An excellent job restoring these Chelseas. The before and after condition images are also a testament to the quality of the leather used in the construction of these boots. Just like certain older buildings, wall clocks, watches and cars, those boots have character. Oh and one more compliment; you are two kinds of crazy! Thanks
Well.. I watched. Hour 35 minute long video on restoring shoe/boot leather. A testament to the quality and effort put in. Nice job. Learned a thing or two.
Are we doing the “First” comments on this channel yet? I’m not sure what the proper etiquette is on that but I feel like the channel is big enough at this point.
Thanks for all the details. I just bought some products on Amazon thru your affiliated links to care for my TLB Mallorca Artista Monk Straps and dare I say it some old Allen Edmonds boots that need some TLC.
Eventually with the brushes getting dirty, is there a safe way to wash them without getting the wooden part of them damaged? Should you worry about this?
You shouldn't really need to clean your brushes more than maybe once or twice a year with regular use, if even that. To clean them, lightly wet a white towel with 70% isopropyl alcohol. Brush the towel for a minute or two pull any excess product out from the bristles. No need to wash any more beyond that.
Thanks for this video, is great content. But, something I dont understand is, if the reviving cream contains wax, isnt it applying a layer of it that avoids the Renovateur to actually condition the leather? would it be better to apply the conditioning when the leather has absolutely no wax on?
The Reviving Cream contains very little wax, if possibly none at all. It is mainly a cleanser meant to gently remove prior light wax layers, among other dirt and debris. You could avoid using it if you wanted to be work within a budget - and just use Renovateur - though using a cleanser before the Renovateur will be a bit more thorough in my opinion.
Great video Chris. I buy second hand British (mostly) goodyear welted shoes. I go for the worn out end of the market that tend to need new soles.heels, sometimes welts and always need straightening out on nice tight shoe trees. As long as the upper has been treated with cream a shoe can be fully refurbished to look as good as nearly new, usually. Sadly I've picked up a couple of pairs that have been allowed to dry out and then the leather cracks at the flex points, just has you describe. Waxing shoes isn't as important as using a good cream and if wax is over applied on dried out leather will speed up that cracking. The amount you've applied for protection looks about perfect. Well done for a great video and thanks. M
You probably could finagle it if you really tried, though I'm not sure it would be super effective. It would also depend on the thickness of the midsole and outsole.
Great thought and very good suggestion! The goring on these was already a stained and the boots are at the end of their life anyway, so I wasn't too concerned :)
Something with acute, stiff bristles would be my best best, like a toothbrush. Maybe a toothbrush to dislodge any embedded dirt/dust, a horsehair brush or towel to take away all loose debris, then a wet towel for any remaining micro-dust. That would be if it's really quite dirty.
They look brand new! .......I'm having trouble between choosing the Duke vs Cavaliers to wear with suits. It rains alot where I'm from (pacific northwest) and I'd prefer a complete rubber sole. Do the Dukes (in leather) look good with suits?
Yea definitely go with rubber sole in PNW. We get basically no rain in Colorado. I think the Dukes would look great with a suit, though perhaps a not-super-formal suit, much like my basketweave navy suit you see in many of my videos, with patch pockets. It doesn't have to be that, just not a very formal dark charcoal lawyer-esque suit. The dress code in PNW is pretty chill so I think it would be hard to go very wrong.
Yes I believe so. I believe Blundstones use Full Grain Leather, though you might want to double check with their product page. I think some Blundstones use a waxed split grain, which would probably not work for this specific process. I also believe Blundstones are not welted, but cemented. You could still do all of the Upper restoration work, though none of the sole or sole edge work would make sense for a rubber-sole cemented shoe.
Had mine for about 3 years now and will probably get another Winter out of them. I imagine the outsole leather isn't great - which is fine for $200 - but two months seems pretty unusual. Mine have TPU stud, which have definitely helped alot.
@DressWell.Madaras I have the same soles, the rogue boots. I've literally never worn through the sole like that before. You know their heel caps are oftrn sort of thin too.
Christopher, thank you for this video. I love your work! It is immensely helpful. That said, I had 3 questions.. Question1: I thought the Saphir Renovateur product was more for heavy rebuild and cleanup once a year as I read that it will strip the polish. For regular maintenance, can I simply do the following instead? Saddle Soap Saphir Creme Universelle Leather Balm (I read that this is much less abrasive than Renovateur and more favorable in other YT comments) Saphir Médaille d’Or Cordovan Cream Shoe Polish (To touch up the color for scratches, etc) Question2: If using cream shoe polish, is it still necessary to use the wax? From what I understand, the cream polish is the hybrid of a conditioner and the wax so the wax step would seem redundant. Question3: On reddit, many swear by the Venetian Shoe Cream. Some YT videos like Stridewise show that the effects are similar to Saphir products. What are your thoughts on this product?
Thanks! 1) Saddle Soap is for heavy buildup and cleanup. I would honestly never use Saddle Soap for dress shoes. Only Boots, and only for real rugged-use boots that slop around in dirt, mud, etc. Renovateur will not strip anything for a standard drum-dyed leather shoe/boot. It can strip dye off a patina crust leather shoe, so care must be taken there - and you definitely wouldn't use Saddle Soap in that circumstance either. To my knowledge, Renovateur is made specifically for shoes, where Creme Universelle is more a general leather conditioner. CU would probably be better for crust leather/patina products. Renovateur for everything else. 2) Wax will give added shine and protection. Yes, Cream Polish has waxes in it and Wax itself is not really mandatory, though will give better overall protection. And can give greater shine if that is something you want. 3) I am not intimately familiar with Venetian, though I am aware that some like it. I think it is probably splitting hairs at that point. There is nothing I would honestly ask for more from Renovateur, so if Venetian is indeed 'better', it could only be so by a marginal amount given there is not much to improve upon with Saphir. Generally, I find it better to stay within one company's product ecosystem if possible simply because there is less likelihood of incompatibility. If you wanted to be minimal: (Clean) Saphir's Gentle Cleanser: amzn.to/3zj1tvA (Condition) Renovateur: amzn.to/3yb913l (Color/Wax) Cream Polish: amzn.to/3Rt08rC (Brush) Horsehair Brush (Budget): amzn.to/3RCxQuF
I like worn patina look, natural character, preferred before, i leave all my boots alone, only clean and conditioned to retain the natural worn look, but hey ho we are all different.
![[ASMR] Everyone Does It Wrong! - How to Clean Red Wings, Thorogood, Thursday Boots](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3cWM7W9vMJ4/mqdefault.jpg)
Hi Everyone, Christopher here. I hope you are having a sublime Saturday.
\\\ 🌍 All Products Shown/Mentioned \\\
Cavalier Chelseas - amzn.to/3XFU4Rf
Anything from Thursday - amzn.to/3KYKoKf
Basic Shoe Trees: amzn.to/48e5fD0
Upgraded Shoe Trees (1): amzn.to/4ezwSdy
Upgraded Shoe Trees (2): amzn.to/45CwUNz
Boot Trees: amzn.to/48zsNCk
Reviving Cream: arterton.co.uk/products/reviving-cream?sca_ref=6795669.I48JeyCd6o&sca_source=Boot-Rstr-cmt&
Saphir's Gentle Cleanser: amzn.to/3zj1tvA
Renovateur: amzn.to/3yb913l
Horsehair Brush (Budget): amzn.to/3RCxQuF
Horsehair Brush (Mid-Grade): amzn.to/3RvdWSq
Luxury Horsehair Brush: arterton.co.uk/products/horsehair-shoe-brush?sca_ref=6795669.I48JeyCd6o&sca_source=Boot-Rstr-cmt&
Cream Polish: amzn.to/3Rt08rC
Wax: amzn.to/3RDWJ9y
Sole Edge Iron: arterton.co.uk/products/the-sole-edge-iron?sca_ref=6795669.I48JeyCd6o&sca_source=Boot-Rstr-cmt&
Luxury Yak Hair Brush: arterton.co.uk/products/yak-hair-shoe-brush?sca_ref=6795669.I48JeyCd6o&sca_source=Boot-Rstr-cmt&
You should call your channel "shoe mage" cuz U can restore everything.
These real time cleaning videos are my favourite to watch. I appreciate the effort you put in talking over the majority of the conetent too.
Glad you like them!
One of the most comprehensive shoe restoration videos out there. Loads of nuance and useful information. Thank you for that!
I'm so glad it was helpful!
An excellent job restoring these Chelseas. The before and after condition images are also a testament to the quality of the leather used in the construction of these boots. Just like certain older buildings, wall clocks, watches and cars, those boots have character. Oh and one more compliment; you are two kinds of crazy! Thanks
Well.. I watched. Hour 35 minute long video on restoring shoe/boot leather. A testament to the quality and effort put in. Nice job. Learned a thing or two.
excellent video man ... subbed n following for more such tips
Dude, you deserve to have loads of subs. Man!
Thank you so much!
I learned some new things here. Nice job.
At 17:46 you say “we’re nice and taut” but after only 18 minutes, I feel like I’ve been taught.
Are we doing the “First” comments on this channel yet? I’m not sure what the proper etiquette is on that but I feel like the channel is big enough at this point.
HECK YEA WE ARE
Nice video. Very nice boots Sir. Keep them clean and shiny. Good job brother.😊
Great video! Would love to see you make a video on treating different exotic leather boots like ostrich or caiman if you haven’t already.
Thanks for all the details. I just bought some products on Amazon thru your affiliated links to care for my TLB Mallorca Artista Monk Straps and dare I say it some old Allen Edmonds boots that need some TLC.
Thank you so much! Feel free to ask if you have any questions :)
Eventually with the brushes getting dirty, is there a safe way to wash them without getting the wooden part of them damaged? Should you worry about this?
You shouldn't really need to clean your brushes more than maybe once or twice a year with regular use, if even that. To clean them, lightly wet a white towel with 70% isopropyl alcohol. Brush the towel for a minute or two pull any excess product out from the bristles. No need to wash any more beyond that.
Thanks for this video, is great content. But, something I dont understand is, if the reviving cream contains wax, isnt it applying a layer of it that avoids the Renovateur to actually condition the leather? would it be better to apply the conditioning when the leather has absolutely no wax on?
The Reviving Cream contains very little wax, if possibly none at all. It is mainly a cleanser meant to gently remove prior light wax layers, among other dirt and debris. You could avoid using it if you wanted to be work within a budget - and just use Renovateur - though using a cleanser before the Renovateur will be a bit more thorough in my opinion.
Great video Chris. I buy second hand British (mostly) goodyear welted shoes. I go for the worn out end of the market that tend to need new soles.heels, sometimes welts and always need straightening out on nice tight shoe trees. As long as the upper has been treated with cream a shoe can be fully refurbished to look as good as nearly new, usually. Sadly I've picked up a couple of pairs that have been allowed to dry out and then the leather cracks at the flex points, just has you describe. Waxing shoes isn't as important as using a good cream and if wax is over applied on dried out leather will speed up that cracking. The amount you've applied for protection looks about perfect. Well done for a great video and thanks. M
Great, informative, video. Thanks.
You love your shoes! Great shine and explanation. Have you thought of comparing shoe polishes, that Saphire is great but it’s so expensive.
Wonderful video! Looking good 😎 might try this with my captains!
Can you use the sole edge iron on the leather midsole for shoes that have a rubber outsole?
You probably could finagle it if you really tried, though I'm not sure it would be super effective. It would also depend on the thickness of the midsole and outsole.
Another banger!
The only thing the spandex part of the boot got all stained.. maybe could tape that off next for the next pair 😮
Great thought and very good suggestion! The goring on these was already a stained and the boots are at the end of their life anyway, so I wasn't too concerned :)
Great video
Is there anything one can do to specifically clean the goring on chelseas like that one?
Something with acute, stiff bristles would be my best best, like a toothbrush. Maybe a toothbrush to dislodge any embedded dirt/dust, a horsehair brush or towel to take away all loose debris, then a wet towel for any remaining micro-dust. That would be if it's really quite dirty.
What model is your watch? The strap is really nice.
They look brand new! .......I'm having trouble between choosing the Duke vs Cavaliers to wear with suits. It rains alot where I'm from (pacific northwest) and I'd prefer a complete rubber sole. Do the Dukes (in leather) look good with suits?
Yea definitely go with rubber sole in PNW. We get basically no rain in Colorado. I think the Dukes would look great with a suit, though perhaps a not-super-formal suit, much like my basketweave navy suit you see in many of my videos, with patch pockets. It doesn't have to be that, just not a very formal dark charcoal lawyer-esque suit. The dress code in PNW is pretty chill so I think it would be hard to go very wrong.
Appreciate the video
would this work on my leather blundstone chelseas?
Yes I believe so. I believe Blundstones use Full Grain Leather, though you might want to double check with their product page. I think some Blundstones use a waxed split grain, which would probably not work for this specific process. I also believe Blundstones are not welted, but cemented. You could still do all of the Upper restoration work, though none of the sole or sole edge work would make sense for a rubber-sole cemented shoe.
@DressWell.Madaras you're a living shoeclopedia, Chris. Thanks
Thursdays soles, i tear through those like in 2 months. very bad its ridiculous. How do yours do?
Had mine for about 3 years now and will probably get another Winter out of them. I imagine the outsole leather isn't great - which is fine for $200 - but two months seems pretty unusual. Mine have TPU stud, which have definitely helped alot.
@DressWell.Madaras I have the same soles, the rogue boots. I've literally never worn through the sole like that before. You know their heel caps are oftrn sort of thin too.
12:30 caught me off guard
Christopher, thank you for this video. I love your work! It is immensely helpful. That said, I had 3 questions..
Question1: I thought the Saphir Renovateur product was more for heavy rebuild and cleanup once a year as I read that it will strip the polish. For regular maintenance, can I simply do the following instead?
Saddle Soap
Saphir Creme Universelle Leather Balm (I read that this is much less abrasive than Renovateur and more favorable in other YT comments)
Saphir Médaille d’Or Cordovan Cream Shoe Polish (To touch up the color for scratches, etc)
Question2: If using cream shoe polish, is it still necessary to use the wax? From what I understand, the cream polish is the hybrid of a conditioner and the wax so the wax step would seem redundant.
Question3: On reddit, many swear by the Venetian Shoe Cream. Some YT videos like Stridewise show that the effects are similar to Saphir products. What are your thoughts on this product?
Thanks!
1) Saddle Soap is for heavy buildup and cleanup. I would honestly never use Saddle Soap for dress shoes. Only Boots, and only for real rugged-use boots that slop around in dirt, mud, etc. Renovateur will not strip anything for a standard drum-dyed leather shoe/boot. It can strip dye off a patina crust leather shoe, so care must be taken there - and you definitely wouldn't use Saddle Soap in that circumstance either. To my knowledge, Renovateur is made specifically for shoes, where Creme Universelle is more a general leather conditioner. CU would probably be better for crust leather/patina products. Renovateur for everything else.
2) Wax will give added shine and protection. Yes, Cream Polish has waxes in it and Wax itself is not really mandatory, though will give better overall protection. And can give greater shine if that is something you want.
3) I am not intimately familiar with Venetian, though I am aware that some like it. I think it is probably splitting hairs at that point. There is nothing I would honestly ask for more from Renovateur, so if Venetian is indeed 'better', it could only be so by a marginal amount given there is not much to improve upon with Saphir. Generally, I find it better to stay within one company's product ecosystem if possible simply because there is less likelihood of incompatibility.
If you wanted to be minimal:
(Clean) Saphir's Gentle Cleanser: amzn.to/3zj1tvA
(Condition) Renovateur: amzn.to/3yb913l
(Color/Wax) Cream Polish: amzn.to/3Rt08rC
(Brush) Horsehair Brush (Budget): amzn.to/3RCxQuF
i'm getting a silly and whimsical vibe from you :3
I feel like this risks staining your sport coat with polish, conditioner, etc. Also the ends of your shirt cuffs.
What about mink oil?
Renovateur is a mink oil-based product. From my understanding, straight mink oil is not particularly good for leather in general, shoes or boots.
I like worn patina look, natural character, preferred before, i leave all my boots alone, only clean and conditioned to retain the natural worn look, but hey ho we are all different.
Just an idea, this would make a good ASMR VIDEO for those inclined, if you can lift your voice out of this.
Great idea! I may do so for future videos.
FIRST
i appreciate your sir