Jack Purcells

In light of St. Patricks day! Today i found a pair of old Jack Purcells my aunt gave to me as a gift. How better to thank her than to maintain the shoe, re rock them, and broaden my wardrobe.

Typical reason why a shoe may sit, all alone, never worn, in a closet or box

1. They are out of style
2. They are too dirty
3. They are not new

The reasons why used, classics as i refer, shoes are sometime better then new ones

1. Newer models utilize useless features
2. Newer models are fighting for the spotlight
3. Newer models take time to break in (i.e blisters, swelling, and pain in the foot)
4. OLD shoes are never old, we are only convinced they are

The essentials when a shoe walks through the shoe dentist:

• 2-3 quart bucket, try a car wash soap bucket (the divider is great for clean and used h20)
• a old toothbrush or hand brush
• a manicure set if available...if not, a set of toothpicks or useless silverwear
• an old rag or t-shirt sleeve
• a shoe eraser-available at target, cole haan, nordstroms or your local shoe repair
• dawn dish soap - soft scrub bleach for deeper marksThe essentials and steps

From Left-Right: 1-Screwdriver 2-scissors 3-toothbrush 4-shoe eraser 5-hand brush 6-manicure set

The Client

 

1. Undress the client- Remove laces and insoles (if possible)
2. Give her a warm bath- take dawn dish soap (1/8 cup) and 2 quarts of water and let the shoe (s) soak for 5 minutes
3. Whip out the tools and lets get our nails dirty. Begin with a thorough brush down with either your old toothbrush or hand scrubber. This will begin the breakdown of dust, miscellaneous debris, and top layer residue.
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4. Wipe and get to the detailing...With the manicure set, which should include a pointed tool for cuticles, a clipper for nails, and scissors for hang nails. Use the pointed tool or toothpicks for the debris between the crevices and cracks.
1.  The clipper and scissors will be used to get rid of any frayed materials or rubbers that are permanently discolored. 
5. Repeat the soaking process and give the client a light scrub down to remove any lasting debris.
6. Dry the client off with a hair dryer or let her rest by a nice warm fire. 
7. If the outsole is of importance to you, the manicure set is a fine way of getting gum, rocks, and slivers out from under the shoe. Use the shoe eraser to get rid of any rubber scuffs or dings on your lower outsole. 
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8. Last but not least are the shoe laces and insoles. The soft scrub bleach comes handy in this instance and will do the job for muddy or metal colored laces. Make sure the container for water is clear (so you can SEE how much dirt is hidden in the laces). Let the laces soak in a 5-1 ratio bleach - h20 solution. After a few minutes, use your hands and create a washing machine like event with your hands to get the laces as clean as possible. 
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9. Let dry and be sure to fill shoes with newspaper or old towels. 
10. Rock your new kicks, switch around your laces, and brighten up your wardrobe. 

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