treatment for new shoes

[Guest]

i notice that leather soled shoes get penetrated and soaked and hence would avoid use in the wet if I could (I don't have dress shoes which are rubber soled shoes - maybe I should). I haven't experienced "wet feet" as such as yet but I am concerned about it.

[vmills]

Take the shoes to a cobbler and have a stick on sole applied to the leather sole. The shoes will not breathe so much but that is a minute problem. The shoe is now far more waterproof but do not forget to clean the instep and regularly put cream or neutral polish on it. Also, decades ago, I used to have my leather soled shoes regularly resoled because of wear BUT no matter who did it the shoes were never the same again and the water now poured in. Therefore I started having the stick on soles put on brand new shoes and now always do it. They are easily replaced when worn out AND, very importantly, you will not skid and slide. Some of my shoes I have had for 20 years using this method and they are still smart and wearable. The uppers are of course regularly creamed and polished.

[Jordan Marc]

Guest:

With a brand-new pair of shoes with leather soles, the first thing you want to do is buy a good pair of shoe trees. Next lay in a good supply of shoe creams and wax polishes. Google Valmour, France, which makes wonderful creams and polishes for leather shoes as well as all your needs for suede shoes. For shoes with leather uppers, you don't really need applicator brushes for applying one kind of polish or another. An old T-shirt, freshly laundered and cut into generous squares, will suffice. Wrap it around two fingers, dab it lightly in the shoe cream and apply the polish with a small circular motion. Set the creamed shoe aside and work on the other shoe. When both shoes have been creamed, set the shoes aside for at least fifteen minutes, trees in and laces set aside. You will need different sets of brushes for your different kinds of shoes, preferably made of medium and soft horsehair. When the shoes are
dry to the touch, start brushing lightly. Don't beat your new shoes to death; easy does it, if you want them to last for years.

To make your shoes really shine, apply wax polish much the same way you did with the application
of cream. To bring them up on parade, you will need to lay in a supply of Sylvt cloths. These can be
found in the UK and the US. Cut them into generous strips and polish polish polish. When they get dirty, don't throw them out. Toss them in the washing machine and hang them up with clothes pins. When dry they're as good as new and get better with age. Don't forget to paint the outer edges of the soles and heels with topping made expressly for that purpose.

Finally, to keep your feet dry, the best defense is to buy a pair or two of Swim's overshoes. John Lobb
sells them. You can find them in America, too. Or you can buy them directly from Swim's, which has a website.

JMB

[Berwick]

I am British, and when it is wet I wear Dainite soled footwear (or hiking boots if I am hiking). Wellingtons for mud.

Leather soled shoes should not be used in the wet until they have been worn several times in the dry and the soles have been compacted, as mentioned above. After that, they would need to get fairly wet before they began to leak.

I don't treat the leather soles with anything myself, but I suppose after they have been worn a few dozen times some leather conditioner wouldn't do any harm, unless it were to soften the leather or make the leather more slippery on dry marble floors.

[Rowly]

Wearing quality leather shoes is a pleasure. I would not ruin the look or breathe ability of them by sticking rubber over the soles. However, I have ruined many a beautiful pair of shoes by wearing them in the rain. Nowadays, If it is to be very wet, I will wear an older more worn pair. Sometimes I buy cheap lower quality shoes for very rough weather ( or sale bargains,etc.). I always keep an old pair in the car, when travelling. I don't like to wear Dainite soles when wearing a suit, but will wear them with tweeds etc. The other tip I have is to build a good wardrobe of shoes, and rotate them ( even a few pairs of exactly the same shoe). Keep them in shoe trees, and make a hobby of their maintenance, keeping in mind that they will not be at their best until they have acquired a rich patina of wear.
I find that, with a good sized rotation, you do not have to polish them so regularly, but can wait until you are in the mood to enjoy polishing a few pairs, which is very relaxing and enjoyable and almost a meditation. By doing this, you are assured that a good pair is at hand at all times. From an economic viewpoint, I find that once the stiff initial investment has been made..it takes very little to keep your stock maintained . Each pair will last longer, and there is an overall saving in cost. Also, because you are not panicking to find a good pair of shoes at short notice..you will be relaxed and will come across all sorts of great shoe acquiring opportunities when you least expect them!

[bond_and_beyond]

Swims solve the problem in an elegant way. I wear them whenever the weather warrants. They have even made a special version for John Lobb (Paris) shoes.

http://www.swims.com

[Berwick]

B & B and myself clearly have a different idea of what elegant is. I could call overshoes a number of things, but elegant would not be one of them!

[Rowly]

I would rather sink than swims

[vmills]

Cannot agree with Rowly about stick on soles. They are very thin so do not ruin the look of the shoes. The slight loss in breathability is nothing compared to keeping the shoes in top condition. I certainly agree about having a cheaper pair for 'rough' use. I could become emotional now because this has reminded me about a pair of Oxfords made in Czechoslovakia that I paid £18 for in, I think, 1980, to wear instead of my 'best'. I gave them the same care as my other shoes and they lasted 14 years before the one sole split. Sadly missed!

[Marwood]

I've never had an issue with leather soles soaking up water, although I do tend to avoid wearing them when it is very wet because they are generally too likely to slip.

[bond_and_beyond]

B & B and myself clearly have a different idea of what elegant is. I could call overshoes a number of things, but elegant would not be one of them!

Well I guess I find it unelegant to not dress appropriately for the weather. If it rains and pours or if there is a lot of snow/sleet on the ground it is sensible to wear overshoes, and as overshoes go in my opinion Swims are the most elegant that are available. Have a look at their new range.

S

[soren]

For waterproofing my leather soled shoes I use sole oil, produced by fx. Burgol. After wearing new shoes for a couple of times (when the "hardening" of the soles has set in) I apply a generous amount of sole oil to the soles, and let them dry over night. This should not only benefit the waterproofness of the soles but also the durability. C&J advise to use your leather conditioner (read: Saphir's renovateur) on your soles as well, but I guess that's to maintain the flexibility of soles, rather than to make them waterproof.

Cheers,
Soren

[Berwick]

I have just found out that there may be a geographical difference here - Europeans don't wear overshoes (at least I have not seen anyone wearing them in the last 50 years) - but they seem to be used by Americans.

However B&B seems to live in Norway, so perhaps I just haven't been to the right bits of Europe recently.