Need to fix slight scuff on shoes

[bbshriver]

I work as a test engineer (read: I occasionally do hands-on work) and recently scuffed the toe on my newest dress shoes... I tried to just polish it out, but of course the polish stuck better in the scuffed area, so it shows up pretty well.

Any ideas on how to correct this? The shoes had a very smooth surface originally. I'm considering using some 2000 grit emory paper or something to get them uniformally "scuffed" but not sure if that's going to make things worse or better... These are nearly new (had them about 3 months) so I don't want to risk messing them up.

 

[HeyMoe]

you can "bone it".

I learned this from a WWII vet and it does work. Take your shoe brush and flip it over so you are using the wood side on the leather. follow the "grain of the scuff" if you will going in the opposite direction of the scuff. Don't be shy about it - use firm fast buffs and it will pack the pulled up bits of leather back into the scuffed area and after some polishing it will look pretty close to new.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I have gotten lucky once by having a pair of shoes with scuff on each that was recieved in the back seat of a Chicago taxi professionally buffed. Take the shoes to a cobbler & with his power tools they could probally buff the shoes to the pint of looking like patent leather. It should only cost three of four dollars per pair of shoes.

 

[bbshriver]

I don't know any local/good cobblers, or even how I would go about looking for them...

I like the backside of the brush idea, I might give that a try before trying the sandpaper route.

 

[Tomasso]

I don't know any local/good cobblers, or even how I would go about looking for them...

Here you go.

I like the backside of the brush idea, I might give that a try before trying the sandpaper route.

Sandpaper. :eusa_doh:

 

[bbshriver]

Here you go.

Exactly the problem... no idea where a good place is... I can find lots of places on Google, but none of them have any reviews, and many are in sketchy locations. I don't know anyone in the area that would be good at directing me to that sort of place either.


Sandpaper. :eusa_doh:

Emory paper is the more correct term... 2000 grit, that I use for honing razors, and is also used as part of automotive paint prep. just to get it evenly scuffed (you cannot feel the imperfection, only see it)

I forgot to post a picture earlier, this is what I'm dealing with.

 

[HeyMoe]

Ah....

Boning only works on actual scratches.

 

[Salty O'Rourke]

If I were you, I'd test the emery cloth method on an old pair of shoes or an old belt or wallet before I'd try it on the toe of that shoe. I think you'll wind up marring the leather. A good cobbler/shoe repairman might be able to buff it out or blend in some polish to give it a more uniform patina.

If you can't find a good cobbler, ask someone at a top-of-the-line men's store or shoe store to recommend one. They'll know of someone.

 

[cookie]

I don't know any local/good cobblers, or even how I would go about looking for them...

I like the backside of the brush idea, I might give that a try before trying the sandpaper route.

The sand paper route is not good ...I tried that and it does not work...

Emory paper is the more correct term... 2000 grit, that I use for honing razors, and is also used as part of automotive paint prep. just to get it evenly scuffed (you cannot feel the imperfection, only see it)

I forgot to post a picture earlier, this is what I'm dealing with.

What you need to do there is strip it back with 'preparer'/deglazer. Get it from your cobbler. It will mildly strip back the surface then just rebuild it with Kiwi polish.

 

[Tomasso]

It actually looks more like a stain than a scuff. But Cookie's right, it needs to be stripped down. My cobbler once removed a grease stain from the toe of a pair of burgandy captoes by stripping off the stain and polish with turpentine and then reapplying the polish. As I recall he stripped both caps so that the polish would match on both shoes.

Or you could just antique both caps to cover the scuff/stain.......

 

[scotrace]

Since you aren't dealing with a painted or varnished or metal surface, I'd avoid the use of any kind of abrasive. This is not an application for emery paper.

Find a cobbler. There will be one not far away. It's worth the slight amount of time to find a good one.

 

[bbshriver]

Any tips on how to "find a good one"?

 

[carouselvic]

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&expIds...air+greens&gs_rfai=&pbx=1&fp=d05206dad69dbf20

 

[bbshriver]

Well this time around there is one place that has 4 reviews at 5 stars... Maybe I'll give them a try and see about some topys too..