Dr. Nick Valenti of B. Nelson Shoes has operated on some of the finest shoes imaginable. He’s the “Go to Guy” when the time comes to make the necessary repairs on your beloved-ed pairs.

In this guest post Dr. Nick shares his diagnosis about the life expectancy of your shoe parts. Trust me the prognosis is better than you might think. Just as is in health care, prevention is critical.

When to repair:

Over time your shoes will be in need of replacement parts. How to know when.

1. Heels:

High-grade shoes are made with either a rubber top-lift or combination leather and rubber top-lift. They are attached to the top of the heel base. The top-lift comes in various thicknesses depending on what the manufacturer chooses to use in order to obtain the correct balance of the shoe. Regardless, the lift (or heel) should be changed before it is completely worn out.

Look at the profile of the heel. You will see where the top-lift meets the base. The top-lift can easily be removed and replaced when needed. Try not to wear through the top-lift into the base before replacing the lift. If you do, this may require the repair shop to add a wedge to the worn out base. If not done properly, it may cause a wave in the heel, which will be uncomfortable to walk on.

When the rear outside border of the heel or top-lift is worn out to the approximate thickness of a dime, it’s time to replace it.

2. Replacing the Tips:

Although this is much less common, I have seen it enough that I thought it was worthy of mentioning.

Some have a gait that tends to drag the toe. That results in the toe of the sole wearing faster than the body which is under the ball of your foot. If this is the case for you then it may not be necessary to replace the entire sole when just the toes wear out. Just have the tips replaced.

If you continue to wear your shoes while waiting for the body of the sole to wear out you may be causing damage to the welt at the toe. This also leads to a more expensive repair when it could be avoided. When replacing the tips a reputable repair shop will sand down the sole approximately one inch down from the front of the sole towards the heel. He will then add a new piece of leather that is cemented and stitched to replace the worn area.

3. Soles:

Don’t wait until holes appear in your soles to replace them. When you see a hole that also means the foot-beds have been disturbed. Most repair shops do not replace and or level the foot-bed. They simply patch it. This will affect the comfort and feel of the shoe. Unless the entire foot-bed is removed and replaced, the shoe cannot be restored to it’s original feel. There are several ways that you can tell when your soles need to be replaced. Everybody wears differently so these are not in order:

A: Hold the shoe upside down, with your thumb, press down on the center of the sole. If it feels spongy or soft it needs to be replaced.

B: look at the profile of the shoe. Does the sole look particularly thin where it meets the welt? This is most commonly seen on the on the inside border but, depending on your gait, can be seen on the outside border.

C: Circular markings of wear. Generally when you see these on the bottom of your soles it’s time to replace them.

You can contact Dr Nick at:

B. Nelson Shoes 140 E. 55th St. New York City, New York 10022
Phone: (212) 750-0818 Email: mastercraftsman@bnelsonshoes.com

Mr. Franck Tressens is undoubtedly a masterful trunk maker. His trunks for shoes and wooden shoe care caskets and polishing seat are beyond gorgeous. We are very excited to have several examples of Franck’s creations in store and I encourage you to come and see for yourself the level of quality and passion that is put into each piece.

This is the U.S. debut for Ephtée and these products will be here for a limited time. Many of them would be a wonderful and special gift for the shoe enthusiast in your life, or for that matter for yourself.

Mr Franck Tressens on the Figaro Polishing Seat

Leather Polishing Maps in two sizes

Professional Polishing Casket

Top Model Polishing Casket

There are all kinds of trees in the forest and so are there all kinds of trees for your shoes. The best trees are those made of a porous wood such as cedar, beech, lime or hornbeam. If you are able to use trees that are the same last and size your shoes are made on all the better.

The single most important thing you can do to prolong the life and comfort of your shoes is to keep properly fitting shoetrees in them.

Pierre Corthay – Hornbeam

Church’s – Cedar

Aubercy – Beech

Edward Green – Lime

J.M. Weston – Beech

Gaziano & Girling – Beech

Alden – Cedar

Church’s Women’s Cedar

I’m old fashioned when it comes to caring for my shoes. I’m also pretty straightforward in my approach. I use two basic items, a white cotton tee shirt for application (which I’m considering marketing, think 70′s tie dyed).

And my grandfather’s old and well worn horsehair brush for shining.

Step #1
I know a lot of people polish their shoes with the shoetrees inside but I prefer to take them out. That way I can put my hand inside and keep a better handle on the shoe.

Step #2
If the shoes have laces, I remove them before I begin. This satisfies two objectives. It allows me to polish the tongue and prevents polish from ending up on the laces.

Before*

Step#3
I begin with an application of Saphir Renovateur in order to clean and moisturize the leather. This is a very important step in my opinion. It’s always amazing how much dirt is removed from the surface and how much better the leather looks after being conditioned. It almost looks like it plumps up a bit.

To apply the Renovateur I wrap my tee shirt around a couple of finger and apply very sparingly over the surface of the uppers. I like using a cloth versus an applicator brush because I have better control over the product. I always use small amounts rather than a large glob which is A) messy and B) a waste of product.

I work the Renovateur into the leather but I don’t rub very hard, it’s not really necessary as the product does most of the work. After applying to both shoes I wipe them off with the tee shirt to remove excess créme.

Step #4
I’m a wax lover and use it almost exclusively.  I find it redundant to use créme after the Renovateur. I will use créme if I need to add color back since it has more pigments. I don’t really play around much with colors (again old fashioned). I use black wax on black of course and neutral on most non-black shoes. Occasionally I’ll use a color close or darker than a leather color to “enhance” it a bit. My feeling is if I liked a leather color to begin with why change it? I prefer to let it develop on it’s own.

I apply small amounts of wax with the tee shirt usually starting with the toes where I push the polish in, then move to the heel counters doing the same. The vamp and waist get a lighter, gentler polishing (so a wax build up doesn’t occur). After I polish one shoe I move to the second. I let the first rest and after the second is polished I usually apply another application to both.

I don’t like highly shined toes (bulled) so I don’t use the wax + water method for a high gloss finish.

Step #5
The brushing is my favorite step. I put my hand in the shoe and brush quickly and lightly back and forth across the toe and work back to the vamp, waist and heels. I prefer brushing to shining with a cloth because the bristles brush away any excess polish that gets into seams and brouging. I know I said I don’t bull my shoes and I don’t but once in a while when brushing I do spit on them, don’t ask me why I probably saw it in an old movie once….

After*

Gaziano & Girling Mitchell in Vintage Maple

Step #6
Replace laces and trees and voila! Mission accomplished. I polish my shoes at least once a month even if I haven’t worn them. I do the same with the shoes on display in the store. They need the conditioning even more sitting under lights all day.

And that’s about it. It’s not brain surgery and you really can’t mess up too much. Personally I find the process relaxing and satisfying. I encourage you to try it for yourself. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions I’m happy to help.

From time to time I ask guests to post an entry that’s of interest to me and hopefully to you. This latest post is by Nick Horween which, IMHO is a very interesting discourse on the effect of sunlight and polish on shell cordovan. I really love these Longwings…..

The last post featured a picture of some old longwings that generated a fair amount of questions regarding patina, polishing, and the general care of Shell Cordovan.  Maybe I should say re-generated, as we do get a fair amount of inquiries on the subject.   In response, this will be the first in (at least) a three part series addressing these topics (and we’ll get on to something other than just shoes in the future – so if shoes aren’t your thing don’t give up on us).

Someone had recently asked if there was “a way to make shoes patina faster?

They both started as the same color…

The short answer is, no.  The long answer is, kind of.

Patina, at least in my mind, is something that is produced by age and the level of care.  How much sun the leather receives, how often it is polished, the climate, and an array of other factors will effect how a shoe (or a piece of furniture) will wear over time.  The first picture in this post is two different shoes both made with our Color #8.  The only difference (besides style and shoemaker) is that I left the Cap Toes in the sun for a couple of months.  Both pairs have been well worn, but to the extent that the shoes on the left have lightened is very dramatic.  I could have reduced the exposure if I’d wanted them to lighten less.

Same color, different shoe, different exposure.

The lightened shoes, with the shoe on the left polished.

In the picture above of the cap toes, the shoe on the left has been conditioned and then simply polished with a burgundy paste wax – the first picture in the post is also the polished shoe next to the longwing.  You can see that the polish and conditioner have re-darkened the shoe to a degree, but it is still very light compared to the original color.  The fading and then polishing has yielded yet another color with marked highs and lows.  I find the new color appealing but it may not be for everyone.  Also, this doesn’t necessarily fit my definition of a true “patina,” but it does illustrate the effect that wear and exposure has on shoes.

The same color again, the left is #8 after about 4 months of direct sunlight.

As a disclaimer, I do not really recommend doing this…  As some people have heard or read, the “lighter” and “darker” colors of cordovan are that way for a reason.  The leather, being a unique medium, has highs and lows in terms of natural color.  The darker shells are many times that way because this makes for the most uniform finished product.  As our shells are stained with fully aniline stains (meaning no pigment to provide coverage of any kind), fading your darker colored shells may cause these color “differences” to become detectable, if they even exist at all.

Please, as a public service, post links to pictures of your shoes that have a patina.  I can’t think of a better way to show the differences that wear and care can have on products over time.

Leffot is a U.S. stockist of the ever popular often discussed yet hard to acquire Saphir shoe care products. Saphir MDO (Medaille d’or 1925) is produced in France and is one of the finest shoe polishes available. We are stocking 100 ml wax tins, 100 ml crème jars, and 100 ml rénovateur arguably the finest leather cleaner and conditioner on the planet.

We also stock the large horsehair brush and baby soft cotton chamois to buff and shine your most precious shoes. For those that want it all in one we offer a very handsome wooden valet box that contains four 100 ml tins, two applicators brushes, and two small shine brushes.

This exclusive line has its origins in formulations that have earned Saphir the award of the GOLD MEDAL, PARIS 1925. Composed of turpentine, vegetable waxes, animal and mineral fossils, its formula is unchanged and has not suffered the technical progress of chemistry such as the addition of silicone’s, and resins….

We are sold out of Renovateur as well as many other Saphir products, we hope to be restocked around the beginning of August. If you would like to order something email or call us. We’ll be happy to ship it to you when it arrives.

Rénovateur 100 ml Jar $20 - Sold Out

Horse Hair Brush 8″ $30 – Sold Out, Cotton Chamois $7

Small Dauber $7 - Sold Out

Black Wax 01 100 ml Tin $13.50

Neutral Wax 02 100 ml Tin $13.50 - Sold Out

Dark Brown 05 Wax 100 ml Tin $13.50

Medium Brown 37 Wax 100 ml Tin $13.50

Light Brown 03 Wax 100 ml Tin $13.50 - Sold Out

Mahogany 09 Wax 100 ml Tin $13.50

Blue 06 Wax 100 ml Tin $13.50 - Sold Out

Tan 03 Wax 100 ml Tin $13.50 - Sold Out

Black 01 Créme 100 ml Jar $16.00

Neutral 02 Créme 100 ml Jar $16.00

Dark Brown 05 Créme 100 ml Jar $16.00 - Sold Out

Tan 03 Créme 100 ml Jar $16.00 - Sold Out

Dark Green 20 Créme 100 ml Jar $16.00

Navy Blue 06 Créme 100 ml Jar $16.00

When you talk about genuine shell cordovan in the USA you are talking about Horween Leather of Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1905 Horween is the last producer of genuine shell cordovan in North America.

Horween’s genuine shell cordovan is still tanned using a six-month-long process and formulas that date back to its founder, Isadore Horween, over 100 years ago.

If you’ve ever wondered why it is so desirable this video is a must see, it speaks for itself. This is an excellent behind the scenes look at the art of tanning Shell Cordovan.

I was recently asked the question, “What’s more important a shoehorn or shoe trees?” That’s like asking what’s most important for your car motor oil, or gasoline.

In my humble opinion if this where a stranded on a desert island scenario I would say you are best to have a pair of shoe trees.

I do think that you should use a shoehorn when possible but if you are careful not to crush the heel counter of the shoes when you put them on they’ll be fine. On the other hand nothing will help preserve the life or fit of your shoes more than a pair of wooden shoe trees.

Lasted and sized trees made by the manufacturer are best if you can get them but if not the trees should fit reasonably well without being too large which will stretch the shoes or too small which will defeat the purpose of using them.

If trees aren’t an option, say for example due to travel you can substitute the day’s newspaper. Wad it up and stuff your shoes snugly. This is also recommended for shoes that are soaking wet. Stuff them full and if they have leather soles lay them on their sides to dry. Once they’re dry you can put the trees in.

One more recommendation is to be sure you rotate your shoes. Try not to wear them two days in a row. They need time to breath and they’ll feel much better the next time you slip them on.

New to Leffot are these exquisite shoehorns produced in the U.K. by Abbeyhorn, which has been making horn products sine 1749. We now have in stock shoehorns hand crafted from African Oxen* using the same methods of manufacturing that hasn’t changed in centuries.

The process requires considerable skill of the horn worker from the first cut of the horn to ensure that the resultant shoehorn becomes a much-cherished item.

Leffot is currently stocking three sizes 7.5, 12, 18 inches all of which are unique in color, extremely lightweight and incredibly beautiful.

Displayed here with the Corthay Arca. Shoehorns priced at $35, $70, and $105.

*No animals are ever killed solely for the horn; they are a by-product of the meat industry.

The weather forecast in NYC calls for a rainy week ahead. Do you have your Tingley’s at hand? If not we do. I know they’re not very sexy but hey  rubber is about protection.