Can I SAVE This Store Return? A Botched Patina Job Gets a Makeover-Allen Edmonds St. John

[@carennorthcutt7724]

The fact that you took a moment to speak to the previous owner speaks well of your character.

[@masonklein]

My exact thoughts. This guy is one of a kind. I hope more of us can follow in his footsteps

[@kla4600]

He showed a great deal of restraint in calling him a Kiwi clown. In any case, more beautiful work in restoring those shoes.

[@joelewis8770]

Ha. He'll want to buy that back!

[@AthamAldecua]

Preston is a better man than I will ever be. I couldn't stop laughing my ass off at that botched job 😂

[@eksine]

instead I would have said "look MF you fucked up and now I'll show everyone on my channel w hat you did"

[@tampazeke4587]

I can't believe anyone would accept those as a return. However, I honestly like them better after your artistry than I would have liked them before they were damaged.

[@magnoliamike]

I know right!?

[@bjornnordstrom]

Now that is some generous return policy; buy a new pair of shoes, totally ruin them, return them, and ask for the money back. I think I would have a hard time pulling that through in my corner of the world 😬

[@Fucoc]

Ville aldri gått

[@Myrslokstok]

Bröt du kartongen och provade dem, ut ur min butik 😂

[@dr.s.p.]

Impossible where I live!

[@helenready1310]

i grew up in seattle, the birthplace of nordstrom, the family {yes, that's the family name} who set the standard, globally, for returns of the most licentious nature. i swear that's what created the whole secondary retail market (t.j. maxx, et al). but i digress -- i can't take my eyes off these videos..... i just can't

[@helenready1310]

wait: your name is nordstrom? huh.

[@Battle_Beard]

My wife had 8 straight months of morning sickness with all three of our children; I can very much sympathize. You can’t rush art, and this is absolutely nothing less. We will happily wait. Congratulations! 😃

[@TheElegantOxford]

Thank you!

[@umpus]

How could you do that to her twice more after watching her suffer the first time?

[@puppyxdogxeyes]

You're a good husband and father, if that means less videos then so be it. I have so much respect for you dude.

[@sarasolomon4812]

I love this "makeover". The shoes look so unique and individual. Whoever buys them won't have to worry about all the other guys having similar shoes. They're a real statement piece.

[@chrisoconnell3943]

Preston, for those of us who have been here from the beginning, we don't care about upload frequency. We are ecstatic for you and your growing family, and will be here to support you and your business for many years to come. Congratulations buddy!

[@RussellChapman99]

An amazing result, considering what you had to begin with.

[@jasmsmi-c6s]

I was thinking the same thing. Now Dabondo1 could easily sell these. They look good!

[@martynanstis1620]

Good job 👍

[@seekingtruth6822]

You did not give yourself credit, they came out better than I expected. Didn't think you would be able to pull it off, but you did. Great job Preston.

[@toxicmatterz316]

We really appreciate your kindness towards us and I hope you get a very good loving time with your family. 😊

[@GS-st9ns]

I never grow tired of watching your videos. There's so much to learn. I started buying second-hand high quality as best I could, and they look like brand new when I'm done watching your tutorials. Kids shoes are even brilliant when I'm done.

[@spiraling6980]

Reminds me of when I worked part-time at a "gym/health spa" in the 80s when i was 16&17yo. was told to sit in the locker room and hand out towels and clean up. The normal guy called out sick. A customer gave me his white leather loafers and asked me to buff them out. told him i never did anything like that before and didn't know what I was doing, but he insisted saying what harm could I possibly do! While he did a few laps, I put dark brown polish all over the shoes which made them turn nearly black! It looked horrible. when the guy eventually came back he was speechless at the sight of his new dark brown loafers with black streaks! Still chuckle a little thinking about it. didn't get fired either!!!

[@Rose-jz6sx]

Hahaha that's what he deserved to be fair

[@donwashington9492]

Hahana

[@AintHere4You]

That's not shoe fixing or repairing, that's pure art! Splendid work👌

[@jman4817]

Being a dad is the best and most important job! Great job being a dad before being a KZbin star. 👍Love your videos!

[@all_skate]

That patina job so well matches many classic guitars. The perfect sunburst guitar, suit, tie and those amazing shoes would make for the perfect smooth jazz session.

[@earlenepeterson8065]

For what you were given, they look really good.

[@IPv6Freely]

I would seriously love to have a pair of shoes with that exact patina on them. I absolutely love how they turned out. I almost want the same thing done to one of my pairs!

[@justchrisv.2731]

One thing you might want to try is using a UV light to lighten up the shoes. I bought a few on Amazon and put them in a box where I put my shoes whenever I need to lighten them

[@TheElegantOxford]

Nice! I’ll have to check it out.

[@ergrainger9195]

That's such an excellent idea!

[@justchrisv.2731]

@@ergrainger9195 it's worked wonders for me in the past, whether it was on a pair of jordans or nicer dress shoes it's never failed me

[@ThePorkTree]

@@TheElegantOxford Ive used UV light bulbs to brighten up video game console plastic with salon chemicals. Not recommending the chemical bit but the UV lamps would probably go a long way for yah.

[@andhisband]

@@TheElegantOxford Be careful with UV light - you can do to your eyes what this guy did to his shoes and there's no do-overs.

[@ron7202]

I'm not really a fan of the double monk strap, but who can complain about how those turned out? They look great!

[@williampage8882]

I polished my both my boots and dress uniform shoes. When they changed our boots I continued to shine my shoes.. To get a shine like that, you gotta have some skills. Your an artist drother

[@michaelmason4206]

Patience, incremental change, patience. Nice job!

[@ranchoboomerang]

Gorgeous, I'm watching as I repair a vintage Alpaca cardigan sweater! It says alot about AE for taking them back! Thank you for your time.

[@Bakachu7]

Geez that finish is amazing! I really thought there was no way you could do anything even half way decent, but I actually REALLY like the result. Still a bit too much black, but the browns and reds help hide that and smooth it all together. Preston, that's crazy good! Bold, but I think easy to find a buyer!

[@TheElegantOxford]

Thanks, Jed! Hope you are doing well man

[@JustZG]

Literally an artist in every sense of the word. Looks incredible!

[@jay-rus4437]

We have our first grandchild due March 2021. Amazing place to be considering our twin sons were born 16 weeks premature at 1lb-14oz and 1lb-9oz. Doctors said they had a ZERO percent chance of living. We were told to leave them at the hospital and move on with our lives. Fast forward 24 years....both sons work in our family owned home renovations business, and one of them is married and now first child on the way. Congrats on your growing family

[@troyp5208]

You are a master at your craft, sir.

[@YakubibnEsau]

You saved that pair of shoes! I’m so impressed. You used a lot of artistry as well as technique in saving those shoes!

[@remocarrer3098]

Family comes always first! Be safe and your family too!

[@LukeTheSterling]

Wait wait wait wait...this guy dyed the shoes, and AE ALLOWED HIM TO EXCHANGE THEM?

[@donnynguyen5711]

Lol

[@scottv781]

I was thinking the same thing. That's a very liberal exchange policy lol. I've never returned a pair or AEs, but now I know I can I ruin my shoes and exchange them for new ones bwahahahaha

[@pandapanda8354]

IKR! They just let him get a second attempt at ruining a new pair 😂

[@markyoung01maccom]

Speaks a lot the customer care.

[@scottcarroll9201]

I'd be willing to bet that they gave him 50% off another pair or something like that. No way they gave him full value. I've dealt with AE customer service before, they're great but not that great. Lol

[@ZhouMama69420]

Didn't know you were a knife connoisseur as well. Nice spydie

[@mikehenry8718]

Can’t believe AE took those shoes back! Excellent job as always.

[@TheElegantOxford]

AE has some great customer service!

[@SaintKimbo]

Can't believe anyone would have the nerve to send them back !

[@BeckVMH]

Can’t believe ANY company would accept that return for obvious reasons Here’s my luck… I’ve had multiple pairs of AE. May sound trivial, but years back sent a pair of McTavish distressed leather from the “Rough Collection” for resole with specific request for original white stitching and photos of the shoes in new condition with original white stitching just to avoid any confusion. Came back with darker tan. NEVER, after multiple attempts and communications, got the matter sorted out. Still have the notes and photos. The process was exasperating and bizarre. Regardless, I still support the company although retired and no longer in the market.

[@dgmangold]

You have a beautiful family, Congrats on the pending kiddo.

[@BxCortez2050]

watching your vids and your calm demeanor is very cathartic

[@aross924]

Hahaha I feel for the guy that tried and screwed up his shoes. Dabondo is a great seller. Super fast shipping

[@imranuzzaman2566]

What we see with waking eyes is a heartfelt dream Although "The Elegant Oxford" realizes it every time...

[@4shzine]

It is really in these moments where you see true talent shine. What you were able to recover speaks greatly on your ability to dye shoes. Job well done!

[@Spdroo7]

Great job! Looks 100 times better then the previous yellow black color.

[@I-P-777]

Congratulations for the baby. I hope the baby will be healty. Take care and keep up the good work

[@ryanfitzgerald7647]

They came out awesome. Really shows off the layering and time spent on them.

[@David_Jr]

Beautiful, looks like a Sunburst guitar finish!

[@butters6295]

Your daughters name is Zelda. If you don't name your son Link, Ima flip a table

[@TheElegantOxford]

That name is definitely on the table. We might do Zidane because I’m a HUGE Final Fantasy 9 fan

[@jgjgjg739]

@@TheElegantOxford just don’t pull a Elon Musk orelse I’ll flip a house.

[@yagocarvalho9757]

@@TheElegantOxford He'll be a worldclass football player with that name hahaha, I like it. Congratulations!

[@Iberian247]

The Elegant Oxford you could name him Lincoln and just call him “Link”...

[@JayWalkerOnline]

Nah, no table flipping for me. But I will smash some pots.

[@DocWat280]

Reminds me of a Gibson guitar. I like that starburst look.

[@BudsCartoon]

That’s very good business for AE to take that guys shoes back. They end up sending them over to those eBay guys and probably only loosing $150-$200 dollars or whatever, but gaining a customer for life and the word getting around that they’re a stand-up company. Plus you doing a video completes the full circle. I’ve always appreciated a nice loafer in a world surrounded by generic sneaker heads, but recently got into buying a few pairs. The community seems really cool. Im at 6:50 in the video, looks like the black isn’t gonna come out, I’m guessing you’re just going to darken the rest of the tan and then slowly blend it with some mahogany to dark brown.

[@TheElegantOxford]

Allen Edmonds always treats their customers right. I’m glad I got to fix things up. Thanks for watching.

[@TheMangoDeluxe]

Just bought my first pair of Edward Green's, which the previous owner has 'attempted' to patina. Feeling kind of nervous about fixing them up but you're giving me hope!

[@ergrainger9195]

When life gives you badly dyed lemons, make gorgeous sunburst lemonade!

[@lindak8664]

I really like those! You did a fantastic job of blending that black in 👍🏼 I hope your wife is feeling better soon, morning sickness sucks.

[@dtbroad5862]

Nice save. They turned out quite beautiful.

[@joanm.2987]

Excellent. Well done. I think your restoration has really upgraded the originals.

[@TheElegantOxford]

I appreciate it!

[@gholmes182]

Thanks, I did something similar but used your video to recover them. They are pretty special now…

[@reginaldmackey6616]

As a Father & Husband I salute your commitment, Family First!!! ......Wow, Biggie would say these went from Ashy to Classy, Baby Baaabe!!!

[@EduardoBach01]

I did that too but I used fiebings gel antique, more forgiven than pure leather dye. I achieved a permanent burnishing that looks great, you still can see the color underneath. This is something fore very careful hands though, otherwise you'll end up with the results of that owner. A tiny drop of antique gel on your fingers goes a long way!

[@AIRFORCEFREAK1]

You do what you got to do Preston. Take care of your family and I'll be here for sure. This guy's problem is that he didn't watch your videos

[@JohnSmith-oj9gw]

In the military the way we stripped our boot to base was to use acetone and steel wool over and over until the color was almost gone. Then we would dye black and apply numerous coats of shoe polish creating a base before we would spit shine

[@QuackLoud]

"I know it's not perfect" What? Those things are gorgeous - especially considering what you started with! That was amazing work. Thank you again for an educational and fun video.

[@goudagirl6095]

Wow. Now THAT is quite impressive indeed. Beautiful results. I could put on my lipstick in the reflection of those tips! You'd never know how they started out!

[@saeidarghand1970]

Congrats on your new baby... with all blessings

[@scottwallace1]

Your kindness and empathy are nice to hear in this day and age.

[@kbrett2004]

Big congrats to you sir on your second child. The fact that you don't post as much kinda makes it a treat when you do. Glad to hear that the business is doing well and keeping you busy during these trying times. Btw, LOVE the sport coats you had on in the beginning of the video! Oh, forgot to say, the shoes came out fantastic looking.

[@1Klus]

That was amazing...a blast in the past...but could have been longer. The shinning part is such a satisfaction to watch. great #ShineYourShoes

[@gelvinavargas1543]

Amazing... I'm so proud of you! I'm from Nicaragua Hugs! God bless all your family 💛

[@daddydojang]

Bro!!! Congratulations!!! Lil man is gonna have the freshest kicks in the nursery! Baby cognac blucher long wing brogues!

[@nesvand]

I have to say the final result was pretty stunning - I personally shy away from lighter tones, but the clever colour choices work so well here!

[@tedhart7708]

Happy to see a new video! I watched with anticipation knowing that this disaster was going to turn out great. Another AMAZING transformation! You are a master artisan, Preston!👍

[@BeckVMH]

Excellent results and piece of art. Whoever later purchased these should know they’ve received a customized “one off” color of Allen Edmonds shoes.

[@admirCS1]

Thank you for this knowledge that you are giving out. Because of you, my family and friends started asking about shoes and treatment 🔥🔥🔥

[@meltonboroughcouncilaresht4292]

A night and day improvement...full marks...👍👍👍

[@leeford]

This high gloss finish is what the British military call “ Bulled” shoes, our number 1 parade shoes are super high gloss with nothing but spit and polish.

[@GavTatu]

I never used spit... too greasy. Just water bulled my bashers.

[@grandcarriage1]

Those are GORGEOUS. I would have pulled a little more red, but that’s just my test. They’re stunning

[@TheRockinDonkey]

I like the way they turned out. I don't care for that style of shoe, but I like the way the color blends. Reminds me a little of a sunburst stratocaster.

[@TheSpaniel1]

Absolutely stunning result and from a masters hands

[@jstanovic]

good for the seller taking them back!

[@steventrosiek2623]

Those shoes are unbelievably gorgeous now, ten times better than perfectly brand new. Preston's talents are unlimited.

[@S1kTh66]

I never watched cobbler videos before, this got randomly recommended; but you are a cute family, I wish you all the best, happiness and success in life.

[@michaelspencer4485]

Those turned out Great, they are Awesome....Fantastic Job!!!

[@matthewward7220]

Very tenacious, and a good result vs what you started with

[@qarhsi]

a great job, Preston. i personally wouldn't go for the mirror shine, just a simple all around gloss would be my preference.

[@jbhix2691]

I can't believe you saved them. Well done sir. 👍

[@alexjohnstonjohnston5374]

Great video again. All the best to you and your family. I hope things get easier for your wife, that sounds awful. Well done for prioritising them - family comes first!

[@barrymantelli8011]

Congrats on the addition to your beautiful family. I'd suggest against using a spritz bottle for acetone; it evaporates so quickly. I have good luck with a ketchup style bottle. Acetone is very safe to use with bare hands and won't be harmful to your person when used in a well ventilated area. (just don't drink it or smoke around it). Be absolutely careful with it around plastics and some rubber, as it will melt those media very quickly. It can spontaneously combust if the rags aren't properly aired out. They look amazing! You're a true artisan.

[@Jeremyisbrown]

Mate. One things for sure, you are punching up! Congrats on the beautiful family 🙌

[@carolnichols6740]

you are a true artist & craftsman. . . thank you for sharing your work!

[@skinnypig74]

Stunning! My husband and I have an eBay store and have sold a lot of shoes, so it’s so interesting to see how you refurbish them! Thank you for making this video!

[@SD_FANZ209]

The finished product is Amazing! Amazing! 👏

[@COFFEEWITHJIM]

Another pair saved...and done very well. Excellent Preston !

[@RussHolder]

I'm highly impressed! What a transformation... they look amazing.

[@evanbryant3700]

Amazing transformation!!! What a fantastic job on these shoes and I think the colors you went with is very striking and made these shoes come back to life!!!

[@rosariohernandez8052]

I actually thought the contrast on initial dye job was risky and bold but didn't think it was that bad. After the remake, they looked amazing!!!!

[@justinchristian3441]

Home life always comes first, totally understand!

[@joaquin-jacknava2696]

Preston awesome job on the restore of these shoes. They look a lot better than the original color. I think you should enter the contest they have in Europe where the get a pair of shoes and you have to color and shine. I think you could win with your skills. Congrats to you and your wife. Many Blessings.

[@panthonymorton]

You are an artist!

[@joshpage8704]

The boss man is back

[@klorell5319]

Love your work. At one point (after you got off the tape and before you used more acetone) I thought that you could make make olive green with darker almost black toe

[@joaquimpardal]

Congratulations. You have a beautiful family.

[@rodk886]

Family is life ! And you have a beautiful family ,stay soulful ...

[@TheElegantOxford]

Thank you, Rod. Family is my favorite

[@as680783]

Wow! The finished product is absolutely gorgeous. Love em.

[@jacobsanchez770]

Wow absolutely gorgeous literally a work of art

[@1144house1]

Sir you are a true Artist. Beautiful job.

[@Ceelle2]

I hope she is feeling better and thanks for the video.

[@topsouter]

Great job and wonderful transformation into something I'd be very happy to wear

[@marcoromo3148]

Wow. Incredible result! 👍👍