Shoe Care: Clarks Desert Boots, Frye Erin Oxfords, Martino Tricia Boots

I've been caring for my own shoes since I started high school, a Catholic school with a strict dress code requiring that I wear black leather dress shoes every day. My Dad sat me down a few days before school started and showed me how to condition and protect my new shoes. I find polishing shoes very relaxing, a good way to spend a couple of hours on a cold overcast fall day.

Here is an account of my shoe shining adventures today:

(download)

I had to stop by a local shoe repair shop to get supplies. (Usually I take my shoes with me to my parents place and use my Dad's kit. Time to grow up, I guess.)

Preparation and materials:

Suede Brush

Horsehair Shoe Brush

Kiwi Mink Oil

Moneysworth & Best Shoe Cream - Black

2 cotton T-shirt rags

Newspaper

 

(download)
Clarks Desert Boots

I wear my Clarks almost daily to the dog park, walking and on the beach. The nap on the toes had become shiny with wear, and dust had built up in he creases.

Material: Suede

Wears: 72

Care Method:

Removed laces, reshaped with newspaper.

Removed loose dust and dirt by wiping with horsehair brush.

Brushed firmly, in one direction only, with Suede brush to restore nap.

Focused on areas that were shiny, or had dust buildup.

Notes: There are a lot of other suggested steps for cleaning suede shoes. I took a minimal approach, and was happy with the results after using the suede brush.

 

(download)

Frye Copper Oxfords

I've had my Frye oxfords for a little over two weeks. I wear them to work, which occasionally means offsite meetings in heritage homes. They absorb any moisture they meet, which in Ontario autumn, means frequently. I wanted to trea

Material: Full grain leather - Copper

Wears: 16

Care Method:

Removed laces, reshaped with newspaper.

Removed loose dust and dirt by wiping with a wet cloth, set aside to dry.

Applied mink oil with a cotton rag, focusing on the seams, toe cap, and where the upper meets the sole.

Removed excess mink oil with a clean dry rag.

Let dry 6+ hours.

Notes: I was concerned that the mink oil would darken the leather, so I tested it just inside of the tongue. The result wasn't significantly darker, the leather has a richer appearance, and I have read that the darker hue will fade with wear.

 

(download)

Martino Tricia Winter Boots

100% Fabriqué au Québec depuis 1956

Auclair & Martineau is a Made in Canada shoemaker who has been making winter boots in Quebec City for over 50 years. I bought these last year at the end of October, and wore them nearly for both casual and workplace wear. The toes were a bit scuffed, and the shape had been lost after someone stuffed them in a bag, forgotten for the summer. (Me.)

Material: Full grain leather - Black

Wears: 190 (Approx.)

Care Method:

Removed laces, reshaped with newspaper.

Removed loose dust and dirt by wiping with a wet cloth, set aside to dry.

Applied black Moneysworth & Best Shoe Cream with a cotton rag, focusing on the toe, heel, and where the upper meets the sole.

Removed excess shoe cream with a clean dry rag.

Let dry 6+ hours.

Note: The scuffs in the toes are rather deep, and can't be covered with a shoe cream. If it bothered me, I'd use a wax polish, but it doesn't and I've read that wax polish can actually dry out the leather!

 

-1

My shoes, post shine! I'm really happy with how these turned out.