Caring for Grain leatherUpdated 2 years ago
If your Cobbler Union shoes sport a pebble grain finish, these are the steps we specifically recommend:
- Insert shoe trees. This should be done after every wear to help pull moisture from the soft leather lining of the shoe. Additionally, shoe trees help minimize the harsh look of creasing and add a deodorizing element to shoes. This is one of the most vital parts of shoe care.
- Brush off superficial dirt and dust before continuing with a horsehair brush.
- Condition with renovateur or leather conditioner. A small amount goes a long way with Saphir's Renovateur Pommadier. We recommend applying this throughout your shoe with your fingers and allowing a small amount of the conditioner to be absorbed by the leather. Once it has, be sure to buff the shoe with a horsehair brush.
- Add color or shine. We recommend using Saphir Cream Polish. Our country grain and cognac grain leathers both match up best with Saphir Cognac Cream Polish, our brown grain matches with Saphir Dark Brown Cream Polish. As with the renovateur, we recommend working a small amount of this cream into the shoes with your fingers. You should be able to tell when the polish has been absorbed into the leather. After about five to ten minutes of the polish sitting on the shoes, it's time to buff with a horsehair brush and ensure to get excess out of the pebble pattern in the leather. At this point, you'll generally notice the leather start to look much more vibrant
- Add a protective layer. Now that you've set your foundational color and moisturization, it's time to protect your hard work. While we would recommend using a wax with most other leathers, the grain texture on this shoe makes buffing out dense wax a bit difficult. Therefore, we recommend using the Super Invulner spray to add a waterproofing element to your shoes. Simply spray a coat onto the shoes and allow the pair to dry for around 30 minutes.
These are the steps we recommend to keeping the leather of your shoes healthy. Of course, there are additional steps that can be taken for thorough sole care, burnishing, or adding a patina to your shoes; so if you have any questions about more in-depth care, simply drop us a line!