Club Obi Wan

I love my Alden's, and that's a fact.

They are without doubt the nicest pair of boots I have ever owned, and I want to keep them that way if possible.

I regularly apply Kiwi brown polish to the boots and generally give them a good clean after each day's wear - yes, I am wearing these boots exclusively at the moment.

However, I have a slight concern about the 'stress marks' which are appearing on the leather uppers, front end of the boot where my foot naturally bends. The 'folds' are kind of knocking the shape of the stitching out and I am concerned about the long-term integrity of the leather the worse this gets, particularly bearing in mind these are only a couple of weeks old. 8-[

These stress points are, I believe, caused mainly through driving, but as I drive 65+ miles per day this is unavoidable.

So my question: which treatment would you recommend to ensure this small problem does not become a big problem?

Additionally, the wear on the heel and 'point' front of the soles is noticable already. This is of course to be expected, but I wonder if there is any method of prolonging the life of the soles, short of not wearing the boots that is!

Just a few small points for other members consideration to break up all this DVD excitement at the moment!

Al

I'm haveing the same concerns myself. The back/heel section is showing a lot of "lines" or discoloration in the leather and I think it's while driving it happens. And yes, the folds in the toe area.

Cheers,
Jeff

Man, I'm starting to sound like my good friend Renderking and his Akubra statement. USE PECARDS standard dressing in those creases after you apply and buff with your polish. Pecards 'lubricates' the fibers in the creased areas, allowing them to smoothly slide past each other, keeping the leather from cracking with use over the years. I've used it on mine for years, and they just get better and better. The creases are NOT stress areas, but natural bending of the leather with the way your foot moves. WIth the proper Pecards (standard dressing, by the way), they will continue to work like a well oiled machine. Regards. Michaelson

Alright Michaelson, I have to ask: How old are your Aldens? Do you wear them everyday?

Best Regards,

Paul Stenhouse

For the soles, I'd suggest just getting new ones when the time comes. And if your gonna wear leather boots/shoes, you're not gonna be able to stop them from getting distressed.

And if your gonna wear leather boots/shoes, you're not gonna be able to stop them from getting distressed.

I appreciate that and actually have no problem with the boots 'distressing', I just don't want them 'wrecking' or that distressing could become depressing

Michaelson:- but I am in the UK and I'm not sure if Pecards standard dressing is available over here? Alternatives or mail order?

Mine are almost 5 years now. Yes, I wear them almost everyday and in all weather. Yes, Pecards should be available to Europe through internet sales from the Pecards website, unless I'm reading it wrong. Can anybody reply to that? As to the 'distressed if worn everyday', sorry, have to disagree. Sure, they'll have the usual used look, but I keep mine polished with Meletonian shoe creme, and Pecard them about once a week in the areas that have creased, and they look practically new. I've already had 3 sets of heels replaced, but to date still have the same soles! I do have a replacement set in storage ready to put on when that time comes. Like fine equipment should be, with care those babies will go on and on if you take care of them properly. Regards. Michaelson

Well, I checked out the pecards website www.pecards.com and discovered that they can indeed ship to the UK, but shipping alone for a medium sized tub will be $60 Frankly, I can't afford that right now. So I will have to attempt to source a similar product a little closer to home I'm afraid.

Regards,

Al

Ok, I found this product:

NIKWAX Liquid Conditioner

For Conditioning Leather

NIKWAX Liquid Conditioner is a Water-Based Emulsion for proofing and conditioning leather, which maintains and restores suppleness without over softening. NIKWAX Liquid Conditioner is ideal for breaking in new leather footwear and can be applied to wet leather. If your boots are uncomfortable - they may need conditioning!

How does this sound to you guys? Is Pecards water-based?

Al

The motorcycle leather lotion is. The rest of their products are oil based. I'm not familiar with the product you mention above, so I really can't say. Regards. Michaelson

I have had my Aldens for about 3 1/2 years now. I do as Michaelson does, but I give them a good Pecards treatment about every other month. One thing I have done since I got my 405's, I put "heal savers" on the heals AND the toes. I get the heal savers in the shoe department of Wal-Mart. They run about $1.50 for a set. I replace them as soon as they start to wear down. I have never had to replace the actual heals or sole.
Regards,
Forrestal

Thanks Michaelson; I took the boots to my local cobbler to ask his advice. He says that 20 years ago, there would have been 10-15 different products on the market to choose from, but now sadly this market is limited.

He advised that the best bet for me was to use Kiwi select shoe-cream for smooth leather a couple of times a week, plus regular brown shoe polish.

I also asked about re-soling and he said he could do it no probs when the time comes, even down to replacing the curved heel. This will cost just £20, which I am really pleased about.

So no pecards, unfortunately, but hopefully my shoe cream and polish will do a similar job for me?

Regards,

Al

Just a note on Nikwax.. this too is an excellent product.. you'll find it in a lot of good outdoors shops and it is highly recommended by outdoor enthusiasts for use on high end hiking boots... it should do the trick for you just as well..

Also, instead of the suggested 'shoe polish', use shoe 'creme', such as the Alden Shop suggested Meletonian brand shoe creme. I'm sure if it's not available in the UK, there's another product just like it. The only way I can describe it is it's like a 'whipped' polish, and in creme form, usually packaged in small jars in stead of tins. Colors just as well, and the color seems to soak in much better. Regards. Michaelson

As far as your shoe soles a old shoemaker told me once to polish the soles of the shoes as well as the tops. Soles need food also !!

obal1, if you want to get Pecards, without emptying your wallet, you could post a message on the Classifieds forum asking in anyone has it. :junior: -IJ

Try this, Pecard in UK:

http://www.antiqueleatherdressing.co.uk/index.shtml


BR

Andy

Andy -

Thank you so much!

This is a great bit of news for UK gearheads, well done indeed for discovering this UK Pecards supplier.

I've just ordered my tub!

Thanks again,

Al

As far as your shoe soles a old shoemaker told me once to polish the soles of the shoes as well as the tops. Soles need food also !!


I'd agree about that if you were talking about a leather sole, but if a sole is neoprene, then I don't think polish is gonna help....

-L


[/i]

Probably make 'em slick as glass, and they're slick enough under the right conditions. Regards. Michaelson

IndianaMikey,
The standard Meltonian color for the 405's is, BRICK. You can find the Meltonian brand shoe cremes in most shoe repair shops.




Brick #136


-S

Interesting to revisit this post, what, 2 months down the line for my new Aldens.

They are holding up well despite daily wear. Have found that fortnightly treatments of standard Pecards, plus very light coatings as needed, help to keep the boots supple and looking good.

Still, I find that the top of the boot between the toe and the laces tends to 'fold' and create ridges, which don't come out. No big shakes, just an observation.

I have found that the 'brick' shoe cream works ok, but still prefer a little kiwi shoe polish and of course the aforementioned pecards does the trick for me,

All in all, I would say these are a great pair of boots which, if properly cared for, will last for many years to come.

Al

Have you ever thought about buying shoe trees for them? Hope this helps.

Best wishes,
Keith

"I said no camels!" Compensation for my brother in law's car."
Indy & Sallah
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade[/quote]

Now remember guys...these are boots ya know, not your first born! Ya think Indy babied his this much?

I am wearing these boots exclusively at the moment.

Not that I want to spoil yor fun or anything, but leather shoes must rest between uses. Especially shoes you're really fond of. The leather will set and age nicely during normal wear, but the heat and humidity during constant wear damages the shoe and its structure wears out prematurely.
A 24-hour rest is recommended and the shoe must be given time to dry completely from the inside and out.

Now remember guys...these are boots ya know, not your first born! Ya think Indy babied his this much?

What he said, too... a pair of quality boots like the #405:s will stand for quite an abuse - still, it pays off to care for a pair from day one... they'll serve you for several years, if not decades...

(Swedish guys can be obsessive about their shoecare... seems like that's the only thing we remember from our military service days...)

/SJ

Scandinavia Jones wrote: (Swedish guys can be obsessive about their shoecare... seems like that's the only thing we remember from our military service days...)
/SJ

Sure thing! And I didn't even do military service.

Regards,
Swindiana

Thanks, Sergei, for following up on the shoe creame question. I completely missed it. Another thing that I HAVE to purchase is something that Sergei recommended a while back, and that is a pair of cedar shoe trees to put in the boots when they're not in use. I finally saw a pair in Burlington Coat Factory, but have yet to pick them up, but I believe they'll work perfectly. Regards. Michaelson

Michaelson - did you ever pick up those cedar shoe-trees? If so how did they work out for you - recommended?

Not yet, and I constantly get annoyed at myself when I realise I haven't picked any up, usually right after I drive past the store that has them, and they're ONLY in a Knoxville store (3 hour one way drive from my house!) ! Regards. Michaelson

Try a 'post-it' on the dashboard - that usually works for me (unless I forget to read it..)

I'd be interested to see how those work out.

Mine are a bit red brown . What will happen if i use dark ore mid brown shoe creme on them ? I used non coloured shoe creme and polished them with a white cloth . After polishing them the cloth was brown. Could it be that the loose some colour ?

I'd imagine there is some loss of pigment from the dyed leather, which is why the cloth comes up brown. I personally re-apply the colour with brown show cream and/or kiwi polish, plus plenty od pecards which has the most amazing trait of 'blending' the colour.

In the movies, Indy's boots are so beat up they are almost natural leather coloured in certain scenes - maybe he used the same approach to polishing them