501

Tuesday Afternoon

Bostonian hand lasted Berwick Cordovan Oxford.

UPDATE 11/24/2011
I stand corrected.  It should be a pair of Bluchers.

Reconditioned

Previously ...

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Russell Moccasin

Men's Oxford 300-SV

I applied some Pecard Leather lotion on the shoes, soles included before I even wear them. The Pecard smells fantastic. See the common theme, I begin to like leather lotion or preserve kind of smell. Some considers Russell Moccasin on a par with English Church's ... I don't know but I think the material is definitely good but the craftmanship can be of a higher standard, you can call it rustic but I guess you can also call it sloppy. But overall I am happy. Now Church's is totally expensive. I think Prada bought Church's if I am not mistaken. Straight from the horse's mouth. I even like how they spell words wrong. Just shows how un-elitist they are, just endearing ...

Our finest oxford, stylish 4-eyelet design, with straight line quarter. Best grade Spainish[sic] Calf Grain in rich Royal Oak or Black color. Hand sewn toe seams; leather lined quarters; double oak soles and rubber heels. Heel counters.

Restoring my boots and boat shoes

Finally I amassed the basic essentials to "restore" my decade old boots and shoes.  My Georgia boots leather has been pretty much bone dry and on the verge of cracking if I were to leave them as is.  The Timberlands would probably join their deceased brethren in shoes heaven.

My weapons of choice for this minor restoration project are soap and lotion.  It seemed simple enough but I had to wait for 6 months before I got them in the mail.  I cleaned the shoes with soap, let them dry and then applied the lotion.  Structurally the shoes are fine so it's not exactly a restoration other than reconditioning the leather.

Fiebing's Glycerine Saddle Soap.

I gingerly opened the packaging paper box and cut opened the plastic wrap.  And there was this pristine rectangular bar of soap, in all its translucent 7 oz. orange glory.  I wet a piece of rag salvaged from a flannel bed sheet, rubbed it against the soap and then rubbed it against the shoes.  The lather wasn't particularly rich in part I guess I didn't really work it.  But I felt like it was good enough.  The soap had a very pleasant clean smell that's similar to that of my shaving soap, probably both are glycerine based with no scent added.  Even though it says no scent added but I still smell something clean.  Maybe next time I can use this saddle soap to shave.  Or maybe not.  I did this soapy thing late at night and I left the shoes and boots dry overnight in the basement where it's nice and cool.

I thought soap would normally dry out the leather.  But I guess the answer is it really depends on the type of soap.  For glycerine soap, it actually restores the leather and makes it supple.  Good stuff.

Obenauf's Heavy Duty LP

Once the shoes were dry, I applied a coat of this stuff to the leather.  I read that it doesn't have any scent but holy moley I think it has some natural scent that is light and appealing, almost like honey if honey has a smell.  Maybe not artificial scent but it definitely carries some pleasant honey like smell.  My fingers were all smooth, water repellent and smelled fantastic after applying Obenauf's to the shoes.  Yes, I used my bare hand to apply the Obenauf's, showing a lot of love to my old shoes.  I may just apply another coat.

I love my shoes and they love me back (the same cannot be said in other relationships).

Finedge Ostiso

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Church's English Shoes

Bought circa 1996.

Mini Chirasi

Udon

Birkenstock London

Bought in 2001.  I wear it like Boston, that's without the counter like a pair of slippers.  It's not exactly comfortable or uncomfortable but it's definitely not durable.  My driving shoes, my take the garbage out shoes.

Chirashi

Timberland Boat Shoes

Timberland was hugely popular in Hong Kong in the 80s. A big part of it was people saw me wear them I believe Chow Yun Fat was seen wearing them. In one of the TV broadcast charity events, Chow was seen performing a stunt: stepping on cartons of eggs without breaking them or trying not to. In between the eggs and his bare feet was a pair of boat shoes by Timberland. Not the ones with lug soles shown here but the more traditional much thinner soles that are designed on deck top walking in a boat or a yacht. Not that I would ever know as I never go yachting.  Nor would I know if they are any good to walk on eggs.  When I came here, a couple of my best friends sent me off with a pair top of the line Timberlands thinking maybe one day I may go yachting or need them to walk on eggs.  Thanks dudes. Unfortunately I have the magic touch of turning everything precious into poop. A female friend of mine actually thought all along they were a cheap pair of imitation. Well what can I tell you, I look cheap and everything looks cheaper or simply cheap on me. The pair shown here was bought probably in the 1900s, I mean circa 1994. Back then it was made in the USA. It most likely is not the best mocassin construction out there but still it's all leather lined inside.

Original Musk

I don't know why I bought the musk.  I don't wear scent, maybe once in a while when the moon is blue.  Because I find it aggressive, intrusive and borderline rude to put on any scent in public.  While you think whatever you put on is deliciously and definitively fantastic, others may very well think you smell absolutely repulsive.  Plus there is not really any female deer or human to attract.   I just like to leave it in the bathroom, as a decor.  Or as an air freshener.  The WD-40 smells equally refreshing.

Georgia Boots

I probably bought these logger boots in 1993 or 1994.  Back when Georgia boots only had its logo embossed discreetly on the leather upper.  I just checked out their new boots.  It's disgusting.  They have their logo on the tongue and on the side.  I never took care of these boots, I wish I had.  Got to oil the leather up.  I remember the first pair I had was defective, the leather near the heel area just broke on one of them.  I wrote to the company together with a picture proving the defect, mind you, all done the old fashioned way with no email or jpeg.  The company sent me a brand new pair no questions asked all the way to Hong Kong.  I think that's customer service.

Blundstone

They're on their last leg. I need to find another pair. Or switch to something else. It's my third pair already.

Update:  There were made in Australia.  Not anymore.

I Love My Boots

I love my boots so much so that I keep buying them.  (Blundstone 500 in case you must know)

Update:  These were Made in Australia.  Not anymore.

Blundstone

If for some reason you think Doc Martens is too grungy, too skin head, too polluted by the fashion crossovers like Chloe and Yohji Yamamoto, and thoroughly disgusted by their blatant ad of exploitation of dead people, fear not, there is still Blundstone, the unpolluted Aussie invention since 1870.

I can attest to its light weight, comfortable and durable construction as I wear a pair of 500 every day.

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