe factories did that to make the lesser quality leather be a bit "tuffer". True corrected grain leather is leather that has been sanded smooth to help hide irregularities. I make mention of this per what I have read that such a practice has been around since leather has been processed for shoes, and I think maybe even for more than a hundred years, I would have to look it up again. But what has happened over time, that leather with imperfections, started to have a coating put on it during processing.

If you wanted to use a conditioner on the shoes, even with corrected grain (coated) and you leave it on the shoes for a long period of time, and pour it in the shoes to get the back side of the leather, it will eventually soften and condition the leather. But you still have a plastic coated pair of shoes, and such is not as high a quality of shoes are normal shoe leather would be. Some shoe/leather conditioner will help even the corrected grain as the plastic does become brittle and crack when it gets dried out.

Another "tip" for shoes...the old crepe sole shoes.....you can use cadillac on the soles to help make them not crack or get too brittle....but... there is another product that will really help bring old crepe sole shoes back to life. It is a clear silicone spray that is normally used for automotive trim. A light coat of that on crepe soles and it brings them back to life in no time at all. You have to wipe the excess silicone off the soles after treating them, and you will note they will sort of "bleed" off the silicone for awhile, so wipe them a few times before wearing them.

Isshinryu101 said:

Really, you should just toss these and start with a decent pair of real vintage shoes in decent condition. Luvmyman knows her stuff... but all those strategies ONLY work if you're starting with something of quality... and sadly tht's not what ypou have. I understand wanting to make them work, but your time, effort and money is better spent elsewhere.

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I am not sure what he will do, but what ever the case may be, learning to use a conditioner is a positive step in shoe care. I am also going to help find him a decent pair of shoes.....and then walk him through step by step on what to do to bring the shoe up to "par". I am going to have him take a peek at what you have on ebay....as all of your shoes are top notch. Even "window shopping" looking at what shoes you have for sale can give him (and anyone) a good tour of what to buy, what to seek out when trying to find a good high quality shoe. If you have something in his size, I will certainly suggest he makes a purchase also. That is a super nice thing as you have such a fantastic variety of shoes, some of the nicest looking vintage shoes for sale. And a few super high end shoes as well.

Learning is something we all have had to do. And there is always something new to learn all the time when it comes to shoes. I also agree, that to start out with a decent pair of shoes is the way to go. That way money spent is well spent and not just tossed for something not worth it.

LuvMyMan, thank you very much. I never dared to soak the fabric as well up till now. This is probably going to shorten the process considerably.

LuvMyMan said:

I think what you are saying is that some leather shoes have a "coating" that seals the leather on the outside of the shoe. When you feel that leather, it feels like a plastic/wax coating on it. Many shoes from the 1960's and newer have that process. More than likely shoe factories did that to make the lesser quality leather be a bit "tuffer". True corrected grain leather is leather that has been sanded smooth to help hide irregularities. I make mention of this per what I have read that such a practice has been around since leather has been processed for shoes, and I think maybe even for more than a hundred years, I would have to look it up again. But what has happened over time, that leather with imperfections, started to have a coating put on it during processing.

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Actually, corrected grain leather is cheaper leather with imperfections. PLASTIC is added to the leather in order to hide them. Not just a coating, but plastic. Corrected grain just doesn't take conditioner well at all. Once the plastic material in the leather creases, the creases stay... and they are pronounced. They are actually good for rain and bad weather because staining is difficult as well, but they must be treed from the start. Once creased badly... game over.

LuvMyMan said:

I am not sure what he will do, but what ever the case may be, learning to use a conditioner is a positive step in shoe care. I am also going to help find him a decent pair of shoes.....and then walk him through step by step on what to do to bring the shoe up to "par". I am going to have him take a peek at what you have on ebay....as all of your shoes are top notch. Even "window shopping" looking at what shoes you have for sale can give him (and anyone) a good tour of what to buy, what to seek out when trying to find a good high quality shoe. If you have something in his size, I will certainly suggest he makes a purchase also. That is a super nice thing as you have such a fantastic variety of shoes, some of the nicest looking vintage shoes for sale. And a few super high end shoes as well.

Learning is something we all have had to do. And there is always something new to learn all the time when it comes to shoes. I also agree, that to start out with a decent pair of shoes is the way to go. That way money spent is well spent and not just tossed for something not worth it.

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You are too kind... as always.

mattface said:

Just won a pair of Allen Edmonds Shell Cordovan Macneils off ebay. The pictures weren't very good which i think helped keep the price down, but I'm betting they look pretty good in person. If not i got them cheap enough to justify recrafting. I'm planning to use them as my wedding shoes. Will definitely post better pictures when I get them.

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Really? No one is excited about my shell score? [huh] :cry:

Shoes....the shell finish.....

mattface said:

Rally? No one is excited about my shell score? [huh] :cry:

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Hello Kiddo! I was wanting to say something, but as always I can get my thoughts going on someone's need for help and forget what was going on elsewhere.

I would saddle soap those shoes......and condition like crazy....then shoe tree to get the creasing out some......and then one thin coat of clear wax gloss polish. They would be really nice looking then and fit to wear for any event! I think you have a very nice pair of shoes. Not sure how old those are, but I also know the older AE shoes were built much better and weighed more than the newer shoes. Maybe you are really lucky and have some older one's there!?!

LuvMyMan said:

Hello Kiddo! I was wanting to say something, but as always I can get my thoughts going on someone's need for help and forget what was going on elsewhere.

I would saddle soap those shoes......and condition like crazy....then shoe tree to get the creasing out some......and then one thin coat of clear wax gloss polish. They would be really nice looking then and fit to wear for any event! I think you have a very nice pair of shoes. Not sure how old those are, but I also know the older AE shoes were built much better and weighed more than the newer shoes. Maybe you are really lucky and have some older one's there!?!

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Actually from what I'm reading, saddle soap is not recommended for shell cordovan, and over-conditioning is not suppossed to be good either, but other than that that's just what I intend to do. I'm definitely going to throw the trees in them right way, then hit them with a light coat of venetian cream and buff the hell out of them, then a very thin coat of Allen Edmonds cordovan cream and buff the hell out of them some more. Add some proper laces, and I expect that'll do it, but if they need resoling, or if the finish doesn't come up the way I want it, I can send them into AE for recrafting, and they will relast, resole, refinish, and send them back almost as good as new, but you know significantly less expensive than new.

Also really not sure what's going on with the trees in the picture, but clearly the seller didn't know how to use a shoe tree. Tracking says they are out for delivery, so I guess I'll know a lot more tonight!

They came today. Aside from the fact that the seller had slathered them in brown polish, they are really in excellent shape. Plenty of life left in the soles. Lots of elbow grease, and a little venetian cream and they are coming up nicely. Allen edmonds cordovan cream and new laces will put the finishing touch on them.

Good work, Matt. They are shaping up nicely!

When's the wedding?

mattface said:

They came today. Aside from the fact that the seller had slathered them in brown polish, they are really in excellent shape. Plenty of life left in the soles. Lots of elbow grease, and a little venetian cream and they are coming up nicely. Allen edmonds cordovan cream and new laces will put the finishing touch on them.

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Really nice! I like what you have done with them.


I normally always saddle soap any shoe, or boot, but my method is not what some instructions on the soap container suggests. I use it to just wash off a shoe both inside and out. Not much water and use a wash clothe, wash just like washing your face, and then rinse the outside with water, mop out the inside with a damp clean clothe, then condition. I have not heard to with hold conditioner from shell. It can dry and crack after time, and do so more than likely at any creasing the surface of the finish of the shell could suffer. But you used a decent product on them, and can gauge what they may need from you having them "in hand"..(or on the foot)!

Good evening Matt. Congarts on the gunboats. These gunboat styles are of my fav style of shoe to wear about.

I do not tune into this thread with the same frequency as "What Hat are You Wearing," but I wanted to say congrats!

I truly have been enjoying wearing shell gunboats. I received a pair of vintage shell shoes from Issinyru101 almost a year ago. Venetian creme (liberally) and brushing are the care that I have been giving the shoes. No more, no less. They look better, to my eye, than when I received them from our esteemed vintage shoe expert. Better in that they have been worn and yet show no-wear for the worse. Like all of us I love a pristine shoe, but I enjoy even more wearing the vintage styles. I bet I have worn them 60+ times this past year. The shell does show folds, but the oiled leather comes "smooth" with shoes trees in the evening. The folds are aging character that smooths with the correct shoe tree and drying out. I have not added creek or wax polish t the shoes this past year and they have benefited from my discipline. It has taken a ton of discipline to not polish them. I was cautioned by the seller and others not to over polish. They have proven themselves correct. Last week I added some creme polish and liberal brushing. They glisten and look sweet. The downside, keep them from any astringents, alcohol stains and of course nicks and dings. I have received a ding in a toe and used the spoon method and brushing and the shoe looks no worse for the wear. In fact I can not see the previous mentioned ding.

Condition the inside - I have wiped them with Venetian creme inside and wiped them clean after wards. I have no idea if it did it good, but know that it certainly did no harm.

Saddle soap - I was cautioned against using saddle soap by my usual cobbler. It was advised to clean with a minimal of soap and water and then use conditioner. I was told especially with the shell the saddle soap does not work. The shell is impregnated with tons of oils and stuff already. The brushing can draw the impregnated substrates out as well as smooth the hide surface. The horse hide can be very dense, but yet be malleable.

In case I have not mentioned it enough in public THANKS Vintage Shoe Expert - Issinyru101 for trusting me to provide a good home to vintage shoes.

Enjoy the gunboats with the special leather. Congrats on the upcoming wedding. Getting married was one of the smartest things I ever did.

Best, Eric -

mattface said:

They came today. Aside from the fact that the seller had slathered them in brown polish, they are really in excellent shape. Plenty of life left in the soles. Lots of elbow grease, and a little venetian cream and they are coming up nicely. Allen edmonds cordovan cream and new laces will put the finishing touch on them.

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Oh snap...I did forget to make mention. Congrats on getting married soon. I know you are a really super good person, have to wish you and your soon to be wife, all the best! Take a few pictures please and share with us if you can. Thanks so very much!