Leather Luster
 

ok, got to ask. How do you all recoat your shoes with leather luster? I have POS plate shoes and they eventually crack right where the toe support goes up to the metatarsel support. So how do you all go about recoating them? Do you strip them down to bare leather and start all over, or do you just scuff them up and put another coat on top of what is there? I have heard some say both, just wondering which works best.

Thanks,
Dave

If it is cracking now, why would you want to use it again?

You will never see me using that junk on any of my shoes, I value them too much to screw with the leather.

Ordinary paste wax is the best (IMO), but a lot of work. I DO know how to do a traditional military spit shine!

Liquid wax (not leather luster) is easier to use, but will also crack, by my experience.

What do you use, Mike?

Try the KIWI liquid stuff. Wash off all the old, and wipe it on with the applicator. When it starts "crazing" hose off all the old and add new shine.

Dave,
I don't use LL anymore, but I did once. Try putting a small, thin line of shoe dye inside that crack.

Now, for shoes like that, I wear the patent leather hi-tops. The factory is near here, so I get blems.

Usually the Kiwi Parade Gloss. Will use liquid only for a quick touch-up, but will redo with the paste when the opportunity arises.

BTW, I'm not looking for a shine, just a clean, polished shoe.

How much do you pay for the blems??

A few years ago, hi-top blems cost $45. Last summer, they were $65.
The place is near Altoona, Pa.

Here's their web site
http://www.coveshoe.com/

I paid $99 for my spotbilts - I love em. I keep my old ones with Leather Luster for rainy days though. We have a guy here that puts the Leather Luster on and actually has a kiln he built to bake the Leather Luster onto the shoe and my old plate shoes still look great - just not as great as my patent leathers.

As an umpire and UIC, I do not get impressed with shoes and belts treated with this product. It's fine and dandy if you are marching in a parade or putting on a show for someone. As an umpire, it doesn't improve you performance and, if anything, only draws attention to you and that is not an umpire's purpose on the field.

Give me a good, clean polished shoe and you're fine.

Mike,
I understand that. They reason I do like them is that they are SO easy to clean. Spray them with water, dry them, wear them onto the field. Regular leather shoes take a lot more to keep looking cleaned.

What I have been doing with my regular shoes is to put a really good coat of polish on them a couple of times a month. This takes a couple of hours. Then, in between games, I'll clean them with water, wipe them down with armor-all, then dry & buff them. They do look good, but we're talking about more time & effort on my part. So, when patent leather or leather lustered shoes are acceptable, I'll use them.

To start, patents and those coated with Leather Lustre or similar product are bad for one's feet. In both cases, the pores of the leather are blocked which means the shoe doesn't breath.

I give my shoes a decent coat of wax once a season. I have two brushes, one soft (horse hair), one with stiff bristles (boar). Coming off the field, I use the hard brush to clear the dirt/dust. With an application brush, I place a sparing amount of wax on the entire shoe and edge of the sole and then buff with soft brush. This process takes no more than five minutes. No water, no rags, no problems. Shoe never needs to be stripped because there is no build up due to the constant brushing. I have never had to replace a pair of shoes due to issues with the upper leather. Of course, this doesn't apply to the care of "rain" shoes.

Nonetheless, to each their own. If you do not perspire or never had an athlete's foot issue, go for it. Guess I just don't care for "flashy" in an umpire. Personally, I prefer natural leather uppers.

Wearing patent leather shoes does not help my judgement one bit - you are absolutely correct. It does, however, make me look more professional when I walk onto the field. Just like having my pants dry-cleaned and keeping a good crease in them and making sure my hats are neat and clean. Appearance does not help me call balls and strikes and it never will. It also will not help me improve. However, when we are observed in WV, appearance is part of the criteria and I strive to look as professional as possible. I like the word professional more than flashy. Is that any different than the "flashy" manner people call a 3rd strike? I think you are off-base in judging someone flashy just because of the shoes they wear.

I also agree with Steve on the ease of care. In 60 seconds, my shoes look like new with just water and a soft cloth. As fas as the sweating goes, I've not noticed anything about my feet sweating anymore than before. Besides, my sweat don't stink!:)

I personally think that Leather Luster makes shoes look crappy and unnatural especially when dirty. My shoes get dirty 2 seconds after I walk on the field but I still take the time to clean them after every session.

You obviously have not seen me call a third strike. No flash, just a call.

Just where in any previous posts did I "judge" anyone? Seems to me, I just noted my personal opinion and preference.

Of course, appearance is important. No one in this thread said that it wasn't.
And where did I ever bring into question an umpire's ability as it relates to their wardrobe? Apparently, your computer has a special filter which allows you to read hidden text that the rest of us do not see. :D

You note the ease of wiping these shoes clean, yet you go to the trouble and expense of having your pants dry cleaned?

I have never had to take a pair of pants I wear on the field to the cleaners. Always just a wash away from looking new and never, never lost a permanent crease. Most pair last me 3-4 years of year-round wear.

I also just launder my umpire pants versus taking them in to get dry cleaned. I will bet you could take my laundered pants, put them on a hanger and take the dry cleaned pants and do the same and it would be hard to tell the difference. Dave

Emily Alexander
 

IRISHMAFIA types:."No flash, just a call." & "As an umpire and UIC, I do not get impressed with shoes and belts treated with this product. It's fine and dandy if you are marching in a parade or putting on a show for someone. As an umpire, it doesn't improve you performance and, if anything, only draws attention to you and that is not an umpire's purpose on the field.

Give me a good, clean polished shoe and you're fine: As an umpire and UIC, I do not get impressed with shoes and belts treated with this product. It's fine and dandy if you are marching in a parade or putting on a show for someone. As an umpire, it doesn't improve you performance and, if anything, only draws attention to you and that is not an umpire's purpose on the field.

Give me a good, clean polished shoe and you're fine "

You've been hanging around Emily to long.

You are absolutely correct - I have never seen you call a third strike. I wasn't necessarily commenting on your third strike, just others in general.

Here: As an umpire and UIC, I do not get impressed with shoes and belts treated with this product. It's fine and dandy if you are marching in a parade or putting on a show for someone. As an umpire, it doesn't improve you performance and, if anything, only draws attention to you and that is not an umpire's purpose on the field.

And here: Guess I just don't care for "flashy" in an umpire.

This may be your opinion but seemed judgemental to me. And perception is reality!

Yes, you seem to think that YOUR view of appearance is absolute. You didn't say that an umpire's ability relates to their wardrobe - I was AGREEING with you. You must be a little sensative about this.

Absolutely! I also do that in basketball. Your comparison of my pants and shoes is an apples/oranges comparison. I can clean my shoes very quickly and they shine like new. In order to accomplish this with my pants, I change them.

BRAVO! I tend to loose my crease when I wash them myself. Occasionally I will throw them in the washer if I don't have time to go to the cleaners. I have some pants that are entering their 8th season and still look great. I don't understand why I'm a bad guy because I choose to dry-clean my pants. My pants, my money, my choice. Plus, I'm a lazy, divorced, SOB so that's less laundry I have to do!!!:D

I didn't mean to piss anyone off - hope I didn't!

Many of us ex-military types like the spit shined look, for our dress shoes. But let ask you old combat vets. How many of you wore spit shines in the bush? My shoes are buffed to a nice glossy shine, which I just brush off between games (if time allows). When they are muddy, and living in the Pacific NW they get muddy, I just use a stiff brush to knock the mud off and the soft brush to shine what remains. Worked for my combat boots, works for my umpire shoes. No complaints.

Bugg

Actually, I've only conversed with EA a couple of times, never discussed uniforms.

Larry, I wasn't being judgmental of anyone, simply expressing an opinion. Never stated anyone was a "bad guy" or a lesser umpire because your opinion differed. Then again, until it came to the pants, I wasn't addressing anyone in particular, just normal chatter.

I don't care for the product because it damages the leather and can create a health issue with some umpires. A health issue which attacks one of an umpire's most important assets, their feet.

I don't care for the look on the field just because I don't. I am ex-military and can put a spit shine on any shoe, but I choose not to for a couple of reasons.

When I was first assigned to a national I was told to put a military crease in the Elbeco because that is what was expected. I was told not to show up with spit shined shoes and a glossy belt because that isn't what the UICs wanted. I am a believer in uniform and apparently carried the same opinion as EA without realizing it.

If you showed up to work a tournament for me, I wouldn't do anything to embarass you, nor allow it to affect your assignments or rating. I may ask you to wear an alternative pair of shoes if some were available. I would voice my opinion to you privately and leave it at that.

What? You wear them to church in the off-season? More room for kneeling? :D :rolleyes:

Would you really ask someone to wear a different pair of shoes? Please, please, please tell me that I just missed the humor and sarcasm in that statement. If my college supervisor or our state HS association (or other authoritative organization) mandated that we could NOT wear patent leather shoes, of course I would comply. If it were another official - well, I'd get a big laugh out of that. I really hope I was supposed to laugh at being asked by another official to wear another pair of shoes. I personally wouldn't care what shoes you wore as long as you can officiate the game. If you look professional and can take care of business, I don't care!

During four years at Annapolis, I hated spit-shining my shoes. I wore the uncomfortable Corfams just to keep from having to do it. 35 years later, retired from the Navy, I'm anal about spit-shining my plate shoes. I even do it during my off game during a tournament. I admit that I'm weird -- but the spit-shined size 14s draw compliments from coaches, players, and even fans.

(I guess if I ever get a chance to work a tournament for Mike, I'll have to dull the finish to make sure I don't draw any attention to myself.;) )

Don't know if you missed any humor in Mike's post, but you did miss two little words... he said FYI, Mike is the ASA UIC for his state.

Again, a UIC telling me what shoes to wear? I would stay home. I'm sure Mike is a great umpire, he really seems to have great insights on the rules but I assure you that's going overboard. Our UIC required things like hats, shirts, ball bags - but shoes? I wear fruit of the looms too - but they aren't shiney - I hope that's ok.

So, you didn't mean this?

I don't know about you, but I generally take seriously suggestions made by tournament UIC's, state UIC's and the like. Doesn't mean I always do as they suggest, but I do consider their point of view.

And, a tournament or state UIC is hardly just "another official."

In another galaxy far, far away many moons ago I was told patent leather was verboten for softball. Hence, last pair I had (baseball) went to charity long ago.

My feet go into shock with the mention of Leather Luster. I can assure you my shoes better be able to breathe, because not only do my feet perspire, they also sweat; moreover when they sweat and the sweat is trapped people think they must be near a rendering plant or something. They smell almost as bad as my umpiring.

No patent leather, and if you're working ASA no pleated pants whether washed or dry cleaned.

Absolutely I meant it - no state or local speaks for an organization! In this instance, it would be someone in power dictating based on personal preference. We had that very thing happen in ASA here in WV and many of us simply got out. I just think telling me what shoes to wear is stretching your authority a bit whether it's Mike or anyone else. If they said, "I don't like those" or "I wouldn't wear those" - that's different. But to tell me NOT to wear them.

I know I'm probably being labled a jerk here because of one thread - and I hope I'm not. I honestly do not mean this as an attack on Mike - I'm not that kind of guy. I just think shoe police based on personal preference is going overboard.

Again, you have that special filter on your computer that produces words no one else sees.

I simply stated that I may ASK the umpire to wear another pair if s/he had them available. BTW, you have just changed the issue. Patent leather shoes and shoes treated with a Leather Lustre-type product are not the same.

The reason I would ask would be so that particular umpire would not stand out from his/her partners. Like it or not, the term uniform has a meaning and it doesn't just apply to a hat, shirt and pants.

I also stated that wearing the topic shoes would not affect the umpire's assignments or rating. I have never requested an umpire at the regional or lower level to change their shoes.

I had an umpire who is scheduled to work with me next month ask if patent leather shoes were okay. My response was "don't be funny". If this guy practices what he preaches, and I'm confident he does, he's a good umpire. His patent leather shoes are not going to bother me, or anyone else.

For the last time, I simply offered an opinion (which is shared by others) and preference. Meanwhile, you want to turn it into a national case of a UIC being overbearing. Compared to some out there, I'm very mild-mannered.

However, since you don't work ASA, I guess you really do not need to worry about it. I certainly am not.

I think you will also need to simply get out of calling in the NCAA, too. If you attended any of the NCAA Umpire Development Clinics, or any approved camps, or any evaluation situations, you would hace heard in absolutely crystal clear terms NO PATENT LEATHER SHOES, NO PATENT LEATHER BELTS, and NO PLEATED FRONT PANTS. That is from Kathy Strahm, Emily Alexander, and Ed Crane, the people who do direct the conference coordinators, and who select all NCAA postseason umpires.

I think you should pick a different battle, as your defense of patent leather in softball is a losing proposition.