With all the talk of Alden alternatives..it got me thinking about my J Crew Ruggeds. I was one of those that bought the Champagne colour instead of the dark brown..and though not accurate, still satisfied.
Well...I decided to see about changing the colour.
I did a light dust and wash and then spent about an hour working them with a Kiwi Polish..Mid brown.
Well...all I can say is Wow!
The suede type leather took the polish so well you'd never think they were a very light tan colour. Since I wasn't entirely sure how dark to go the mid brown produced a much closer tone to the Aldens. Hopefully, I'll be able to compare at the up coming Ottawa Summit. Even if there still abit light, I've got lots of Dark brown to fix that.
Has anyone else tried this....they seem like completely different boots now..offering a better colour and better protection from the elements.
I have a pair of these that I find very comfortable. Please post a picture when you can! I have considered using a dark polish on my boots. The orange color is a bit much. I wear 'em a lot but the color does not change!
I think they look good.
I referred to having these in my other post but I am confusing myself! I have the Deckers(orangy color) and the Rugged(dark brown)
Do you have a picture of the boot before you went to work on 'em? I do not think I have seen the Champagne color. I wonder how light they were before.
Thanks Guys : I appreciate the insights. I intend to keep using the Mid brown to build the consistency and create some greater depth. I think I'll find the boots will darken a bit as do a pair of shoes I polish with the same stuff. Mr. Weaver..I think you're on to something the Cordovan colour is something alot seem to miss going for a dark brown. The mid brown seems more period for some reason.
Unfortunately, I don't think lighter polish will do too much to the darker JCrew's. I could be wrong though...what we need is a shoe maker on this forum!!
I'm looking forward to comparing things at the upcoming conference.
Kilgour,
I think they look great. I have them in that pumpkin color and I left them because I have a belt to match them and sometimes I wear them with a suit. After looking at your pics, I am very tempted to change them. Your look great! Well done.
HJ
Your pics inspire me to do the same with my Deckers. However I'm not seeing a mid brown color in Kiwi, only brown and dark brown. I'm assuming you used plain old brown, but I thought I'd check before putting polish to boot.
I have the Deckers(orangy color) and the Rugged(dark brown)
the Cordovan colour is something alot seem to miss going for a dark brown. The mid brown seems more period for some reason.
