A couple things: My boys are morning guys. They like to get up at ~6:30, and I actually like getting up with them. They are pretty close to being able to hang out alone for an hour or so alone, but we’re not there yet. I also like giving Mrs. RCS an extra hour of shut-eye. However, since both of the boys aren’t pulling on my slacks, I have some time to take care of a few small things while they are doing their thing.
Last Saturday, I decided it was time to give my Oak Street Bootmakers Camp Mocs a serious clean up. To be honest, it had been a while…probably a solid year since they had any attention. With a recent purchase, I got a Chromexcel clean-up kit, so I decided to break it out…you can see my youngest #JSS checking out what’s going on…
Generally speaking, the Mocs are in really good shape. These are the original Natural color, and they’ve aged well. They are a little darker than when I got them. I’ve been pretty hard on them since I got them back in 2014, but not so much that they’ll get destroyed. It’s a testament to Chromexcel leather. The stuff is fantastic, and quite frankly, really easy to care for.
To clean up my Mocs, this is all you need: A horsehair brush, Venetian shoe cream, and a soft towel:
The first step is to brush the shoes. This gets any and all dust and debris off the shoes, out of the cracks, and preps the leather for what comes next.
Second is to apply the cream. Here’s what I like to do: I pour a little cream in the cap, and use my finger to apply. Generally speaking, one cap-full will cover one Moc. I ensure that I really cover the leather well – even the creases and laces.
The picture below shows a the difference: I applied the cream to the side of the shoe, vs the top. You can see that it slightly darkens the leather.
My Mocs were really dry and soaked in the first coat of cream pretty quickly, so I applied a second coat. It’s hard to tell, but the leather on the shoe on the right has a much ‘healthier’ look:
Final Step: Brush. Brush like crazy. I brushed each Moc for about 15 minutes each, and was really happy with the outcome:
Cleaning up shoes has a therapeutic sense to it. I used to watch my dad polish his shoes and enjoyed seeing his appreciation of a job well done. Spending 45 minutes on an early Saturday morning did two things for me: first, it got these Mocs back into ship shape, and second, it gave me a sense of accomplishment…a good one.
Venetian Shoe Cream is the Marvel Mystery Oil of shoe care. I use it on everything but suede it seems. Bought the big tin container on amazon and use a funnel to refill the smaller glass bottle to keep it manageable. Great idea using a finger to apply…just like Obenauf’s.
Nice post. These look fantastic for their age. I love the look of OSB’s shoes but have always hesitated to pull the trigger due to lack of width options (wide flat feet).
I have wide feet and the chromexcels from oak street have been fantastic, just felt like passing that on. I had big reservations based on experience with other loafers but I’ve had these for two years and couldn’t be happier.
I just did the same thing a few weeks ago. Do you have any experience with the OSBM recrafting process? I’ve been wearing the heck out of my bit mocs and they are going to need a new sole pretty soon.
I have these mocs – I love them and have worn the hell out of them through the pandemic. This post inspired me to give them some TLC. Thanks, sir!
Fore Supply Co has the big tins of Venetian Shoe Cream for $23. I bought one years ago and it’s lasted for a long time. A little definitely goes a long way!
Curious if anyone has any experience sending shoes back to OSB for resoling? I have a pair of beef roll penny loafers that I have almost worn a hole through the sole. Not concerned about the quality of the work, but wondering how long it takes and if they offer just the resoling rather than the full restore service.
Just used the RCS method on my OSBM Camp Mocs this morning and boy do they look great. Also, a relaxing and rewarding way to start my Sunday.