Antique Edwardian Shoe Rehab

I’m going to call it rehab instead of restoration, because these shoes were in a *state.* They were sent to me by a lovely follower who saw the potential in a pair of sad, squished, absolutely filthy old stompers.

If these shoes could talk…

These poor shoes have seen better centuries…

Upon closer inspection, beneath the grime, I saw some interesting brogueing details and  imagined these would be actually quite charming oxfords.

The first order of business was to wash the dirt away. Then, while the leather was still damp, I applied a thick coat of Angelus Lustre Cream in brown. This stuff is a hydrating cream that keeps the leather supple. The pigmented lustre cream does an amazing job at evening out coloration in the leather and covering scratches, tears, and scuffs.

With the dirt rinsed away, I applied a thick coat of Angelus Lustre Cream and let it dry

After buffing off the lustre cream, I applied Angelus Shoe Wax in brown. The wax fills in cracks and crevices and creates a nice barrier. It also buffs to a fantastic shine and protects the shoes.

Shiny and preserved. Though they still show their extensive wear, now the details and shape of these oxfords comes through

These poor babies are rotten on the inside, where the thin, cheap leather has flaked away almost completely. This is the part of antique shoes that goes first and is usually the worst. It’s unrecoverable too, so the best that can be done for these is to stuff them for shape and protect them in shoe bags, only to be brought out for study.

Looking so much better!

And they really did turn out to be a great pair of shoes. Somebody wore these as their everyday shoes, but also took care of them, having them resoled more than once. They were originally cheaply-made, with rough-cut lining and corners cut on areas like the tongue, typical of non-rationed, factory-produced footwear during the Great War period. Never intended to last very long, it’s amusing to me that these simple, well-worn, common shoes have out-lived the company who made them and the person or people who wore them.

Now ready to be stored and studied for another 100 years