The best Shoe Polishes & Dyes: Reddit reviews

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I actually oil my case with mink oil about once a month, which aside from keeping the leather conditioned and waterproofed also really enhances the patina. I also actively try to not baby the case too much. You can see how pristine and uniform the iPhone 6 case looks. I was so frustrated with how boring it looked after two whole years that, for the iPhone 7, I swore I would overcome my OCD and let the case get beat up. Intense mental training deep in the Appalachian wilderness followed. But I feel like it came out a success!

EDIT: also here's some mink oil on amazon for six bucks and prime shipping so you can have it for launch day :D https://smile.amazon.com/Sof-Sole-Preserving-Waterproofing-3-5-Ounce/dp/B003EMABT6/ one tin has lasted me over two years so far, and it's only about half used up. And you can use it on all top-grain leather stuff, not just the phone case!

EDIT2: I don’t get why everyone is downvoting you, fwiw I got the sarcasm haha. You got my upvote :)

Water in general is a bad idea in bulk on leather. Unless the leather has a plastic coat of some variety. (Patent Leather.)

Your boots are made of this leather:

medium-weight milled nappa leather

So you'll want to do saddle soap, which is designed for this exact use. It's gentle enough for leather, and cheap.

You use a gentle cloth, and a little water to get the soap to froth up, and then you clean your shoes with them. Don't use nails, scrub with small amounts of force, the saddle soap should be doing the breakdown here.

Once done, the saddle soap will have dehydrated the leather a bit, which can over time break down the leather. This is unavoidable in cleaning leather, but saddle soap will be the kindest to it.

You then should condition the leather. You can use Dr. Martens own Wonder Balsam here, or another leather conditioner.

You apply it much like actual lotion, not so much to get it sopping with the stuff, but a nice thin layer all over the boot. You should see some of it soak in, this is ideal.

Once done, the boots should be clean and moisturized for a good long while.

Seriously though, try this..

Take laces out and soak in a mix of 1/4 bleach 1/4 dish soap and 1/2 water for 24/48 hrs then remove and scrub by hand and rinse under running water until white.

Use a soft brush and dish soap/water and scrub the shoes clean being careful around peeling parts. Let dry completely

use glue and try to glue down the peels so it doesn't look too bad.

Once their as clean as they will get, if possible, get some white shoe polish... I would use THIS for the soles and then I would use .THIS. for the uppers/rest of the shoe.

You can always repaint them too if you want. You can have them restored to DS condition if you want also.. It basically comes down to how much money you wanna spend.

I've had an idea. https://www.amazon.com/Oz-Suede-Dye-Black-Fiebing/dp/B008ROOJ1M/ref=asc_df_B008ROOJ1M/ I think it just might fix the problem. Do that, strip the arms and you'll have a real winner.

Edit: I posted the following guide but then I read conflicting information about using saddle soap on leather furniture. I’ve personally never had an issue and have had very good results. I’m not sure if the warnings online are just intended to scare people into buying expensive leather conditioners (saddle soap is cheap!) but I felt that this was an important caveat to include.

Just cleaning it will do a lot for the odor. I would use Kiwi Saddle Soap to clean, condition, and protect the leather. Apply it with a horsehair brush.

• Vacuum any loose debris off of your couch including the bottoms of the cushion, underneath the cushion, and the crevice between the back, and bottom of the sofa, and the crevice between the arms and the bottom.
• Wet the brush, give it a a little shake to remove excess moisture, you don’t need it dripping wet
• Rub some of the soap in the tin with the brush to load up the bristles
• Rub the couch with the brush in a circular fashion to work up a bit of a lather
• Rewet and soap up the brush occasionally as needed
• Do one section at a time and dry off and buff with a microfiber towel

When I had foot smell in my boots after a humid summer visiting family in the Midwest (US), I used hot water to wash out my boots. Remove the insoles, if they are removable, and wash them separately. I used saddle soap in and out of my boots to clean them.

I set them on a windowsill in the sun to dry for a day with socks inside filled with baking soda. Some of the baking soda got into the boot, which is fine. The smell didn't fully go away so I use a deodorizer every once in a while to freshen it up. The smell is mostly gone but I like to freshen my boots up a little extra because they're a little old. I haven't used the spray in a while and I don't smell it anymore but it comes back sometimes

I've also been told (haven't tried yet) to leave cedar shoe trees in the boots when they're on the shelf/in the closet. I've ordered some and they're going to arrive on Monday. If I remember, I'll try to give an update on those! They get rid of moisturize and leave a fresh cedar smell--supposedly

Edit: make sure you use leather conditioner after you wash your boots!! You don't want them to dry out

We used this dye. We dyed her pink skates black (2-3 coats) then added red wheels, black laces with red heart beads, and will add the red sparkle bolt-on heart stopper when it is delivered. We left the sole brown. The upper didn't take the dye well so we sewed some black fabric over it.

Skoaktiebolaget 🇸🇪 sells Bick 4

As for VSC, ordering it off of Amazon would have them handle all VAT and import and the like.

Both of those are sharp guys... not a bad look at all. For me, personally, I need color. But, we're talking about you! LOL

I like that the white in the shoes is stuff you can hit with a bottle of white shoe polish. This shit is absolutely worth it.

https://www.amazon.com/KIWI-Sport-Shoe-Whitener-4-0/dp/B000UDEBMA/

Mine fit perfectly. I put the gloves on and 'wash my hands' with Kiwi brand saddle soap, rinse & then 'wash' again with Kiwi brand leather conditioner & let them dry on my hands. They shrink to fit.

Saphir Pate De Luxe Shoe Polish 50ml - Neutral https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002QEV1Y2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_83S78X3KH7KHDYKFCY5N?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Is this the pate de’luxe you put in the boots? Did it darken them? How’d the boots react to the saphir renovateur? They look very nice btw!

I have a pair of the bruciato color. They do tend to water spot. I wonder if there is a way to apply something to avoid the spots. Maybe I’m overthinking.

There are two levels of the Saphir products: Kinda Pricey and Very Pricey. Here is the lower priced option:

https://www.amazon.com/Saphir-Renovateur-Luxury-Leather-Care/dp/B002PLC60Y/

Here is the Very Pricey version of the same thing:

Nearly a year in, I couldn’t be happier. It doesn’t scuff easily, and it seems to be mostly resistant to stains. I spot “clean” and polish the areas that get heavy contact - elbows and such - using a very small amount of Saphir Leather Cream

Keeping it clean is actually not too bad, I just use a tiny bit of very mild soap and a lightly damp microfiber cloth (the automotive type, they're nice and big) then dry with a microfiber.

The issue with the white magic keyboard for me has been discoloration. Over time it turns a very slight yellow color, or at least mine does (non-smoker, I keep it clean, just seems to happen over time). I use shoe whitener to bring back that really nice white luster.

This is what I use personally, works really well.

buy this.

Yep, this one.

Tbh there's a bunch of others like Cadillac leather conditioner and Apple leather conditioner which I read good reviews about but I have not personally tried.

https://www.amazon.com/Oz-Suede-Dye-Black-Fiebing/dp/B008ROOJ1M/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=suede+dye&qid=1607123753&sr=8-2 I did quite a few coats of that, it's not going to leave the red part smooth and suedey but personally it will look better.

That's odd. Did the previous owner apply dark polish to the toes?

Assuming so, Saphir Renomat will remove any wax caked on them. Then you can reapply shoe cream how you want, and rewax with a lighter polish.

Worst case, I'd just get some dark brown shoe cream and go over the rest of the shoes to even out the color. It'll look just fine that way once they're more uniform.

I've fixed stuff like this on one of my Coach bags with this stuff. It's super user friendly and works really well!

KIWI Shoe Whitener | For Leather, Vinyl, Canvas, Nylon and More | 4 Fl Oz | Includes Sponge Applicator https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UDEBMA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_fWgLFb8Q9J3Z6

Also, this stuff works great for any stains or spots you may get after some wear to the spray/beeswax

The trim on my DA is the light vachetta that does patina, but you’re correct that it doesn’t on the DE. It should soften over time though! This is the mink oil I used, it has a very light scent, not unpleasant at all, but not sure how to describe it.

I started using Saphir Renovateur (Amazon Link) recently to freshen up some old leather shoes that I had neglected.

The stuff worked amazingly.

I started using it on other items like belts and watch straps and it works great for keeping the leather hydrated, pliable and to prevent cracking.

Keep in mind, it does use mink oil, so your leather will be darkened by it, but that didn't really bother me too much.

You can use some saddle soap and soften it and that would help some... I'm sure there are conditioners and stuff, but for something like this saddle soap..

amazon link for saddle soap

I see Venetion shoe cream get mentioned a lot when it comes to care for CXL. I ordered this stuff from amazon and wanted to know if this was the VSC everyone referee to:

https://www.amazon.com/Venetian-Shoe-Cream-3-oz/dp/B00QKXAGXW?th=1

Or is it this stuff?

https://grantstoneboot.com/collections/accessories/products/venetian-cream

Saddle soap to clean, then something like Hubbard’s or Picards. Use an old soft toothbrush and a small amount of water with the saddle soap scrubbing with a circular motion, wipe off/rinse with a damp cloth. Apply the conditioner/dressing in a thin layer, let it sit, preferable in a warm area to soak in, then wipe off the excess that didn’t soak in.

The color of new AEs is very matte when you take them out of the box. After spending time polishing them they will look like different shoes.

If you are on a budget I would at the very least put a few coats of neutral wax on them. This will slightly nourish the leather, bring out a shine, and add a layer of protection from scuffs and water. I recommend this for $9. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002QEV1Y2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

A cheap kiwi brush is fine for now.

I don't have trees for every pair. I wear a pair, let them sit an hour after I take them off to dry, then insert a tree for 24 hours. I rotate 2 sets of trees through my collection. You could get away with just one.

I'm wearing dark chili 5th avenues with dainite soles today. You have good taste!

Saddle Soap or a Leather Conditioner will help. It will darker the leather a bit, but I've used Saddle Soap on a pair of Vasque Sundowners I bought in 1994, and they looking almost new.

If it's a button down shirt that you usually iron, then iron it while it's still a little damp instead of putting it through the dryer.

If you want you dark clothes to stay darker longer use something like woolite dark as a detergent.

Wool gets dry-cleaned (or if you are a gamblin man put in the washer on delicates and laid flat to dry) and should never go through the dryer.

Undershirts, your millage may vary but the Uniqlo Airism shirts work great until it's sweltering hot out, then for some reason cheap white cotton works better.

If it's a nice shirt and has collar stays, remember to pull them out of the collar before laundering. Put them back in after ironing.

Get a shoe brush, and look for a video on how to polish your shoes. Everyone seems to have their own favorite products. I like this stuff for my shoes.

Both Fiebing & Angelus appear to be just plain black: https://www.amazon.com/Oz-Suede-Dye-Black-Fiebing/dp/B008ROOJ1M https://www.amazon.com/Angelus-Suede-Dye-Oz-Color/dp/B00YBTGX1Q

If I start with a coat of plain ol' black and see undertones I don't like, can I put a coat of oxblood dye on over that?

I have heard really good things about Kiwi whitener I am not saying buy from here but this is one of the first links I found to it just by googling. Many other people pain their boost but I heard that can take a bit of time. Good luck