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I’ve been getting into shoes lately. Personally, when I clean them up (wipe down and get the dust off) and Polish (only for leather) I feel like I am improving the value, image quality, and desirability. Not to mention, I get pretty intimate knowledge of any flaws they may have.
But I have noticed other sellers who do not do this. I know it’s extra time but I’m interested to know if there is another reason, besides time, to bypass the clean up.
Also share your favorite shoe brands!
Currently a big fan of Florsheim and SAS.
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We clean and polish all the shoes we buy. These days we really only buy shoes that looks almost new, unless being “distressed” is a feature of a pair of boots.
I assume sellers who list dirty shoes just aren’t bothered. It does add more time to process. But we don’t go overboard: most times, shoes just need a wipe down with a damp cloth.
If shoes are cheap enough, we’ll buy any shoes that look well made or have a recognizable brand.
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I will clean and polish if needed. Many of the thrifts in my area mark the price with a silver marker on the bottom so I typically have to clean that off and just make sure there isn’t any crazy dirt while I’m taking care of that.
I have recently picked up a pair of Cole Haan Boots and I will always keep an eye out for Vintage Hanover, Allen Edmonds, and Redwing boots. I don’t look for many women’s shoes, but have sold some newer casual shoes like Clarks (watch out for bad soles) and Naturalizer. In general, I will pick up an men’s dress shoes that look well made and are actual leather and other boots that look good. Sneakers can be tricky because they typically show much more wear and don’t command the price that dress shoes will.
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Agreed. Red Wing Boots are the prize, but we rarely find them.
It’s all about looking for quality, which is why vintage shoes are so nice to find. Quality leather, leather soles, sturdy, classic. Many “designers” shoes these days are made in China and are pretty poor quality.
I see a lot of LL Bean shoes these days that look junky and cheap. So many modern brands change their strategy to pump out cheap products to make money on their reputation until that reputation is ruined. The short term mentality.
But we also take into consideration the style. There are a lot of vintage shoes that are well made, but don;t look interesting. It’s a moving target!
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I lucked out and got an auction lot with two pairs of Redwing boots. Both sold within a week or two of listing. The lot also had a pair of moose leather Minnetonka driving loafers, 2 pairs of Georgia boots, and a pair of Sketchers sandals. I paid up for them, but just the two Redwing boots doubled my money on the lot. Now I’m always on the hunt!
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I always wipe down shoes with a wet rag if there are any signs of dirt. Some dress shoes I’ll polish if they look very dull or have scuffs that need attention. On athletic shoes I’ll use cleaner, especially the ones with the white foam soles as those tend to get really dirty.
As for brands, I’ve had good results with Naot and the Gold Cup series of Sperry shoes. Merrell hiking shoes and Doc Martins boots have sold well too. Expensive Nike shoes like the Air Jordan line can be good sellers, especially the vintage ones.
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How can a seller not clean off mud, crud, horse poop (off boots) and gum? Cleaning the soles of shoes are not my most favorite thing to do. But a dirty, muddy pair of shoes can just mess up a whole tote full of shoes. And don’t get me started about having to put my hand inside shoes
where someone has had their smelly feet. I always sanitize and deodorize first thing when I get home. And I don’t purchase shoes for myself online if the photos show dirty shoes. I think it shows that the seller doesn’t care. Just my personal 2 cents. -
Baby wipes are great for cleaning leather shoes. They also work as a quick polish for dress shoes. Wipe thoroughly with baby wipe and then buff with dry cloth. Clean & polish in one step.
I use the foaming cleaner for sneakers. It really works to restore the white in shoes.
Typically though, I only buy clean shoes. They have to be worth $50+ for me to invest time in cleaning.
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Stuff my mom threw away, what is heel and edge dressing?
Retro Treasures what is the name of the foaming cleaner you use for sneakers?
Generally, lately I’ve been scoring shoes like crazy on $1 day. I look up brands I don’t know before leaving but come home with 12+ pairs. The nice thing is that many of the dress shoes I find in my area are barely worn due to it being more of an industrial area. Also, all the older people here have the best stuff.
How much would you pay for redwing boots? What if they were distressed or hand painted? I recently passed by a pair at the bins (probably weighed 8 lbs) that were painted silver and had lip decals all over them. They were pretty beat to hell, but I sometimes wonder if they would have gone over well.
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I have a “cleaning bin” which is a lidded plastic tote with all my cleaning supplies, including every color of shoe polish, each stored individually in its own bag with a polish brush, shine brush, and polishing rag. I have Mr. Clean Magic Erasers to clean the rubber on sneakers. I found that Folex removes that silver marking pen, but I’ve not found anything that works on Sharpie. And an old nut pick picked up at a garage sale does wonders at picking dirt out of the soles! 😉
All my shoes are cleaned before photographing and listing. I put out a pile of newspapers to work on, a tub of water and rags/brushes for cleaning soles, some poly bags, and a pile of shoes, and sit on a stool for an afternoon or so and knock them all out. Once they’re all clean and shiny, they go into the poly bags that I’ll use for storage later, then get put aside for me to list at leisure.
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I always clean shoes and boots and if worth it I replace the laces. When I am at the car boot sale (no pun intended – you American guys would say Flea Market) – here in the U.K. I always look out for good quality boots, particularly hiking ones that are dirty. I then ask the the seller “how much are the muddy boots ?” I have had some fantastic bargains, top quality boots, very muddy for just a few pounds, take them home clean them up, new laces, and as my father would have said “Bobs your uncle” a nice profit !!
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