MY LOCAL COBBLER INSTALLED SOLE SAVERS ON MY SHOES: ARE THEY WORH IT?

The Elegant Oxford is a Clothing & Apparel Project Offering Premium Shoe Restorations, Patinas, & Artisan Shines for Quality Men’s Shoes.
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[@jeykneeko_606]

I’ve been addicted to shoe shining since I’ve started watching your videos. Just did my first mirror shine on a pair of Cole Haans yesterday. And now I’m so into shoes that I’m planning on getting a pair of Carminas on my next purchase. Keep up the good work!

[@timsmith1589]

The struggle is real lol.

[@TheGMEER]

Hey Elegant Oxford, came across your videos yesterday and binged all your content, even went so far as to finally buy good shoe trees and a whole batch of Saphir cream and a horse-hair brush! Now I have a weird request, I find your videos really comforting, so an idea would be to upload a complete cleaning once, just unedited from the tripod. Would be great to fall asleep to and see more detail in your technique. Again, love your content and attention to detail. Cheers!

[@TheElegantOxford]

Thank you so much!

[@josephheinecke1992]

I think this happens to a good deal of people once they discover the Elegant Oxford yours truly included.

[@jamesbarros950]

Thank you. I just realized from this video I’ve been using WAY too much water in my shine, thank you

[@jeffcuevas5918]

Ok, so I'm mad at you for getting me addicted to this new hobby. I went to my local Goodwill and thrift store and I know have 12 pairs of shoes in all colors and brands. I bought 200.00 worth of shoe shining gear and have been working it for over three days. My friends think I'm nuts but they all love my old shoes..lol

[@jeffreygoss8109]

Haha! I thought it was just me.

[@millennialdisposition]

That's awesome man! You must be so satisfied

[@qazmko22]

Same here.. but also my dad for teaching me how to shine shoes.

[@MrReubenTishkoff]

Same here! I am now a proud owner of an impressive shoe collection, including some custom made by myself.

[@vazz22]

Chicks Always look at the shoes!👞

[@koneill1771]

Love how the colour turned out, they look great. I will be a dissenting voice here though, I do not understand sole savers. I love the look and more importantly the sound of leather soled shoes. It seems counter intuitive to me to put a piece of rubber on a nice leather sole.

[@martintanz9098]

I have my local cobbler install sole savers on most of my leather soled shoes. Here in Wisconsin, winter weather is brutal and takes it toll on leather soles.

[@TheElegantOxford]

That’s a great idea

[@paulcaskey]

Cobbler recommendation? I'm in Wisconsin as well.

[@employme2]

My husband & I are leather makers, we see neglect of all leather products. blot dry leather when wet, keep leather supple by applying product to your item regularly, like you would clean your garments. The animal who use to wear this hide, use to create natural oils to keep his outter covering supple. He can no longer keep it soft and pliable, you have to do it, it up to you. its a labor of love & pride in your purchase .

[@qazmko22]

me too... but I also have tried my hand at adding some myself.

[@micheljeanlitetdit994]

Here in Montréal... sole guards are almost a must... love your content.

[@dreamonrockon1216]

What’s your experience in winter? Boots with sole guards? I have several dress shoes but I am afraid they couldn’t survive the winter here.

[@tonydeltablues]

I agree concerning the sole savers: I have a pair of Tricker's single monks with broguing - they have sole savers. I hope to wear them many times (they also help protect and grip in the UK weather). Lovely patina btw - not too over the top - classy :-)

[@timbojackson2895]

Ty Preston I started watching kirby and then found you. Both are very high quality and very knowledgeable!😎

[@modgio]

Thanks so much for recommending regal!!! I live in San Diego, and have been sitting on multiple pairs of shoes needing fixing as I was worried about finding a quality cobbler ❤

[@purushaonezeroeight165]

Just a real pleasure. A real treat to watch your videos. Thank you so much for sharing

[@cristianvel619]

I just a pair of GS diesel with leather soles and I want to install sole savers. Thanks for the tip, I’m also in San Diego and will go here. Thanks for the recommendation.

[@JDMaple85]

You are the absolute man, Preston! Kirby Allison crashing your video was totally off the chain. I live in San Diego County, too, man. Keep up the good work. I'm going to be trying for my first mirror shine pretty soon.

[@TheElegantOxford]

Let’s meet up and shine shoes one of these days.

[@ikkiiiieee]

How would you protect your nice dress shoes against rain? How do you take care of them long term in such climates. As a Belgian student looking for his first pair (looking at tlb artista's) this worries me quite greatly.

[@scottyb.8710]

Look at Swims overshoes.

[@brianrussell7691]

That’s a nice color space somewhere between bourbon, chili and tobacco shades. It turned out nice.

[@hsjasmap]

So glad you say some shoes take hours to make a little progress when it comes to mirror shine,. I thought i lost this skill already

[@TheElegantOxford]

Like riding a bicycle 🚲

[@melissac.5948]

The colour and shade variations of these shoes look so rich and beautiful. Any outfit would be set off perfectly with these shoes. You are a master!

[@davidlpeterson6275]

Where do you get your brushes and what brand are they? I did my first shoe dye job (a pair of Taft Jack shoes in oxblood) but the brushes I used were crap. I love the channel and thanks for your help.

[@stephendonohue4132]

Elegant Oxford you are so interesting, helpful and polite! Thanks for your cool video - plus audio bomb of KirbyAllison at 6:52

[@TheElegantOxford]

Thanks!

[@00RONDOR00]

You seriously have skills. I want to try to get that color effect; however, I’m scared I’ll ruin them. Awesome.

[@ntotheever]

I managed to mirror shine recently! Although it feels like the method is extremely ineffective and time wasting but at least somewhat consistent. I start with a layer of wax, polish it gently until dry, then add some water with a new spot on my cloth with medium pressure and then on another clean spot on my cloth i continue to polish with some "breth moisture" while reducing my pressure to extremely light. When the first layer feels like perfect i add the second with the same method. One layer takes about 5-10 minutes, so the overall process is at least an hour for a pair (5-7 layers for the shine to develop). When i stick to the same spot on my cloth while switching water/wax the shine dulls again. Any suggestions for improvement?

[@AH-yg2dj]

ntotheever mexican shoe shiners use beat up jeans to give fast shine to shoe tips

[@ntotheever]

@@AH-yg2dj I'll try it.

[@yohji62]

hey E.O.... your shoe choices are fabulous... i'm curious just what you wear to go along with them... a custom made suit? Dungarees? Khakis?

[@SansAziza]

Gold parachute pants.

[@TraumaER]

*Almost 80,000 subs* ‼️ _100k in under 2 months guaranteed_

[@SolaFide802]

I’ve been using some savers for over thirty years but the downside is the side profile. The sole savers make the soles taller and less sleek in my opinion but they do last

[@muffemod]

Worth it in my opinion.

[@jacknjill3000]

Don’t they have thinner rubber sheets that you cut yourself and do yourself?

[@lucachan7133]

Every time I bought a new pair of oxfords I immediately head to a cobbler to install the sole savers on them. Even if it has a rubber sole I still do it. With the sole being thicker It means that the shoe can last longer. One of the things I also gave them to install Is the metal heel plate. Those annoying heel drags always create imbalance when I walk. I bought my shoes which aren't cheap so obviously I want them to last longer

[@joelthompson4801]

Because of your other video, NOW I know what the stamped label means on the sole. 👍🏼

[@mclovin042]

I am planning to dye a dark brown shoe black. I noticed that you didn't use tape to mask off areas of the shoe? Also did you dye the tongue of the shoe too (seems a bit tricky to do so)?

[@shimenga1]

If sole guards are glued, is there a chance that they can simply come off with heavy wear? Sole guards vs sending back to factory for Dainite sole ? Which would you suggest ?

[@muffemod]

You can use Master All Purpose Cement. It's really strong, but you have to follow the directions. Shouldn't have any issues.

[@evandrolemos6946]

Thanks for the tips, how to maintain the shoe.I got a question!Is this sole savers also works for hand made boots?

[@alvinprettyman1802]

Thanks for posting glad I found your channel

[@MrBrotmafia]

Are sole savers enough if the front of the shoe is worn down quickly or is a combination with toe taps better in that case?

[@TheElegantOxford]

Either works. With plates it’s even better but sole slavers do a great job

[@mightymcgee9199]

Where did you get those custom shoe trees? 🔥

[@jacknjill3000]

How do you shine shoes that have darker patina on some parts like the tip? Do you used different color polish or just use one to cover the whole shoe?

[@ipineaplezs2070]

Would you recommend adding sole savers and steel toe plates? Or are sole savers good enough?

[@muffemod]

You can do both if you want. I like the combo look.

[@edf2953]

Simply amazing! The shoes look awesome. Another work of art by the ‘Elegant Oxford’. Thanks for sharing...Ed

[@youmongrel]

I ordered some Saphir mirror from Amazon but it's taking SO LONG to get here (been over 2 weeks now) and with me traveling in 3 days, I'm going to have to put plain old Kiwi Parade Gloss just because it's the only thing available locally.

[@e.c.jr.3580]

I really like that color. They turned out fantastic.

[@TheElegantOxford]

Thank you!!!

[@e.c.jr.3580]

Your channel has inspired me to start dressing “UP” once again. After my divorce, I gave up that life style. But now, you gave me the chance to go back to that lifestyle. I need to spoil myself. In fact I just ordered a pair of Berluti shoes. Thank you.

[@jimiola2781]

Hi Preston.. do you typically get both sole and heel when you get your sole guards?

[@ssvtis]

Hello, I would want to ask how do you condition the leather under the mirror shine after a while? Do you remove it frequently or ..? I like your channel :)

[@Doty6String]

Looks so good. You got me wanting a nice pair of dress shoes. Where to start for a black pair?

You are a gold mine !!!!

[@tootall5559]

So... what size do you personally wear? do you like AE Mapletons?

[@baselinervon]

Hello Elegant Oxford, I love your videos. I have a question. I have a pair of horse riding shoes witch goes knee high. How can I make upper top crisp less again, like normally shoe with shoetree? That would be interesting video. Thank you in front.

[@mr.k.i.s.s7496]

Mirror Shine? I guess it's a nicer way of saying "spit shine" which is what I am used to. I did try different colors of Kiwi when shining combat boots. I found blue worked well for me. I also used Neutral which seemed even softer than regular Kiwi. Smelled worse, too. We used Parade Gloss as well, but my favorite was Lincoln Wax. It smelled better, and was as hard as Parade Gloss. I don't use polish on my work boots, but maybe I should at least clean them and put a coat of some kind of leather protectant on them to make them last.

[@Suavecito77]

I’m also from San Diego, Love your videos brother 🙏

[@jacobsweekendcooks8759]

Nice info on the mirror shine. Thanks.

[@seanbarry324]

How long do you let the leather dye stay before rubbing it off with acceton?.. i have a little project i want to do its a bostonian(brand) burgundy colored cap toe shoe, and i wanted to put a patina on it.. but am not sure how long i should let the dye sit in before rubbing it off

[@seanbarry324]

@@dandiehm8414 one of his videos .. if am not mistaken is he said or qouted he puts the dye and lets it sit for i don't know how long and strips it and gives that rustic look. But am not sure tell me if am wrong i appreciate ur comment :)

[@MeteCanKarahasan]

I love how you use acetone to open the creases on a thrift store shoe. Care to volunteer further?

[@dosetti]

Is there any reason for the leather to be underneath sole protector? Could it be some other material and to be as "good"? Im just curious about the sole protector because you dont use the leather so whats the point.

[@chinatownboy7482]

I add sole savers to all of my shoes. What is it worth to not fall?

[@davidlindsey436]

I started using very cold, sometimes iced, water... just have to be patient... very, very nice work! Appreciate The Hanger Project, too. Try to dress well! At 9:30 and on, magnificent finish! May I ask where you obtain laces....Have not gotten quality I want in flat, waxed from eBay, amazon.

You are so right: some pairs take hours to wax and that's the way the cookie crumbles!

[@mic_penna2942]

Can’t wait for this collab

[@RevJamesCostello]

What I want to know is, why would somebody buy a leather soled shoe just to have it covered with a sole saver? Unless you are buying it at a discount? Surely it would be better to buy a rubber soled shoe to begin with? Or maybe a leather soled shoe with a sole saver will last far longer than a dainite sole?

[@thomasfrank280]

@@naegleriafowleri2230 leather soles are absolutely dangerous on tiled or polished stone floors. Ask me how I know.

[@thomasfrank280]

@@naegleriafowleri2230 a piece of equal thickness will have to be added to the heel as well to maintain the height balance. Might as well go for rubber soles. Not PU of course. They break up if not worn frequently.

[@josephheinecke1992]

I just love the look, feel and sound of leather so I have a hard time covering it with rubber.

[@forbanch]

Great channel. Great stuff

[@gergemall]

Amazing art

[@najeebahmad3103]

Absolutely stunning--thanks!

[@remybuitenhuis2433]

these shoes are incredible! 😍😍😍

[@TheElegantOxford]

Thank you!

[@kevinbeverlyjr1864]

Wow that’s looks really nice.

[@ntotheever]

How long should a leather sole last (at ball)? The last I had (Sioux shoes) lasted 1 Month,maybe because of inferior quality? After replacing it (i think it was oak tan, but not sure) these shoes lasted maybe 2 month (almost daily wear, but only on dry weather). This feels way to quick and is why i do not opt for leather sole right now, although i would prefer it. I relay like the feel of leather on the street, and prefer it to rubber. I remember i read somewhere a deformed shoe (no shoetree at that time) wear down much faster, but this much?

[@mrblock2013]

Shoe trees are absolutely necessary for the life of a shoe. One other big tip to making shoes last is alternating their use. Done wear the same pair every day. This will cause premature wear due to moisture build up. By switching between two pairs you allow pair 1 to dry for at least 24 hours while you wear pair 2. Then you give pair 2 24 hours to dry while you wear pair 1. This will help your shoes significantly. Now depending on how much your walk and the quality of the sole, most leather soles should last at least a year to two years. You may also drag your feet when you walk or have a weird stride.

[@ntotheever]

@@mrblock2013 thanks for your lintel and suggestions! Well this was some years ago and I kept away from leather soles since. (except for a pair of dancing shoes). I basically agree and right now I'm using shoe trees and about 3 pairs. A duration of a year would be great, but I fear I'll wear them down much faster. I'm definitely dragging more then with rubber, as there is room to slide, which I enjoy. Eventually I'll have to try again some time, but changing the sole every two moth is not making sense. What would you suggest as a price for a pair with a decent leather sole? Does it make sens to resole a new pair with better quality from the start (e.g. oak tan)?

[@mrblock2013]

It's not worth resoling a brand new pair. It's a waste of a sole that's usable even if it wears out quickly. Allen Edmonds is where quality shoes start. Carmina is the next step up. The cheapest shoes I know of the come with Oak Tan soles are Vass Shoes out of Hungary. But they are expensive

[@ntotheever]

@@mrblock2013 great thx!

[@joseluisbisteni5003]

Good afternoon Mr, I have a question is stacy Adam's shoes a good quality,,, thank you

[@jonathanmartinez4240]

No, they’re not. They look pretty.

[@clfields0524]

what brand/type of she tree are you using?

[@enzo.7947]

Pure Art, great job. Bravo from Italy. Ciao 👍👏🔝

[@tootall5559]

I'm sure you said, but I'm still not getting exactly what the cold water does. I know it works, I use it, but don't know why it works, in conjunction with the wax and heat from friction. At first blush, it seems like it wouldn't do a thing, or defeat what you're trying to do, but it does work. Why eludes me. Oh, I have actually set my shoes in the fridge for a bit after starting the mirror shine process. It seems to speed up the process a bit... again, I don't know why. Shouldn't, but does.

[@phillipyao4260]

A plush microfibre cloth works wonders for a mirrorshine.

[@wt460]

Hi Preston, nice to see you and Kirby hanging out together. I also see you have one of Kirby’s water bottles, I just hope he gifted it to you. Now for the serious question, do you, like Kirby, wear a hand made suit, white hand made dress shirt and a Kirby Allison sovereign grade ancient madder tie while doing your polishing??? I have actually told Kirby to wear an old t-shirt to shine his shoes like most of us do. I actually feel like his father getting on his case for doing something crazy like that!

[@TheElegantOxford]

I’m usually in my pajamas when I shine and I don’t even own a suit that fits at the moment. It’s my wife’s cooking I tell ya.

[@Sunshine-bh8ki]

How long did you have to wait to shine your shoes after you dye them?

[@pauljoshua]

I live in Hong Kong where we have a lot of rain here, leather sole wear down real quick

[@TheNunakun]

Not to mention slippery. Rubber soles have their place definitely.

[@olatusijazz8155]

Paul So Rain doesn’t spoil leather sole, as you walk in the rain with leather sole shoe, the leather pick up small, small,stones. You are walking on the small stones not the leather. It has been tested and proven ages ago.

[@prabhdyalsingh4722]

Good job, soled and shining shoes

[@millennialdisposition]

Is there a special name for the wax used to shine shoes (I'm new to this)

[@slimn4357]

I am curious about the brand of sole savers that were used..

[@carls.2071]

What type of rag do you have wrapped around your fingers?

[@TheElegantOxford]

Just an old T-shirt

[@tabulusrasa9118]

I'v got $70 shoes, should i still get sole guard?

[@eyeheartsushi2212]

Tabulus Rasa Not worth it.

[@2naaa_]

If you like your shoes and want them to last longer, then there's no harm in getting a sole guard. The shoes are worth as much as you personally value them.

[@fionnhynes4937]

Do the soles have to be brand new in order to put on sole savers?

[@TheElegantOxford]

No they don’t. As long as they don’t have holes in them you should be fine but check with your local cobbler

[@Trucho001]

A twelve minute video about “sole savers”, and you only have 15 seconds of “sole saver” images???? You are not putting your best foot forward.

[@Ya0Yao]

I don't like Topy's pattern. Vibram's has a sleeker profile and is more aesthetically more pleasing to me. Unfortunately, few cobblers carry it.

[@josedez6352]

Nice Kirby and SOTO in 1 video I hope 2 see a shine session video soon

[@sikim7626]

What a tease!! Bring on the Dallas trip!! 😂

[@Citizen_J]

Hey I found those pair of shoe trees (ones on the wall at the store) for $12 at a Winners near my place!

[@angelalane8660]

The other day, i swore you had uploaded a video, i watched it and everything! LOL I was FIRST, then POOF, it was gone...

[@eyeheartsushi2212]

Angela Buteau I remember that video. What happened was he uploaded it, took it down, then uploaded it again. You must’ve watched and commented on the one he took down.

[@angelalane8660]

@@eyeheartsushi2212 I sure did...lol I guess that's never happened to me before!

[@melvinechols6931]

As all ways great video.

[@robsaunderson4724]

Is there already a video of your shoe collection up?!?

[@TheElegantOxford]

Not yet!

[@jacob.woodward]

Why the take down and re upload? (Haven’t watched the full vid yet so idk if you explained it already.)

[@oneman3803]

I thought I was going crazy.

[@joseheriberto6004]

Thank your job is amazing, i love it! And respect you 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼 🤝🏼🤝🏼🤝🏼🙏🏽

[@sjmevans]

Are you periodically breathing on them to add a little heat?

[@2naaa_]

I believe the friction from the circular motions provides the heat.

[@aunullahzakwan9393]

What kind of brand wax do you use? Can I use tarrago dubbin?

[@a.dejesus792]

I've never understood why you only shine the tip of the shoe. Can you explain?

[@pcarrierorange]

I suppose it’s too hard to get it consistent everywhere. The toe has a nice, round, reasonably flat surface to work with. Plus it can take hours for just the toe; the rest of the shoe would take forever. Plus, you may as well buy patent leather at that point.

[@anshumanbhattacharya5020]

Mirror shine secret: patience.

and a lot of practice!

[@geofftalbott8476]

I thought we were going to talk about sole savers, not have another video of polishing shoes!!!

[@TheElegantOxford]

Tricked ya

[@samtuminello8597]

Hi, you should show how you lace your shoes.

[@Sams911]

lol... I tuned in to learn about sole savers.... but the video is about dying a shoe.. 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@arminrajaee]

Can you make a cheap shoe look fancier and improve its quality a bit?

[@hershey1902]

Im going to stop by there today to drop off my shoes!

[@TheElegantOxford]

Awesome!

[@locutusdborg126]

I live in La Jolla. It was 93 on the coast. Yikes.

[@TheElegantOxford]

Nice! I was in Texas this weekend and it rained the whole time.

[@jonathanguzman7880]

Thanks for the videos!

[@maxdominate2481]

I prefer the aethetics of just the leather sole especially if it is a JR sole.

[@labalo5]

Nice vid, San diegans - woot!

[@TheElegantOxford]

Yes!

[@miles-178]

woooow !!!!!

[@mikester6192]

Is Kirby Allison also lives in San Diego Cali

[@emrahercancakir]

I believe Kirby lives in Texas

[@Enemji]

EMRAH - He is from Dallas, Texas

[@TheElegantOxford]

He’s in Texas. I went out to see him for a collaboration.