I got to bring these side zip Bates back to life via some conditioning with Venetian Shoe Cream and a high shine with layers, and layers, […]
High Shine For Bates GX-8 Boots
I got to bring these side zip Bates back to life via some conditioning with Venetian Shoe Cream and a high shine with layers, and layers, of Lincoln wax polish. How do you get a high (glossy) shine? It’s all about the layers… A. Spread a LIGHT coat of wax polish over the toe area of the boot. (It’s usually just […]
Read moreYup. You Can Paint Leather
I didn’t like the look of these plain brown and plain black shoes, and the brown ones weren’t taking polish well. So I ordered some Acrylic paints from Angelusdirect.com and painted them. The paint is mixable, flexible, and dries quickly. I’m pretty happy with the overall results. BEFORE AFTER
Read moreWhy Clean New Stuff?
I bought a brand new leather wrist cuff at a #PrideMonth event last week. It’s a deep brown with buckles and rings and stuff and ooh, I love it! The first thing I did when I got it home though was clean it. WHY CLEAN SOMETHING THAT’S BRAND NEW? Just because leather shoes, cuffs, belts, and what have you are […]
Read moreBeautiful Bass Tassels
I got to revive a couple of nice Bass tassel loafers this past weekend. They’re identical pairs except one is black and the other burgundy. Since they’re made of smooth leather I gave them a bit of a shine after the standard cleaning and conditioning. BEFORE STEPS Clean with Saddle soap Condition – I’m trying a different product this time: […]
Read moreMultipurpose Your Leather Conditioner
Don’t think conditioner is just for your shoes and boots. Belts, bags, watch bands, and many other leather items you own can benefit from routine leather cleaning and conditioning. You don’t have to go crazy and condition your stuff every two weeks or anything… but if you see that your watch band is drying out or your bag is looking […]
Read moreAbused Boots!
These are lightly worn, eight year old smooth leather combat boots. They’ve been polished all over with a wax polish but have never been conditioned. That’s two mistakes that makes these boots goners. Note the peeled-away leather in the first picture and the significant cracking in the second. These boots would probably still look good if: They were periodically cleaned […]
Read moreQuick Shine to Johnston and Murphy Oxfords
Here’s a pair of 5+ year old Johnston and Murphy men’s black oxfords. They’re very well kept, right down to the wood shoe stretcher inside each shoe. All these oxfords needed was a quick clean-condition-shine to remove some scuffs and dust. The black and white image helps show the scuffs a bit better than a color image… Here’s a detail […]
Read moreWing Tips with a Bit of Bling
So, last week I was so pissed off at Red Wing Shoe store because, even though they’ve been available for months, my local store decided not to carry women’s Iron Rangers I went to DSW and spent a lot of money. Besides Steve Madden Ciomi Combat Boots (maybe a later post) I bought these extremely comfortable Børn Binn wing tips […]
Read moreKeep Your High Gloss Oxfords Shiny… DON’T Polish Them
If you wear dress shoes as part of a uniform then you’re probably familiar with shoes that are already “High Gloss” out of the box. Some examples of these shoes are: Bates High Gloss Enforcer Series or Lites or Duty Oxford Rothco Uniform High Gloss Thorogood Poromeric Oxford These shoes are not leather… they’re an artificial leather called Poromeric, and […]
Read moreAnatomy of a Boot
Counter? Vamp? Welt? Huh?? No, they’re not fancy words from some cheesy romance novel. Well… maybe they are… BUT, they’re also some terms used to describe the anatomy of a boot. See the picture and definitions below for more detail. Counter – Stiff material at the rear of the boot that helps maintain shape and strengthens the boot. […]
Read moreBoot History – WWII US Service Shoe
Here’s some US military boot history… Before the “Two buckle boot” came into service later in the war, foot soldiers and others in the US Army during WWII wore the “Service Shoe” covered by a set of leggings. The Service Shoe, more of a low boot than a shoe, went through various evolutions to increase wear length, to reduce the […]
Read moreQuick Shine
Have a pair of boots that needs a bit of spiff but you’re running out the door? If you already have a shoeshine brush with some previously used polish on it (of the same color!) you should be good to go! Just lightly mist, or add a few drops of water to the brush and buff the boots especially on […]
Read moreDIY Leather Conditioner? Proceed Cautiously.
A friend on my personal FB page asked if a DIY method–combining Olive Oil, Vinegar, and Essential Oils–can be used as a leather conditioner. Olive Oil as a conditioner is controversial at best, and outright damaging at worst. Fibrenew says: When oil first saturates leather, it seeps to the back—to the part you can’t see. Eventually, the oil ends up […]
Read moreChange the Look Just With Polish
You can completely change the look of a pair of boots just by giving it a glossy shine. If you have a pair of worn-looking smooth leather boots that you’d like to dress up, try giving them a deep shine. In the picture below, the boot on the left is about three years old and has been cleaned and conditioned […]
Read moreREVIEW: Red Wing 2326 6″ Boot
REVIEW: Red Wing 2326 6″ Boot Rating: EXCELLENT My Red Wing 2326 6″ boots (purchased July 2016) are the first work boots on which I spent more than $150, and I couldn’t be happier with them! While I wear them primarily for light duty or just street wear, I have pressed them into heavy yard service several times and they’ve […]
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