Kittens Love Patent Leather

[Rachael]

okay, so last night was my company Christmas party so I broke out the vintage dress and the patent pumps. we had a wonderful time which was great.

the not great part was after we got home. I was sitting here minding my own business when I heard a suspicious sound in the corner. I looked over to see my adorable kittens chewing on my Franco Sartos. They have scratch marks all over one heel and both toes. Because these are patent leather, the scratches are very obvious.

Would a shoe repair shop be able to do anything to help? Because I paid a pretty penny for them, I don't want to donate them to charity but I can't wear them in their current state.

HELP!

 

[Edward]

I feel your pain. My beloved reclining leather armchair bears many a scratch mark from Marlene's early days... I'd try a competent shoe repairer, they might be able to help. While the cratches are more obvious on patent, you may find it paradoxically easier to hide them with the right scaratch-cover product. As a short term fix, I might be tempted to try a matching shade of enamel paint?

 

[Cody Pendant]

Bad Kitty!

Are the scratches just on the finish or are they into the leather? If its just surface scratches you may be able to make a serviceable repair.
Most modern patent leather has a urethane based finish. You could try a clear gloss urethane paint to cover the scratched areas. Clean the leather first with isopropyl alcohol to remove any wax and dirt. Try a very small artists brush to apply it into the scratches to fill them in. If necessary, you could mask off an area around the toe and heel with tape and spray a light coat over the top to blend in the damage, to restore a uniform and smooth finish. If the damage is deeper and has ruined the color, you could try gloss black (my asumption, as per above post use matching color if different) paint or nail polish on the damaged areas with a very small artist brush, let dry, and then do the clear coat. I have to fix my ballroom shoes from time to time and it works for me. (standard disclaimer: Your mileage may vary.)

 

[Rachael]

the scratches aren't too deep. thank you so much for the advice!