Got time for a shine?                            

MYTH:

New shoes don’t need to be shined. Shoes only need to be shined when they start to look worn.

FACT:

If you’ve made an investment in a pair of shoes that you love and want to last, there are several reasons why it is important to get them shined before you first wear them.

Leather is skin that can no longer produce its own oils to stay supple, so it will naturally become dry over time.

Much of the damage that occurs to leather – tears, cracks, gouges, scuffs, stains, water damage, and color fading/loss – can be directly attributed to or aggravated by dryness.

Since new shoes have often been sitting in the box waiting for you to purchase them, they are likely to be in need of conditioning, regardless of how good they look.

A proper shine will include an initial round of conditioning with some type of leather balm.

This, coupled with the oils in a quality polish, will provide the essential moisture leather shoes need to fortify them against the hazards of wear.

A final benefit of moisturizing leather is that it helps stiff new shoes break in more readily, and who doesn’t want that?

All leather dries out over time, so we recommend conditioning and polishing your shoes regularly regardless how much use they see. Even entirely new shoes will often benefit from some tender loving care before first use. Frequent maintenance will not only ensure best possible looks, but also greatly lengthen the lifespan of your shoes. 

In addition to giving leather shoes vital conditioning, several layers of skillfully applied, high quality polish puts a protectant barrier between the surface finish of the shoes and the elements.

Crucial for hand-painted and ‘antiqued’ patinas, polishing helps finishes to “adhere” to the leather and to resist rubbing off or fading, keeping those sought after artisan finishes safely on the shoes the same way in which it keeps unwanted damage out.

New at Old Style Shoe Shine Co!

Just in;

Dainite soles and heels an alternative to leather and zip soles.

Tired of rain stains on your favorite shoes, want to get shoes but worried about rainy/snowy weather?

 Great replacement for leather soles.

Old Style has the solution, stop by for a quote on new sole and heel and work on getter rid of the water damage on you shoes, and we work on suede too!

At Old Style - We do more then just shine shoes!

That being said, you're simply not polished if your shoes don't shine.

Did you know?

SHOE TREES

When you purchase a new pair of shoes, it’s always a good idea to get a pair of shoe trees to go along with them (cedar is best).

-Trees will ensure that your shoes maintain their form for years to come, and cedar also has moisture wicking and deodorizing properties that will keep your shoes looking and smelling good.

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OFF THE FOOT

New and used shoes being cleaned, conditioned, and shined off the foot.

*Takes longer $2 extra and up.

(Depends on how much leather is associated with the shoe) 

The nice thing about off the foot, is we take the laces out, so we can get to the shoe tongue, and also clean the whole shoe, top and bottom.

*The nice thing about doing the shine on your foot, in the chair is, the warmth of your foot, warms the leather, so the polish and wax absorb into the shoe much better.

NEW SHOES

ALLEN EDMONDS

ALDEN

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Leather shoes should be polished when they are still new, as this will cut down the chances of

incurring permanent damage on the leather surface.

Leather wax and creams do three main things;

1) Moisturize the leather,

2) Protect the leather by creating a surface barrier, and

3) Give it a shined look.

As a rule of thumb, shining your shoes every 2-3 weeks will keep them in good shape.

In most places you can get away with every month or so.

"But our "SEATTLE" rainy climate means we have to shine more frequently." 

That being said, they should always be protected with a rain and stain guard

when they are new and every time they are cleaned.

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Zip Soles 

One thing that makes a huge difference in maintaining leather soled shoes is getting them “zip soled.”

That’s when a rubber overlay is placed over the natural sole, and it’s best to have this done when the shoes are still new.

But, anytime is better then leaving your shoe soles to the elements.

 9 Different colors of Zip soles to choose 

The zip sole acts as a barrier between the leather uppers and the wet/rough ground.

*Most water damage is done from the bottom up, rather than top down, because the

leather soles act as a sponge wicking water right to the leather uppers creating a wavy water line. 

Unfortunately once salt stains have appeared, they can be removed by some shoe experts.

(Old Style Shoe Shine has come up with a way to removing some water and salt stains. Stop or call and get a quote.)

SALT AND WATER DAMAGE BEFORE AND AFTER

If you have gotten them wet, how do you care for them? Or are they goners? 

If you get caught in the rain, wipe the water off as soon as possible – don’t let it sit on the surface. 

If a shoe becomes too saturated it can create permanent stains.

 They should always be protected with a rain and stain guard when they are new and every time they are cleaned.

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SALT AND WATER DAMAGE BEFORE AND AFTER

It’s always best to avoid permanent damage before it happens, so you don’t have to worry about salvaging your favorite pair after the fact.

The zip sole acts as a barrier between the leather uppers and the wet/rough ground. Most water damage is done from the bottom up, rather than top down, because the leather soles act as a sponge wicking water right to the leather uppers creating a wavy water line. 

Unfortunately once salt stains have appeared, they can be removed by some shoe experts. But don't give up on those favorite shoes, boot's, or anything leather. **See Before and After.

(Old Style Shoe Shine has come up with a way to removing some water and salt stains. It does take at least a week to get them back, but I send photo's with updates to what I am doing. Stop or call and get a quote.) 

 *Strip and dye takes longer.*

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*Suede should never be spray protected while still dirty, because it will actually lock the stains in.

Below are pictures of before and after.

If you have gotten them wet, how do you care for them?

Or are they goners?

If you get caught in the rain, wipe the water off as soon as possible – don’t let it sit on the surface.

If a shoe becomes too saturated it can create permanent stains.

That being said, they should always be protected with a rain and stain guard when they are new and every time they are cleaned.

*Suede should never be spray protected while still dirty, because it will actually lock the stains in.

Stop or call Old Style Shoe Shine Co. for a quote.

*Must be off the foot!

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 *Strip and dye takes longer.*

"REFURBISHING" 

- Leather is a lot like our skin, only thing is our skin gets a regular treatment to exfoliate, naturally.

 "EXFOLIATE = TO GET RID OF DEAD SKIN".

- Wash or rub (a part of the body) with a granular substance to remove dead cells from the surface of the skin/leather.

- If they are your favorite shoes, don't they deserve it?

- Stop by and get a quote...

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YOU'RE SIMPLY NOT POLISHED IF YOUR SHOES DON'T SHINE!

Old Style Shoe Shine Co. LLC

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*OLD STYLE IS CURRENTLY WORKING WITH A LOCAL COBBLER (SHOE REPAIR) THAT GIVES US GREAT DISCOUNTS THAT I PASS ON TO YOU.

OPEN FOR EVENTS

 ANYTIME CALL OR EMAIL FOR A QUOTE*

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*Add $5 for Off The Foot charge = OTF