Shoe care

rach_k

My local key cutting shop sells shoe polish in loads of different colours. For boots with a strong colour, I think I'd try to get a decent match, particularly if they're nice boots! I don't know if I'm doing it wrong but neutral polish doesn't seem to work as well as coloured stuff (maybe because it doesn't cover any scuffs with colour).

Rosemary7391

Thanks folks I'll see how it goes!

For repairs - is it possible to repair the inside of a shoe? I've a pair of walking boots that are pretty destroyed inside, but the outsides are still good.

Camelot, I've always been wary of suede - too much mucky water around here...

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Rosemary7391 wrote: »

Thanks folks I'll see how it goes!

For repairs - is it possible to repair the inside of a shoe? I've a pair of walking boots that are pretty destroyed inside, but the outsides are still good.

Camelot, I've always been wary of suede - too much mucky water around here...

Good insoles cover a multitude of sins. Try the shoe repair place if it's damage somewhere else, though, as they're supposed to know about those things.


Oh, I remember the days where I had the money for decent shoes and could go and have a nice sitdown during my lunch hour (a whole hour!) whilst the man replaced the heel scuffs and I breathed in more glue fumes than was strictly healthy.

And then Sunday nights with the newspaper, two brushes and a soft cloth with the smell of proper polish, none of the dodgy sprays or scuffcote for me once I got to ten years old.

I think a lot of my memories are based upon smells, somehow....and polish, particularly; beeswax, Duraglit, Kiwi...

Feeling all nostalgic now. I might have to go and polish the dressing table - it hasn't been done for months.

[Deleted User]

HOTTER SHOES do a purple renovating cream in a tube and it costs £4 for use on leather footwear. I have a tube of the dark brown for boots and shoes and it's easy to use, put on with a soft cloth and it polishes up beautifully to a lovely shine with a soft brush. You can get the cream from the shops if you have one near you or you can order it online. Hope that helps .

Witless

An old style cobbler can cut out & stick a new insole for you - well worth the money.

Also, for the sake of pence, buy Kiwi for brown or black shoes and boots: they do a variety: two blacks (Parade Gloss and ordinary), brown and tan at minimum. Well worth the extra - though Kiwi is 'old style cleaning', certainly not a quick fix 'spray & forget'.

Dclutterchique

Timpsons do a range of polishes in the 'basic' colours ie black, brown and neutral as well as other colours such as navy, oxblood, white etc. They also do creams in a wide range of colours from classic to fashion.

Polishes are good for 'spit' shine or a higher gloss shine, but usually come in a small range of colours, unless you go for posh/expensive brands, and aren't so good at covering deep scratches/scuffs. (They're OK for lighter scuffs though.)

Creams are no good for a 'spit' or high gloss shine, but will give a softer, 'satin' type shine and are much better for covering deeper scuffs and scratches.

If you go for polish and use brushes get a different set of brushes for each colour polish. Getting black polish on light tan shoes is not a good look.

Also, it is advised to have at least 2 pairs of shoes as you should allow a minimum of 24 hours between each wearing for them to have a proper airing.

Rosemary7391

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

HOTTER SHOES do a purple renovating cream in a tube and it costs £4 for use on leather footwear. I have a tube of the dark brown for boots and shoes and it's easy to use, put on with a soft cloth and it polishes up beautifully to a lovely shine with a soft brush. You can get the cream from the shops if you have one near you or you can order it online. Hope that helps .

Funny - that was where I got the purple boots in the first place! Thanks

With my walking boots, it's not just the sole that needs doing but all the inner bit - got a few holes/pulled threads that gave me too many blisters the last time I wore them

I'm trying to save up for a second pair of boots before winter hits and I need to wear them every day. I'm hoping that this won't cost any more in the long run than cheap shoes because they'll last longer! I don't much like shoe shopping so reducing the frequency will be a bonus...

firebubble

I only have a tube of leather care cream - think I got it from Clarks or maybe Russell and Bromley. It's colourless and you can use it on handbags as well. I also have a tube of the kiwi instant polish with the sponge applicator in black, and that's all.

You generally need to keep the leather nourished, and then it stays supple, water resistant and won't crack and split, so I don't 'polish' my shoes but I would generally go over all of them in the autumn with the leather care cream. The black polish will take out scuffs.

One mark of truly good quality shoes is to ask a shop if they do a repair service - if so, they are good shoes. If not, you could just be paying more money for rubbish under a good 'brand', so be wary.

I get all my shoes reheeled regularly so they dont wear down to the heel block - I try and find an independent repairer as I find Timpsons to be rubbish with poorly trained staff.

Rosemary7391

I didn't realise any shoe shops would do repairs - always thought cobblers were separate! Mom seemed to think hotter were decent enough to last though which is why I went with them. 3 months to exchange seems fair? (I've been known to put holes in shoes in that time!). It's so hard to know how long to expect something to last when you're buying it...