Shoe Care Instructions
SHOE CARE BY SAPHIR
It is very important to care for and maintain your shoes and boots, not only to make them look their very best, but also to prevent the leather from deteriorating. In modern shoe making, leather is more highly pigmented than it used to be. As a result, Shoe care products have increasing difficulty penetrating the leather and over time, with constant exposure to the elements, dry patches and unsightly cracking can appear on your shoes.
Following a shoe care maintenance routine using Saphir products as suggested in this guide will protect and nourish your shoes to ensure they last you a very, long time.
CARING FOR CALF or GRAIN LEATHER
Cleaning (Not required for new leather)
1. Use a HORSEHAIR BRUSH to remove superficial dust.
2. If your shoes are still dirty or need stripping back, use RENOMAT or SADDLE SOAP to clean the dirt from your shoes. If you are using Saphir for the first time, have stained leather or many layers of polish to remove from the leather we recommend you use RENOMAT to remove all ‘old’ polish and residues which could be harmful to your leather and prevent Saphir products being able to penetrate your leather. SADDLE SOAP will cleanse the dust and obvious dirt from your shoes, but wont strip back polish. Ensure either product is allowed to completely dry before proceeding.
3. Remove winter salt stains using HIVER WINTER – apply with soft cloth or brush and then allow to dry. Remove residue by buffing.
4. Use RENOVATOR, Saphirs’ best-known and most-popular product. It is exceptional for conditioning and moisturizing leather. The active conditioning ingredient of Saphir Renovator is mink oil and a little goes a long way.
Apply the renovator using a soft cloth, using small circular motions to rub the moisture deep into the leather all over. Leave this to dry for a minimum of 3 minutes then buff off with a soft POLISHING CLOTH or brush.
Polishing to a High Shine
1. We recommend, to begin with, an application of SAPHIR, MEDAILLE D'OR POMMADIER CREAM POLISH. This product contains renovating cream based on beeswax and turpentine, so that it can be applied quickly and easily. It absorbs well into the leather so does not rub off on your clothing.
Apply the cream in a thin layer all over with a soft rag or POMMADIER BRUSH. For the joint (welt) between the sole and the upper use a small brush such as the SMALL APPLICATOR BRUSH which can be dipped into the jars. Apply the cream in two to three coats. Leave to dry in between coats for ten minutes. It is not essential to use this cream every time you polish, but is recommended to use it at every third polish to maintain moisture in your leather.
2. Use PATE DE LUXE WAX POLISH either alone or on top of the cream to create shine. This is nourishing wax made from Carnauba (Palm) and Beeswax. New shoes are the most difficult to polish and can take about one hour per pair for the first polish. This effort will lessen to about 15 minutes, as the shoes age.
· Take a soft rag and stretch it over your index and middle finger. Twist the loose ends of cloth until the material is taut over the fingers. Hold the twisted ends as a ball between the thumb and forefinger of the same hand.
· Put a little water into the lid of the polish tin and dip your rag-covered fingers into it to moisten. Put a little shoe polish on the rag and rub onto the leather using small circular movements without using a lot of pressure. Rub on the same spot until you feel a hardening of the wax and slowly a greasy shine should begin to appear.
· If this is not the case after about 15 seconds of regular circular rubbing, take a little more wax, dip your fingers in water and repeat the procedure.
· If the wax still remains soft and you still cannot feel any change, then wait for 30 seconds, take a little more cleaning water and re-work the same spot. When a shine has appeared in one spot, begin with the next. When you have covered the whole shoe in this manner, then lay the next layer over it using more water, less wax and even less pressure. In order to remove the last fine smears the shoe is lightly rubbed with a damp cloth.
Protecting
Once you have cleaned and polished your shoes, it’s important to protect them between polishes.
1. A regular application of SUPER INVULNER SPRAY to protect shoes against the effects of bad weather is recommended. This product is simple to spray on and provides perfect waterproofing and anti-stain protection.
2. DUBBIN grease can be applied to protect your leather, but is most often used on smooth or matt leathers such as winter boots since the application of Dubbin leaves a matte finish and a slightly greasy residue.
3. SAPHIR MEDAILLE D’OR LOTION based on mink oil and beeswax, this can be applied as a gentle cleaner and protector for smooth or distressed matte leathers. This product leaves no residue and will protect your matte leather without adding or changing the colour.
CARING FOR CORDOVAN, REPTILE OR EXOTIC LEATHERS
1. Use a HORSEHAIR BRUSH to remove superficial dust, take care to brush scales gently to remove all collected dust.
2. If the leather is very dirty, in particular around the joints of the scales on reptile leather, use a dampened cloth or brush to eliminate any dirt.
3. Once the leather is completely dry again, we recommend the following products to nourish and polish your shoes or leather goods.
- NAPPA CREAM – This gentle product cleans, nourishes and enhances the beauty of fragile and delicate leather: e.g. Nappa, Boxcalf, Veal. Based on mink and jojoba oil, enriched with wheat protein but without addition of solvent. Its extremely gentle formula does not change the appearance or the finish of the leather and does not leave any traces.
- REPTAN – this product is specially formulated for special leather like crocodile, lizard, snake, shark or elephant. This beauty milk will moisturize and protect.
- CORDOVAN CREAM POLISH - An all-natural cream polish based on beeswax, turpentine, and carnauba with six other nutrient waxes and twice the amount of pigment of ordinary polishes. The cream polish has a higher concentration of pigments than other polishes and is exceptional for restoring finishes and achieving soft polishes. It is the perfect treatment for your cordovan leather shoes. Apply by massaging gently into the leather and polishing off.
CARING FOR PATENT LEATHER
Patent leather requires particular care and attention.
1. Remove dust with a damp cloth and leave to dry.
2. Shine your shoes and remove residues and other marks using VERNIS RIFE. This product cleans, protects against cracking and adds shine to all patent leathers.
3. Buff using a dry POLISHING CLOTH
CARING FOR SUEDE LEATHER
Suede leather is a fragile material and sensitive to bad weather conditions.
Cleaning & Protecting Suede
· Brush with CREPE BRUSH to remove dirt.
· Remove winter salt stains using HIVER WINTER – apply with soft cloth or brush and then allow to dry. Remove residue with crepe brush.
· Remove non-greasy surface stains or dark marks using GOMMADIN, which acts like an eraser. Rub until the block crumbles slightly then brush away the residue.
· Remove more severe stains from suede using MULTICLEANER, a product specially formulated for suede leather maintenance, to clean in-depth while respecting the characteristics of suede.
· Restore the colour of your suede using RENOVATOR SPRAY, which can be applied in neutral or in the same colour as the shoes. A darker spray can also be used to slightly darken the leather if required.
· For waterproofing action only, use the SUPER INVULNER SPRAY to protect the suede against the elements.
RESTORING EDGE COLOUR
Over time the solid edge colour of your shoe welt can fade or become stained. By using TEINTURE FRANCAISE you can carefully apply a liquid dye to the welt area.
1. Remove dust from the area with a HORSEHAIR BRUSH.
2. Protect your hands with gloves.
3. Apply TEINTURE FRANCAISE using the supplied applicator or small brush. - Attention: this dye is very colouring! Once applied the colour cannot be removed!
4. Clean the brushes with alcohol/ white spirit immediately after use.
5. If your skin gets stained, clean with alcohol straight away, or acetone if the dye has dried.
CHANGING LEATHER COLOR
For this we advise caution, since the products are permanent and any mistakes irreversible. If in doubt seek advise from a shoe repair professional.
1. Remove all old polish and strip all residues from the leather using RENOMAT.
2. Protect your hands with gloves.
3. Use TEINTURE FRANCAISE liquid dye. Apply all over the leather with supplied applicator or small brush - Attention: this dye is very colouring! Once applied the colour cannot be removed!
4. Afterwards, polish with a POLISHING CLOTH to remove the surplus and prevent any discharge. You need approx. 50 ml for a pair of shoes and 100 ml for a pair of boots.
5. Repeat if the colour is not the desired shade or shows patches.
6. Clean the brushes with alcohol/ white spirit immediately after use.
7. If your skin gets stained, clean with alcohol straight away, or acetone if the dye has dried.
8. TEINTURE FRANCAISE does dry the leather, so finish your shoes with RENOVATOR to moisturize the leather then your preferred PATE DE LUXE WAX POLISH.
