Leather care project: Tory Burch patent sneakers

You found a perfect pair of sneakers for an overcast kind of weather. The purchase was justified.  It was not a splurge, but a good buy because its style is versatile.  You can even wear it to complete your smart casual ensembles. It's a pair of Tory Burch patent sneakers. ❤😍👌

➤  Soft patent leather that wicks away water (good for drizzles, but not for torrential rain)
➤  White rubber sole - a crowd favorite for a few (fashion) seasons now
➤  Made for walking; won't hurt your feet - a quality that Tory Burch shoes are known for 

A few weeks later, you found out that... 

➤  Its white sole already turned grey because of dust and dirt.  No matter how you tried cleaning it at home, the stain won't disappear.  You couldn't wash it clean and tumble dry, because the shoes are partly made of leather.  😲😨😢

➤  So you brought the pair to two of the bigger handbag/shoe cleaning chains in the city.  They won't accept your shoes for cleaning - they just told you, "the materials tend to get filthy just like that.  There's nothing we can do about it." 

Then you just asked yourself: 1) why?; 2) what now?  

The solution... 

This is not a close-ended article.  In fact, we want to share there is hope for this type of shoes - we can clean and disinfect both leather and rubber to (help) add more mileage to this posh pair.  Here are the "before-and-after" photos straight out of our leather care project studio. ❤😍👌

BEFORE:  Leather is still in good condition, but the rubber sole showed dirt and deep stains.

WORK-IN-PROGRESS:  Clean and disinfect shoes by part.  Rubber and leather must be cleaned separately. 

AFTER:  More mileage ahead!  

For more information, visit us at Facebook - Leather Care Project, or at Instagram: @leathercareproject

Leather Care Project, a Vintage LV, and a Gucci Boston

Gone are the days when I used to bring my bags to handbag spas.  Over time, I felt like I was no longer getting my money's worth, and also the time consumed for a take 2 due to sub-par cleaning.  It prompted me to clean my bags at home, and I've been doing it for a while now.  

I was never in the business of ranting, and not doing anything to understand and solve the issue.  So here is a significant snapshot of my handbag restoration story.  

There was a case when I had to bring my Gucci Boston to bag spas in two countries, and the people I spoke with wanted to know none of it.  That bag is barely four years old, and I sent it to a bag spa 2x a year for cleaning - but there are environmental factors like heat and humidity that seem to shorten the 'life' of my bag.  The stains in the (interior) lining were never addressed by any of the shops I sent it to.  The coated canvas started to peel - and no one would offer me a clear solution. I started to do some research on cleaning and restoration, specifically for Gucci Boston coated canvas with fabric lining and soft leather trims.  I can probably restore it myself.  

I started buying reputable leather care products as starter.  Most of the first batch of supplies I bought were from Europe.  I tested the products on several  bags and shoes from my closet, aided by application techniques that I learned through understanding the structure of my shoes and bags.  My experiments worked nicely.  Family and friends were pleased with the results.  Then I thought, why not offer it as a service?  If I am to do it professionally, I have to make sure that I offer only the best.  So I went ahead to obtain a professional certification for handbag and shoes restoration.  The quality of cleaning and restoration that I do require some artistic ability and creativity (resourcefulness), that's why I treat every bag as a project.  I've started accepting bags and shoes for cleaning and restoration.  As expected, my first customers are family and friends. 😊

Here is another batch from days of restoration effort.  These are my outputs from a couple of days spent outside of my usual corporate concrete jungle environment.  

❤  The toughest so far is restoring a (very) vintage Louis Vuitton purse WITHOUT a single drop of leather paint.  Every step was rendered manually. No shortcuts.  

Before:  Old and weak cowhide leather, scuff marks, loose stitches in some areas, dull and dirty canvas, tarnished hardware, smelly interior

After:  Reinforced cowhide leather with rich honey patina color,  no visible scuff marks, fine stitches, clean canvas, shiny hardware, clean and disinfected interior 

Note:  

1.  Painting a piece of cowhide leather is easy to do, but it makes sensitive cowhide highly susceptible to cracks.

2.  The first output showed a very light patina, but I chose to buff the cowhide to achieve a rich honey patina for a more vintage look. 

❤❤ I was also able to clean the fabric lining of my Gucci Boston bag without harsh chemicals like chlorine.  

Before:  Stained fabric lining - trips to handbag spas did not make these stains disappear.  They would just tell me 'best effort only'.  

After:  Clean fabric lining, a reshaped Boston bag form, reshaped pockets with starch-like hold.