Leather Luster

[manhong]

For all of the individuals who have used leather luster on your basketball referee shoes, have you discovered any ways of reducing the wear of the product on the shoes from normal usage??? I have used leather luster on several pairs of shoes and it seems that the product will begin to peel after several months. The leather luster website suggests using furniture polish to reduce the wear. I was thinking of possibly putting a coat of polyurethane on my shoes. Any help is greatly appreciated.

[NCAAREF]

I used it for the first time this year and have not had any problems. I went through two bottles of cleaning solvent in order to get all of the old polish off. I think that is the key. Two other officials in my organization also tried it for the first time and neither of them have had any problems. Good luck.

[Dan_ref]

Originally posted by manhong
For all of the individuals who have used leather luster on your basketball referee shoes, have you discovered any ways of reducing the wear of the product on the shoes from normal usage??? I have used leather luster on several pairs of shoes and it seems that the product will begin to peel after several months. The leather luster website suggests using furniture polish to reduce the wear. I was thinking of possibly putting a coat of polyurethane on my shoes. Any help is greatly appreciated.

That's a lot of trouble for a high gloss shine. Why not just buy the patent leather shoes from Converse? BTW, I use the Kiwi high gloss liquid in a bottle, and go over them with some paste shoe shine when the mood strikes me. Seems to work OK.

[manhong]

It is a lot of trouble to get a good shine, but I personally don't like the Patent Leather Converse shoe. I own a pair of the non-patent leather converse shoe and I like the New Balance shoes over it.

[Dan_ref]

Originally posted by manhong
It is a lot of trouble to get a good shine, but I personally don't like the Patent Leather Converse shoe. I own a pair of the non-patent leather converse shoe and I like the New Balance shoes over it.

Me too, I don't really like the patent leather look & I prefer the NB's. If you buff well & apply the Kiwi to your shoes before each game then you'll keep a good shine. Not like leather luster, but good enough, IMO.

[Mark Padgett]

I use a very wide Sharpie pen. Keeps my whistle shiny, too.

[Camron Rust]

Originally posted by Dan_ref

That's a lot of trouble for a high gloss shine. Why not just buy the patent leather shoes from Converse? BTW, I use the Kiwi high gloss liquid in a bottle, and go over them with some paste shoe shine when the mood strikes me. Seems to work OK.

The Converse patent leather only work if they fit your foot.

[DMRefGal]

The only thing I found that you need to be careful of is do not strip any portion of the shoe which is not leather. My NB shoes contain a couple of strips on each side which is not leather, and the Leather Luster does not dry properly -- it stays sticky forever.

[mikesears]

Originally posted by Mark Padgett
I use a very wide Sharpie pen. Keeps my whistle shiny, too.

Do you keep that in your sock and sign the basketball with it?

[lrpalmer3]

Originally posted by DMRefGal
The only thing I found that you need to be careful of is do not strip any portion of the shoe which is not leather. My NB shoes contain a couple of strips on each side which is not leather, and the Leather Luster does not dry properly -- it stays sticky forever.

You can get rid of the sticky area by wiping it with lacquer thinner.

[tjones1]

Originally posted by Dan_ref

That's a lot of trouble for a high gloss shine. Why not just buy the patent leather shoes from Converse? BTW, I use the Kiwi high gloss liquid in a bottle, and go over them with some paste shoe shine when the mood strikes me. Seems to work OK.

Dan,

I was under the thought that Converse discontinued their patent leather shoes? ... maybe not.

[imaref]

I did a pair of Converse Running Refs about 6 years ago with Leather Luster. When preparing the shoes...it's best to clean the leather completely! You will need to buy a quart of lacquer thinner because what Leather Luster provides you will not be enough to properly clean the leather before you treat the shoes with the gloss coating. You've got to pretty much clean the black coloring of the leather off till it's almost gray. It's a lot of work.....results are GREAT! Shoes won't crack. The finish will last and last. Touch up with Pledge really gets them gleaming. Careful you don't get any Pledge on the bottom. You'll have slippery conditions for a bit until you get the soles roughed up!

I since have gone the route of the Converse Running Ref Patent Leathers, but most recently purchased a pair of the OfficialsChoice patent leathers. I really like the OC's better. Padding in the right spots. Good heel support and a fairly stable shoe. The higher profile provides good support for ankle and achilles. There seems to be a bit more support in the arches than what came in the Converses.

My vote is the patent leather. Most important is fit & comfort over style and glitz! Get what works for you! I'm lucky the OC's fit well and are comfortable. Tip: If you go the patent leather route....be sure your partners wear 'em too. They do draw attention, and it's better the crew is all on the same page or odd guy gets the ribbing. I keep a standard leather pair of Converse Running Refs when working with crews that just dress their shoes with a good polish job. Collonil liquid shoe polish (Honig's) does a nice job on these.

Good Luck... and protect your feet!

wl