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Shoe House Doctor

LuvMyMan

I’ll Lock Up.
Messages
4,558
Location
Michigan
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If you do not know already, we here in our home have been restoring Vintage Shoes and conditioning new shoes and boots, to give them all much needed care which will greatly add to the life of your shoes or boots. You can see the above pictures of a pair of shoes, late 1940's Foot-so-port. They had been in a super dry condition, which made them non wearable until I was able to do the different steps and conditioning to bring them back to life, as you can see in the second picture. Note the classic high gloss hand polish! I use only the best quality products to clean, condition, rehab or have soles or heels replaced, or sole protection installed.
I can have all leather heels installed on your shoes, half plates of hard nylon or rubber, or even a leather "V" Cleet heel, or a vintage all rubber or nylon heel.

I am not doing this to get rich, so I have to say my pricing on anything you would want or need done, is very super reasonable.

Restore shoes with conditioner and several polishes, can clean and perk up any suede including light or white suede, condition and polish any exotic leathers. Just about any restoring or needs your shoes or boots may need or require, I can do them for you. Including making a pair of shoes that are too big by a size or two, fit your foot better.

I can NOT stretch any shoe or boot that does not have a real welt. As you can see the picture of my shoe/boot stretcher, it takes care of business very well, but if a pair of shoes or boots do not have a welt, my stretcher may rip the uppers off the shoe soles.

As this is going to be a "work in progress" service for anyone interested, if you have some shoes or boots that need restoration, stretching, polishing, or even new soles or heels, please contact me, send me a PM. I can have a new sole protector also installed on the soles of shoes which while not a "Topy" the material is more limber, and gives a better grip than a "Topy" half sole.

You can see more of my work in the "show us your shoes" thread.
 

LuvMyMan

I’ll Lock Up.
Messages
4,558
Location
Michigan
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A new OLD pair of Weyenberg cap toes. Never been worn....you can see by the picture the shoes are not shined yet....but they are about to get my arsenal of conditioner and polish..
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I start out after spraying the shoes with a disinfectant, (hospiceptic) and wash the shoes. Next up Caddy conditioner,(2 days of drenching them) then as you look at the color of the shoes, there is no cream polish or paste shine wax that is exactly the same color. So I have to make my own by layers on the leather. Mid brown cream by Meltonian is step one polish. Rubbed in and thick. It sits over night to absorb into the leather. It is hard to buff that off, but it gives a foundation for everything else. Many Vintage shoes are of a color leather that is an exact match to any colors we have from Modern shoes. Next a good layer of KIWI tan. Sits several hours to get a bit hard, then buffed. Next a good layer of Angelus paste wax that is Red. Sits several hours then buffed. Now it is time to start to bring out a shine with all those colors in the shine. I start that with KIWI Neutral. Really thin coat and only dry for about 10 minutes, buffed, and then another thin coat. Buff that off and then I bring out my best paste wax for polishing....the neutral Saphir.

[URL=http://s1140.photobucket.com/user/LoveMyHats2/media/IMAG2951_zps1bgpgt1s.jpg.html] [/URL]
 

LuvMyMan

I’ll Lock Up.
Messages
4,558
Location
Michigan
[URL=http://s1140.photobucket.com/user/LoveMyHats2/media/IMAG2931_zpstmbqtxty.jpg.html] [/URL]
This shows how much conditioner is applied over and over both inside and out...you eventually rub and massage it into the leather as you go.

But now...what they look like when they are all done!
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This picture gives the most accurate showing of their color...

Even the soles get a bit of a shine after I apply a coat of "top coat" by Angelus on the soles to seal them a bit then a few applications of KIWI Neutral polish and buff!
[URL=http://s1140.photobucket.com/user/LoveMyHats2/media/IMAG2975_zpssor3nkt5.jpg.html] [/URL]

I even take great care to keep the white stitching on the soles right to the welt area, clean and not polish gets on that stitching. You can see by my results, this is all a long effort of bringing a shoe up to par to then wear. Any new or vintage shoe should be treated as these have been to help them last a long time.

PM me if you have an interest in having me work on a pair of shoes for you...more picture coming of what I do on the inside of a shoe or boot and what options I do on soles as well to protect them from wear and weather.
 

LuvMyMan

I’ll Lock Up.
Messages
4,558
Location
Michigan
[URL=http://s1140.photobucket.com/user/LoveMyHats2/media/IMAG3021_zpsvsv4r7wc.jpg.html] [/URL]

This is a thin, flexible, durable, sole protector. I can use this on any leather or man made sole, but not on rubber. It protects and it also makes your shoe slip much less, gives great grip!

I have red, black, and a clear in the material used. The bottom of the shoe has to be washed, then cleaned with a leather prep like what you use to strip color, then a very thin coat of Barge All Purpose Cement to really make the sole protector hang on to the bottom of your shoe sole! This was a trial and error product for us here, as without doing the proper work on the soles before you put these sole protectors on, they would not stay on hardly a few minutes! And this material is not cheap! However this may give you shoe soles that extra protection to help make your shoes last a long time!
 

LuvMyMan

I’ll Lock Up.
Messages
4,558
Location
Michigan


This is a thin, flexible, durable, sole protector. I can use this on any leather or man made sole, but not on rubber. It protects and it also makes your shoe slip much less, gives great grip!

I have red, black, and a clear in the material used. The bottom of the shoe has to be washed, then cleaned with a leather prep like what you use to strip color, then a very thin coat of Barge All Purpose Cement to really make the sole protector hang on to the bottom of your shoe sole! This was a trial and error product for us here, as without doing the proper work on the soles before you put these sole protectors on, they would not stay on hardly a few minutes! And this material is not cheap! However this may give you shoe soles that extra protection to help make your shoes last a long time!
[URL=http://s1140.photobucket.com/user/LoveMyHats2/media/IMAG3021_zpsbygtocz5.jpg.html] [/URL]
 

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