![]() ![]() But his demonstration is about the best I’ve seen for why someone may want to splurge on Saphir’s shoe polishes, over the cheaper, more common varities you can find at your local shoe repair shop. To be clear, he sells the stuff, so he has a vested interest. Kirby Allison over at The Hanger Project has a video showing the difference between Saphir’s shoe polishes over the company’s competitors. You can condition your shoes using the following options: Or, better yet, just don’t use Renovateur. ![]() How do you know if your shoes are made from crust leather? You can ask the company that sold you the shoes. Even then, good results are not guaranteed. You’ll also have to go a couple of shades darker than your shoes’ original color to cover up the damage. In those cases, you’ll have to send the shoes to someone for repair (ideally, the workshop that colored the leather in the first place). But if your shoes are made from crust leather, it can strip some of the color right off. Renovateur is generally fine on more traditional aniline or vegetable-tanned leathers. This is one of the reasons is why we recommended against using Renovateur in our “menswear essentials” guide - some guys may be wearing crust leather without even knowing it. ![]() Companies such as Carlos Santos and Paul Evans, for example, have used crust leather in the past. In the last few years, however, I’ve been surprised to see it show up in more affordable ranges. It used to be that you’d only ever see crust leather on the higher-end of the market, such as shoes from Paolo Scafora and Saint Crispin’s. This way, they can get a better bulk price on their hides and color things as they need, depending on orders, which results in less waste. Instead of ordering 800 brown leather hides and 200 black leather hides, they can order 1,000 unfinished hides and color them however they want - black, brown, tan, burgundy, and even dazzling purple. Secondly, manufacturers use it because it can help cut down on their marginal costs. On the downside, to keep it looking its best, you often have to brush and polish it more often. For one, crust leather can result in a unique patina as the color wears away slightly unevenly (think of it like faded blue jeans). Companies use crust leather for a couple of reasons. In every case, the person’s shoes are made from crust leather, which is an unfinished, unsealed leather that’s colored at the manufacturer’s factory using dyes. I do know this: since my experience five years ago, I’ve seen maybe about a half dozen other cases on StyleForum pop up, where people have complained about the same thing. Others still say that it degrades stitching. Others say that it’s best kept to work boots, as it helps soften leather, and is not to be used on fine dress shoes. Some mink oil products on the market contain a high percentage of synthetics, which can clog up the pore of your uppers (Renovateur, however, is likely all-natural). But the label does say the conditioner is based in mink oil, which is a controversial compound. Like other shoe care products, the formula is a closely guarded company secret. There’s almost no need to use a leather conditioner on our shoes, but especially Renovateur.” If it has enough oils in it, the oils from the polish will nourish the leather. “You can condition the shoes with just a good cream polish. I reminded him of the incident, and he said he recommends against using Renovateur on his company’s shoes. On the upside, they did a fantastic repair job, and the boots came back to me looking almost brand new.Ībout a year later, I bumped into Phillip Car, owner and director of Saint Crispin’s, at a trunk show in San Francisco. They’re located in Romania, and with the repair cost plus shipping fees, I paid somewhere in the neighborhood of $300. I ended up sending the shoes back to Saint Crispin’s for repair. In the photos below, you can see how the color almost looks like it dripped off. The leather looked splotchy and had a slightly tacky surface. After a few quick wipes with a soft polishing cloth, I was surprised to see the color almost disappearing from my uppers. I went to answer my door and then returned to my living room a few minutes later. About five years ago, I was applying some on my Saint Crispin’s chukkas when the doorbell rang. My experience with Renovateur has been much less positive. If you’re spending more than $300 for shoes, you probably enjoy knowing you’re getting nothing but the best. At $25 for a bottle, it’s also much more expensive than other conditioners and cleaners, but I imagine that’s part of the appeal. It’s a creamy white lotion that comes in a stout glass jar, smells vaguely sweet, and looks more like a high-end skincare product than something you would slather on your shoes. Saphir’s Medaille d’Or Renovateur has been called “liquid gold.” Men who are obsessive about their shoes often recommend it as the best all-purpose leather conditioner and cleaner. ![]()
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