Sticky Shoes

m1kjm

I have a pair of Gabor black leather shoes that I've not worn and stored away in a box with an elastic band around them for years. Some kind of reaction seems to have taken place between the rubber band and the leather coating so that the leather coating is breaking down and coming off. The shoes are horribly sticky and the black inky stuff comes off on whatever they touch so that they're not wearable. I've tried washing them with fairy liquid but they're no better. Are there any old style remedies for this by any chance or am I going to have to throw them away?

I've tried ringing Gabor to be told that 'shoes are made to be worn' not stored in boxes. I personally get shoes when I see them for sale for a good price and keep them until I need them.

Mazzarati2000

Have you tried polishing them? Just wondering if the polishing and subsequent buffing might work? Perhaps some suede/nubuck waterproofing spray would do the trick? As for the sales assistant, she's not doing the company image much good with that attitude! Good luck!

m1kjm

Mazzarati2000 wrote: »

Have you tried polishing them? Just wondering if the polishing and subsequent buffing might work? Perhaps some suede/nubuck waterproofing spray would do the trick? As for the sales assistant, she's not doing the company image much good with that attitude! Good luck!

Oh she was dreadful. I knew it wasn't going to go well when the first thing she did was correct my pronunciation of 'Gabor'.

I haven't tried polishing them because I didn't want to get that evil sticky stuff clagged on my brushes and then smeared onto my other shoes.

I've tried the spray so I'll see what they're like in the morning.

Seakay

shoes should store well but with shoe trees or crumpled paper in to keep the shape, wrapped in tissue to keep them from touching each other and in a box or bag to keep dust away. Plus give them a polish to keep the leather supple at least once a year.
http://www.wikihow.com/Store-Shoes
I'm assuming that something has come out of the rubber and reacted with the dye or with a treatment which has been put on the leather.
The company should know what is on the leather if you are able to quote the style number etc to them, but this will not necessarily help as whatever has happened may be irreversible

mavvymoo

There has been lots of reports about Hotter shoes doing this if stored away for a while and just falling apart and getting that sticky type feel.
Maybe google it and see if you can find out more.

Hope you find a solution

Mav x

m1kjm

The spray hasn't worked unfortunately.

Mazzarati2000

Sorry to hear that. Good advice above about the dressing, maybe try emailing a central address though (& pushing the point of how disappointed you are in them & how much you'd love to wear them?). Do you have Twitter? might be worth tweeting them?


How about a leather cream (if you have any in) on a disposable (Jeye?) cloth, or maybe a saddle soap? I think neatsfoot oil would probably work if they're a dark colour but the stink is horrendous until it soaks in. Lets start with the tamer possibilities & work upwards to give you the best possible chance of redeeming them.

Mazzarati2000

There's a form here to fill in. Thinking an email might get a better response as it's written down & therefore they're more likely to be careful ( & less snotty!) about what they say.


http://www.gaborshoes.co.uk/contact-us-i56

Brambleberry

Is it just strips where the band touched the shoes or does it affect more of the surface?

charlies-aunt

I have two pairs of very dressy Gabor shoes that I keep for special occasions when my habitual crocs and welliwogs simply won't cut the mustard.


They are *cough* twenty five year old if they are a day and still in perfect condition...well, I don't get out much!!


Saying that shoes are meant to be worn is a cop-out! Surely they shouldn't react with something as innocuous as a rubber band?

Gingernutty

m1kjm wrote: »

I have a pair of Gabor black leather shoes that I've not worn and stored away in a box with an elastic band around them for years. Some kind of reaction seems to have taken place between the rubber band and the leather coating so that the leather coating is breaking down and coming off. The shoes are horribly sticky and the black inky stuff comes off on whatever they touch so that they're not wearable. I've tried washing them with fairy liquid but they're no better. Are there any old style remedies for this by any chance or am I going to have to throw them away?

I've tried ringing Gabor to be told that 'shoes are made to be worn' not stored in boxes. I personally get shoes when I see them for sale for a good price and keep them until I need them.

Are these leather shoes or patent leather shoes?

Elastic bands are not meant to be used long term. Unlike tyres, the latex they're made of are not vulcanised or given any other treatment which makes them more stable.

They are stretchy because they are so fragile - vulcanisation or similar would render them just tough, inflexible rings.

They contain plasticisers which evaporate over time and so the elastic perishes.

The rubber in the elastic band also breaks down and perishes.

It sounds as if the latex or one of the chemicals holding it all together has reacted with some component in the material the shoes are made of.

That isn't Gabor's fault.