Reconditioned

Previously ...

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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).

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.

Boat Shoe

When Timberland boat shoes were still Made in the USA.  Focus on the brass eyelet.  Handheld.  f/2 1/40s ISO200.

In response to millions and millions of emails requesting test shots from my Nikon D7000, here is one.  Judge it yourself.  This is just a resize to 1920 wide, no nothing is done other than in-camera adjustments like sharpening and contrast.  I don't know much anyway.