[Odradek]

Just bought a pair of hardly worn AE Walton shoes, in a colour they don't make anymore.
Excellent condition but for a stain on the left shoe.
I'd guess some sort of oil or oily food was dropped on them.
And this probably happened quite a while ago, so well dried in.

Any advice for trying to remove this ?
Would Saphir Renomat be the best thing to try ?

I bought them knowing that this stain my be permanent, so my other course of action would be to use a darker polish and so minimise its appearance.

 

[Flanderian]

My minimal experience with oil stains is that they're there to stay, but grow a bit lighter over time. I've never attempted a clean up with anything more than gentle leather cleaners (Which do little for the stain.) for fear that it will also affect the dye of the hide. If you desire a more uniform appearance nudging the shade darker should work well. I'd probably just begin the process with a good shoe cream with a turpentine base and plenty of pigment. I've found it can be near miraculous at covering scrapes and gouges, so this shouldn't be that difficult if you choose the color well.

If you elect to resort to professional assistance a high quality cobbler might have the needed tools and skill. My only concern is that some are not always that meticulous about the appearance of the finished product.

High end, there's always Dandy Shoe Care which makes its business out of turning beaten up lighter colored footwear into patinated works of art.

https://www.dandyshoecare.it/ENG/dandy.html

 

[eagle2250]

I've used a dolup of rubber cement spread over and allowed to dry to lighten the staining effect of cooking oils. It can help, but does not entirely address the problem. If the affected shoe has one of those shinny finishes, it will remove that too, as the dried cement is peeled off the stain. Good luck in your quest.

 

[mlenecare]

You can use this. It works really well.

Wash the leather with saddle soap and let the leather dry before you use this. Then spray it on and let it sit and dry out. You can let it sit for a few hours or leave it over night. Just brush it off and spray it again as needed. You may not be able to get it all out but you should be able to make a decent improvement.

Any dry powder that will absorb the oil will work to some extent such as talk powder.
The Renomat will probably not work.

 

[iam.mike]

@mlenecare - that looks like a great find!

I tried a Google search using the name on the can, but couldn't really track down any US-based sites that was selling it.

But, I found the same thing going by an American-ized version of the name:
Hussard premium leather stain remover by avel

@Odradek - I noticed that it was available for sale on Amazon.fr, but maybe you can find the same product in the UK with a google search like this.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Hussard+premium+leather+stain+remover+by+avel

If you do decide to try it out, would love to hear back from you with "after" photos.

 

[phr33dom]

I have completely removed an oil stain from ostrich skin using multiple applications of isopropyl alcohol but the shoe was a darker shade of brown. Nothing else including specialist leather cleaners worked.

 

[Odradek]

Thanks for the recommendations.

Someone on a different forum recommended Hussard.
All I could get here was a liquid version of it, so I ordered a small bottle of that from "A Fine Pair Of Shoes".

While it is undoubtedly powerful stuff, it didn't do anything on these oily stains.
Worked well on those black marks near the toe of the shoe, and worked great with some marks on a different pair of shoes.
Maybe I'll try it again tomorrow.

 

[mlenecare]

Sorry that it didn't work out. I've always had good results with it. I suppose it depends on what stained the leather.

 

[Odradek]

Sorry that it didn't work out. I've always had good results with it. I suppose it depends on what stained the leather.

Not to worry.
I have ordered some saddle soap, will use that on the shoes and then try again.

These stains may not shift, and in that case I'll just use a darker polish and see if I can get them to blend in a little more.

 

[mikewinddale]

I once removed an oil stain from a seersucker suit by rubbing some talcum powder into the stain and letting it sit for a day or two. The powder soaked the oil up, and then I washed the powder out with water. I don't know if that would work on leather, but it's hard for me to imagine how it could hurt.

 

[SeaJaySlays]

Not to worry.
I have ordered some saddle soap, will use that on the shoes and then try again.

These stains may not shift, and in that case I'll just use a darker polish and see if I can get them to blend in a little more.

Do you have an update on what worked, if anything, for that stain?