Dexter Long Wing Bluchers Before & After w/ Patina

Today's video features a pair of Long Wing Bluchers made in the USA by Dexter. Dexter shoe company made shoes in the USA from 1958 to 2001, and although they seemed to produce what would be considered mid-grade shoes, they are actually still desirable by today's standards as many of them use fairly good quality leather, leather soles, and are Goodyear Welted. I don't believe they ever made any shell cordovan shoes, but I could be wrong about that.
01:13: Who was the Dexter Shoe company?
07:29: Dexter shoe "before" examination
12:27: Start of the cleanup
13:26 Start of stripping with Acetone
21:03: Start of leather dyeing with Airbrush
27:16: Start of moisturizing & polishing
29:34: Start of Mirror Gloss spit shine
32:30: Sanding & re-dying the sole edges
34:25: Finished Result!
Other pertinent videos:
1. "Shoe Showcase: NEW 35 yr old UNWORN Sears Roebuck PTB":
• Shoe Showcase: NEW 35 ...
2. "Leather Quality explained: Aniline? Full Grain? Corrected Grain?":
• Leather Quality explai... (sorry, this is an older video with poorer video production quality, but good content)
3. "How I put Burnishing/Patina back on a shoe":
• How I put Burnishing/P... (again, older video, sorry)
4. "Restoring terribly salt stained J&Ms with Patina":
• Restoring terribly sal... (another older video)
Music Credit: all music is from KZbin Music Library:
1. "Celebration" by Otis McDonald
2. "Heavy Pettin" by Otis McDonald
3. "Respecognize" by Diamond Ortiz
4. "Richard's Stuff" by Otis McDonald
5. "Sneaking on September" by Otis McDonald
6. "Wishful Thinking" by Dan Lebowitz
7. "Be A King (M.W.D. Remix) by Metaharmonics

[@mbernardo123]

I am here because I picked these up at the thrift store for $15 today. Thanks for the informative video.

[@Retired_Gentleman]

My family and I always stopped at several of the Dexter's outlet stores in Maine when we vacationed there. Most of these log cabin stores were basic bungalow style and had factory pricing on the main floor and in the downstairs basement one could find factory damaged, end of run, and surplus styles. Most of the factory damaged shoes had minor cosmetic damage and one could always find well constructed leather American made shoes for less than twenty dollars (1980s-1990s). Styles ranged from casual to dress. What I remember most was when entering any outlet you would immediately smell the aroma of leather. It was worth going in just for that! Most outlets also had displays showing shoe construction techniques and factory locations. In 2001 all production was shipped overseas and the quality, materials, and build of Dexter shoes declined to the point where they simply were not worth buying even in the heavily discounted outlet stores. Indeed, the last Dexter shoes I saw this past spring were men's dress shoes in Payless and were shoddily made of extremely poor quality plastic. A terrible decline for a once great-for-the-price shoe company.

[@TheNunakun]

Thank you for sharing your experience! I can almost visualize it myself.

[@Retired_Gentleman]

@@TheNunakun You are welcome. Dexter Shoes factory outlets were wonderful. Other than the always found bargains were the shoe manufacturing displays showing shoes at each stage of the process from leather hide to the finished shoe.

[@ValkyrieMagnus]

In 1990 my freshman year in college I bought my 1st pair of black wingtips which were Dexters. I bought a pair of Dexter Cordovan Cap Toe shoes 4 years later. I always wondered what happened to them until I saw this video

[@fadifreih]

What i like about your channel is that it's like a lab. I always thought there's nothing you can do about corrected leather, until now. Thanks & great job!

[@ct7649]

Bob, nice work and I think they look very good. Couple suggestions. 1) Dremel on sole edge is not the best option as it leaves slight high and low areas. You'll see them if you look at the video. They are caused by the small round sanding head. Sanding by hand or with a block leaves a uniform finish that is almost as good as a professional cobbler who is very good on a large sanding wheel. 2) You had those babies stripped down and looking perfect for the antiquing with dye. You got a good result, but it could have been much better. It sounds like you were in a bit of a rush to get them done. The right toe looks lighter than the left one. Bottom-line, I thought the video was great, and the shoes look really good. In my opinion, it doesn't matter if you paid $5 for them, that doesn't mean you shouldn't get the max out of the shoe...unless you were just practicing on something you're never going to wear. I've seen your work and all your videos, and I think you had it in you to finish those up a bit better...and they would have looked amazing. I hope you don't think I'm bashing on you, because that is not my intent at all. Your videos are great and can't wait to see them when they come out!! I also am not judging the dye job against what an experienced patina artist would or could do.

[@Traderjoe]

With the acetone, instead of trying to splash the cotton ball the way you were doing it, tip the can over until you feel the wetness through the cotton ball. Splashing it upward like that is almost asking to get some in the eye. By tipping the can, you have more control.

[@KiongLegacyProduction]

It’s been 3 years i had this shoe. Bought it at second hand shop in Sarawak Borneo. It still in good condition since wore it several times every year. Now i knew my shoe brand once I watched your video 😍.

[@mcshea847]

Great to have you back Bob - you sure are a brave man shooting the dye onto those shoes with that nice shirt still on!

[@CobblerBob]

Mc Shea - yeah that was stupid. I should have at least put my apron on. I did drip dye on it 😖

[@dsnyd4657]

I like that you’re trying something new.! Gets me excited to do something similar with my thrift finds. Good work!

[@merwinlao46]

Nice waxed and dyed project ;) They look like bourbon now. Love it!

[@klorell5319]

"I hope my wife doesn't see me using these gloves"...and then uploads the video on youtube. :D :D :D

[@CobblerBob]

Божидар Джиджев - you see, its reverse psychology! I even asked her if she wanted to watch this video last night, & she declined & went off to bed! 😜

[@lesbeery2478]

I think you owe her a pair of 🧤

[@ThriftedGent]

Extremely worth it Bob! Exceptional!

[@TrojanMars1]

Great job! Definitely worth the transformation.

[@seekingtruth6822]

Excellent job, well done Robert. Like the last song as well.

[@Tee-jx2ow]

As usual... another great informational video plus cool music!

[@PuttPutt1986]

Great video as always - you inspire me (& others) to experiment with different techniques and learn more about how to repair, restore, care for and improve leather shoes. Thank you!

[@bernardopena9665]

Totally worth it Robert, you did great! keep up the good work and keep the videos coming I always feel like I learn a lot from you

[@seabassmastermatt80]

Great work and great GREAT tunes!!

[@kevingu7196]

Hi Robert, great to see you back! I've always enjoyed your videos, and keep up the good work. Regards from Montreal, Canada

[@redwoodsquirrel432]

What an inspiring way to use my redundant Dremel. Nice job, love your work as always.😊

[@bonemacracken6939]

WOW stellar job ! great video

[@TheRealBrook1968]

I am glad this video came out today because I am going to do this with a $10 pair of Allen Edmonds single monk straps tomorrow.

[@TomG1990]

Fantastic job. Way better than most factory finishes.

[@CobblerBob]

Tom G thank you!

[@duridbs6349]

Amazing work Robert 👏 And yes they were worth it 👍

[@ourshoeshineblog8035]

Very interesting video Robert. Thanks for sharing !

[@theodoregreen687]

Sanding down the edges with a dremel. Yes worth it!

[@markoduvall]

The Elegant Oxford uses a short bristle brush to apply a dyed patina, and then he goes over the edges with a cloth dipped in acetone to blend. I tried it, and it worked very well, especially the blending. It seems that you like to try new things, so I thought that I would share. Thanks Bob!

[@markoduvall]

Also, I think an actual brush would more control over the amount of dye used and where it goes, unless you're an expert air brush artist. I'm not a huge fan of the color, but they're not my shoes. It's all about what you want, Bob. If you love them, that's all that matters.

[@zefdin101]

Bob , I fondly remember driving 6-8hrs up to Maine back in the late 80’s to early 90’s and a must stop location was always the Dexter outlet to buy some new boat shoes, etc.. very sad about wonderful Dexter shoes.

[@mikemccoy4832]

Those came out great Bob! I haven't found anything decent in my local thrifts in a while either. Hoping that changes with the cooler temps approaching and more folks cycling through wardrobes and cleaning out closets. Your garage workbench looks a lot like mine, just enough space to accommodate a pair of shoes.

[@danglann8747]

They look great!

[@4231magd]

I'm looking at a similar pair in ebay and wanted to make sure they were Goodyear welted because I wanted to have them resoled with Vibram mini-lug or Dainites. Thanks for the useful information.

[@alvinprettyman1802]

thanks for posting

[@raphael52]

Just found your channel. Very nice. Definitely subscribed.

[@LuckyStrike-ov9cd]

Great job man

[@IveJustSeenAFace23]

Hi Bob, I bought the same Dexters about two weeks ago on eBay! Mine have a different logo on the interior. I was lucky to find my size 12D. Loved the airbrushing - so cool. I think they turned out great!

[@CobblerBob]

John Billings thank you!

[@yk-mz3os]

Really nice work, i don't think it was worth the time to sand down the edge but it sure does look nice after it's done

[@randallrg75g2]

I love your videos Robert, I just bought a pair of florsheim imperial wingtips and I'm gonna play with the patina too haha , cheers ! (myshoehobby guy)

[@CobblerBob]

I see your work on Instagram... it’s fabulous!

[@randallrg75g2]

@@CobblerBob thank you very much Robert, I'm still learning and let's say that I seek advice from your videos very often, in a sense you're a teacher to me haha ! Thanks to you, keep doing what you're doing! :) You're awesome

[@perryhansen1822]

Well Done.

[@gangiao]

Love your videos; very informative and helpful. I was wondering if you could please provide some insight on when polishing brogue shoes, how to deal with creams or even wax that trapped in those holes? Much much appreciated.

[@CobblerBob]

hsun ta hsu - thank you! I keep a toothbrush and a tool with a tip like a toothpick to clean out the brogueing.

[@gangiao]

Robert Powers , thank you so very much. New to the shoe wax/dye area. Your clips got me all hyped up :) extremely helpful.

[@sawyerpence3732]

Hey Robert, I love the videos. I just used the acetone method on a pair of a Ecco wing tip monk straps that had built up quite a few layers of old meltonian and kiwi polish - so it was a pleasant surprise seeing this video from you. A couple questions/comments - caveat that my observations are just opinions on matters of taste and meant without malice :). Firstly, I feel like a little more dramatic of a color difference between the burnished areas and the unburnished areas would have been neat. From the sheet you had printed off, I saw a number of examples where the burnishing was subtle but still dramatic whereas with the darker medium brown of these shoes the burnishing is harder to notice and doesn't really jump out at me. Next, lets you say you wanted to practice this again, would you feel comfortable stripping these shoes another time with acetone (never mind the waste of expensive polishes) as long as you apply conditioner? Or would this be too damaging to the leather? Lastly, I was surprised how nicely the sanding and edge dressing worked out, I thought the sides were a bit rough and nicked up at the start and your refinishing of them really made them look like a much newer shoe. Random bonus question - What's your opinion of Neatsfoot Compound vs Tanner's Blend?

[@CobblerBob]

Sawyer Pence: 1. I agree, I think the moisturizing darkened the lighter areas, but not the darker areas. I noticed there was more dramatic of a difference in colors after airbrushing but before the moisturizing & polishing. 2. Hmmm... I don’t know for sure, but I doubt if that color would come off. The dye should penetrate into the leather rather than sit on top like the previous finish. If I was unhappy with the finish I would be up to trying to strip it one more time. 3. Thanks! I do believe it’s many little details that make a big difference. 4. I’ve definitely heard of Neatsfoot oil, but never used it. Honestly, I am extremely hesitant to say “this conditioner is best“ because you really don’t know for 10 or 20 years from now which one is best. I think the best people to listen to in these regards are professional shoe shiners, or a professional Cobbler, or someone that had an expensive shoe collection for 20 years or more, check out Daddy-O’s reviews on KZbin or Jason Dorn Dornstar Shines.

[@snowfeetm385]

Beautiful

[@chefkdowg]

I remember these. My mom use to work for j.c. penny.

[@garyp272727]

Hi Bob, any idea on how to create a golden harvest color using dye?

[@CobblerBob]

Uh, no! This I have figured out... dying leather DARKER is easy. To get a light color like golden harvest I would guess you’d have to start with very light brown/tan leather and strip it until it’s almost natural color, then get the right combo of yellow and tan and who knows what else to get that color.

[@lljl5310]

I'm a female and I'm enjoying your videos! Subscribed!!!! 😁😁😁 maybe when my son decides to wear those types of shoes, I'll give him some tips! Lol☺☺☺

[@CobblerBob]

LLJ L thank you!

[@upsbear]

music is too loud ! Great video.

[@TheRealBrook1968]

I like the mid-uppers color like a coppery rose gold.

[@CLaop68]

Vamp leather could be deer. I have similar shoes from another brand and look similar. Nice job and good work on soles. I understand Saphir mirror gloss is only for the toe to shine and that there are other waxes for the rest of the shoe. I would buff every time I put some product to see the new shine. Congrats.

[@CobblerBob]

Carlos Lopez - I actually did brush off the entire shoe after both rounds of cream wax application, but somehow I must’ve messed up in editing and not showed it, or messed up and not recorded it. 😖 Sorry about that!

[@zaidal-ardah9232]

Thank you. Great video and I appreciate the history lesson as well. Do you know if I can still buy Dexter shose even if they’re not US-made? I’m looking for comfortable dress shoes, and also would welcome any recommendations for comfortable dress shoes.

[@CobblerBob]

Sorry for missing your comment! I truthfully have NO idea! For what you're looking for... It depends! Here's my take on it though: 1. There are a ton of shoes in the $40-$80 range that are just junk. Many are not even leather uppers, and all have bonded hollowed out injection molded soles. These will last 6 months to a year if you wear them a lot. 2. Most popular known brands like Florshiem or Johnston & Murphy, Cole Haanstore are NOT available in wide or narrow widths (like on the shelf ) and run in the $100-$180 range. Here the lower end of that is usually bonded on soles with fake stitching. The upper end of that can be dencent, but generally even the J&Ms Meltons with real Goodyear Welted soles have mediocre quality corrected grain leather. 3. Allen Edmonds. AE has been called "the Gateway drug to high end shoes". They're made in the US. They are available in every width from AAA (extra narrow) to EEE (extra wide). All of their dress shoes are the good full grain aniline leather. It's a high quaility leather, and unline corrected grain, will not usually crack after 3-5 years if you take care of it. Beware though... full grain leather is porus. Don't espose it to salt water. Don't spill oil based foods like soup or grease on them! Especially the walnut/brown shades. A good price for AE dress shoes is $200-$250. Don't pay over $300 for them, they go on sale all the time. Beware though, you might get one with quality issues (See my videos on the AE Macneils I purchased and returned, you'll see what I mean). I love AE even though sometimes they have QC issues. SEE THIS VIDEO: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oX2WhKaVp8qEarc And see The Wisconsin Shoe Guy's channel. 4. If you have standard or narrow width feet, and like the more modern European styling, Mezlan is available in most Nordstroms and start at I think around $275-$300. There are several other good brands in that price range. Get on some Facebook shoe groups and poke around KZbin for shoe reviews. Check out Justin Fitzpatrick "The Shoe Snob". 5. Alden. Alden's are pricey, you probably won't touch one for under $500, but they're awesome from what I hear from people that own them.

[@zaidal-ardah9232]

@@CobblerBob Thank you very much for taking the time to send this. Great information and I will follow your advice!! Will let you know when I buy an AE

[@Jenglotto]

When you used acetone, what was it that got removed? Was it the factory finish or was it some sort of coloured cream applied by the previous owner?

[@gamalalama7332]

Well done god bless u Can u write down the all names items you have used 🙏thanks

[@CobblerBob]

Thank you! You as well. 1. Sunnyside pure Acetone. Any brand will do. 2. Fiebings Leather dye - British Tan and black mixed. Diluted it with alcohol reducer left over from painting cars 10 years ago. 3. Tanners Blend from Ashland Leather Co 4. #03 Light brown Saphir Medaille D’Or cream polish 5. #37 Medium Brown Saphir Medaille D’Or cream polish 6. Neutral Saphir Medaille D’Or Mirror Gloss

[@CrispyFrenFry]

So, how good are the leather uppers of Dexter shoes? I'm curious because I just bought a pair online for $35 and wanted to figure out whether it was a good deal. The shoes are in decent shape but are seconds because of substantial structural issues concerning the heal counter. They look like they were sewed at an inward angle that may increase pronation towards the inside of the feet.

[@davidlindsey436]

Unusual color, for me, at least, but wonderful finish.

[@TheRealBrook1968]

So I stripped and dyed a pair of full brogue, single monk Allen Edmonds full grain and easily got to the raw leather; not so with another pair of Johnston and Murphy single monk moc toes. Would it be the case that Johnston and Murphy dye the leather all the way through and Allen Edmonds only dyes the surface or are the strengths of the dyes more permanent with J&Ms? Just wondering what the deal might be. Will try some Florsheims next I get the chance.

[@CobblerBob]

TheRealBrook1968 - you know, I’m honestly not sure! There are SO many variables. It could be that the J&Ms are corrected grain leather, which has a coating on it.

[@trybeingakr]

Hey Robert! Is there a list of good cobblers in different cities (I'm from Seattle)? Inspired by your videos, I picked up an old Florsheim off ebay and am trying to restore them. They have terrible soles (in and out), which I want to get replaced

[@CobblerBob]

arun k.rajan - that’s great! I actually don’t know of such a list… Have you seen Bedos Leatherworks channel? Also check out www.cobblerco.com (Sunny Yoo is the owner). Kirby Allison at The Hanger Project also resoles. I guess my thoughts are either mail them out to somebody, in which case it doesn’t really matter too much where they are, or if you try to find somebody local just make sure they actually will stitch the soles. There are two local cobblers here who have been in business a long time, but actually only glue the soles on and will not stitch them! 😲 Also make sure and ask if they do a half sole or a full re-sole.

[@trybeingakr]

@@CobblerBob I've seen the half vs full resole video of your as well. Thanks for consistently putting out great content!

[@phillato]

you should compare the before and after without the show trees.. tricky cobbler

[@lekolmizikfolklolabowi1212]

I own a brand new pair of dexter's I'm 14 and I'm size 9 so I got a 9.5 and they came in a grey fade but I want it to be a dealer color is that fen possible?

[@CobblerBob]

SORRY for missing your comment... is that supposed to say DARKER color?? YES, it's possible, but changing colors of shoes is a little bit of an art. Check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3zLlahtZbymhqc BE WARNED though... the base color affects the final color. In other words, you cannot be sure of the final color until you dye them. Making them darker is easy. Making them lighter, I have never been able to do. And once you start dying leather, it's permanent. You might be better off tinting them with darker polish?

[@lesbeery2478]

Les is more. I’ve been hearing that for years. I liked them a light tan, but I’m only a little over halfway into the video.

[@lesbeery2478]

Yep. I wouldn’t have gone so dark. But they do look great.

[@paulwebber3512]

I just picked up this exact pair of shoes at a thrift store. I wish that you had tried changing yours all the way to black (because that's what I'm tempted to do). Do you think that is actually possible?

[@CobblerBob]

Absolutely. Re-dying shoes darker is fairly easy. It’s just a matter of prepping the leather well by removing ALL of the old waxes so the leather will receive the dye well.

[@paulwebber3512]

@@CobblerBob I'm guessing that a thorough wash and a wipe down with acetone is going to be as good as it's going to be for prep?

[@MNpicker]

In this case brown strips are a good thing.. I like the strips.... As well as the pallet workbench👀

[@CobblerBob]

LOL, a friend made those benches for me over 20 years ago. You’re right, they’re made of pallets!

[@keepgoin1]

Can you link to the airbrush?

[@CobblerBob]

Debra McCormick - I apologize I actually cannot, that airbrush is probably at least 50 years old, I got it from my father! I would assume any hobby shop would have something similar though.

[@lekolmizikfolklolabowi1212]

I own a brand new pair of dexter's I'm 14 and I'm size 9 so I got a 9.5 and they came in a grey fade but I want it to be a darker color is that fen possible?

[@CobblerBob]

Yes, The easiest way to darken is with darker polish. You can even apply black. Black polish won’t make a black, but the more you put on, the darker they will get. The downside to dark polish is anytime you scuff the shoe, there will be a light color underneath. If you want a permanent change they can be re-dyed, but I definitely would NOT try to re-dye new shoes if you’ve never done it before. Pick up pair at a thrift store for $3 to practice on first. Check out some of my other shoes with the word “Patina” or “dye” in them!

[@lekolmizikfolklolabowi1212]

@@CobblerBob thx man I think I'll look around for a good cobbler and buy some black polish

[@ThePlumbum1]

Bob: Did you decide that taping off the other shoe was just not required?

[@CobblerBob]

Uncle Warren - yes, I just decided it was unnecessary. I was trying to get the airbrushing done before we went to Sunday dinner at my mother’s house.

[@magnoliatom1300]

Can you explain how you deodorize/clean the inside of the shoes you get? Maybe a video 😀 Thanks for all your great videos

[@CobblerBob]

Magnolia Tom - I have actually never found an old shoe that smells in all my thrifting. Not one pair. Bacteria causes odor, and it needs moisture to flourish. All the old shoes I’ve found are always bone dry. I do keep a spray bottle that I filled with 50/50 mix of alcohol and water from the drug store. I usually give the shoes several squirts of that mix. I make sure to NOT wipe out the insole (let the alcohol disinfect) when there is a printed logo on the insole. I don’t want it to get wiped off from the alcohol.

[@magnoliatom1300]

Thanks for the explanation

[@TheNunakun]

Why anyone would have a reason to f-bomb a gentleman such as yourself, I cannot fathom. The bizarre world we live in these days. At least you can develop a thicker skin. Cheers as always, Mr. Powers. ~Don

[@user-cy4jb6ud8b]

Наш богатый мужик давным давно отнес бы их на помойку и голову никому не морочил! А мастер класс! Молодец!

[@CobblerBob]

I ran that through google translate and got: "Our rich man would have long ago taken them to the garbage and did not fool anyone! A master class! Good job!" - Thank you!

[@paulmlemay]

"dude relax, these are eight dollar shoes, we're not saving the planet"

[@zefdin101]

Time and again, corporate slugs take a ‘family’ business over, then due to the pressures caused by corporate & shareholder impatience and greed that expects year over year compounded profit in lieu of reasonable steady growth, they destroy a business that had been viable and profitable for decades... There is poetic irony in the fact that Berkshire Hathaway & Warren Buffet are having their worst decade of investment ever and the bloom is off that rose. Maybe Berkshire investors will tire of Berkshire & Buffet and fold them into non-existence...