Nick Horween recommended I use Venetian Cream or Meltonian on my recently Ebay'd Hanover burgundy cordovans.

What is Venetian Cream? What's in it? And what colour should I buy?

If memory serves, Nick is a member of the family firm that tans the cordovan. If so, I would consider him an ultimate authority. Venetian Cream appears to be a dressing rather than conventional shoe cream -

 

Venetian Cream appears to be a dressing rather than conventional shoe cream -

Meaning ... that it's actually a cream/wax mix reather than a straight cream? Allen-Edmonds Premium Shoe Polish is a mix, so would that also be called a shoe dressing? I only know the term dressing as part of edge dressing.

 

Experience with and source for Venetian Cream

I originally discovered AAAC while searching for a treatment for my Alden #8 LHS after a factory recrafting three years ago. A posting (ROI, September 25, 2006 listed at bottom of this thread) referred to Mr. Hoween recommending Venetian Cream for use on their shell cordovan a number of years earlier.

I was initially reluctant to us it because of its strong "chemical" odor but did so because of the purported recommendation from Mr. Horween (which I tried to confirm by emailing the Horween Leather Co. website without getting a response.)

Whatever Venetian Cream contains - no ingredients listed on the container but there is a strong poison warning (!) - it seems to condition the leather. I use the white liquid (labeled "neutral") sparingly (shake very well before using). Since my LHS' were recrafted I've simply used the Venetian Cream plus the "mcarthur procedure" - never any colored wax or show cream - and my shoes look great.

Venetian Cream is difficult to find IME. The price from Russell Moccasin is $6.50 (plus s&h) for just 2.0 oz. I'm too thrifty to pay so much so I tracked down a source at a golf club supply house ( https://www.foresupplyco.com/productDetail.asp_Q_catID_E_48_A_subCatID_E_55_A_productID_E_703 ) which charges $11.50 (plus s&h) for 32 oz (!). Freight from that source is high but I made it up by ordering some cedar shoe trees for a good price. The quart container obviously lasts a long time.

BTW, a section of the (golf) Locker Room Manager's Association web site reads (in part) (https://www.yourlrma.com/1chap6.htm ):

"ON SHOES THAT ARE BRAND NEW, HAVE A "NATURAL FINISH" (RAW LEATHER WITH NO DYE APPLIED) OR WHERE NO POLISH MATCHES THE COLOR OF THE UPPER, USE LEATHER BALM OR A NEUTRAL POLISH. Actually, in most cases golf shoes only need saddle soap and nothing else for the first several rounds of their lives. However if I'm going to use a neutral, my first choice is leather balm (Zoe's Venetian Cream) because it works on everything from manmade golf shoes to Sperry Topsiders."

 

Not sure about Venetian cream. But, I have used this Allen Edmonds' product, sparingly, to touch up dry spots on my burgundy shell cordovan shoes. I was told by salesperson in the AE store (on LaSalle Street in Chicago) that it specifically is for shell cordovan leather. Other than that, I use the Mac method (wipe with damp cloth, brush vigorously with horsehair brush, buff with dry soft cloth).

 

Meaning ... that it's actually a cream/wax mix reather than a straight cream? Allen-Edmonds Premium Shoe Polish is a mix, so would that also be called a shoe dressing? I only know the term dressing as part of edge dressing.

Sorry, I only know what I've just read in the attached links from this post.

 

I originally discovered AAAC while searching for a treatment for my Alden #8 LHS after a factory recrafting three years ago. A posting (ROI, September 25, 2006 listed at bottom of this thread) referred to Mr. Hoween recommending Venetian Cream for use on their shell cordovan a number of years earlier.

I was initially reluctant to us it because of its strong "chemical" odor but did so because of the purported recommendation from Mr. Horween (which I tried to confirm by emailing the Horween Leather Co. website without getting a response.)

Whatever Venetian Cream contains - no ingredients listed on the container but there is a strong poison warning (!) - it seems to condition the leather. I use the white liquid (labeled "neutral") sparingly (shake very well before using). Since my LHS' were recrafted I've simply used the Venetian Cream plus the "mcarthur procedure" - never any colored wax or show cream - and my shoes look great.

Venetian Cream is difficult to find IME. The price from Russell Moccasin is $6.50 (plus s&h) for just 2.0 oz. I'm too thrifty to pay so much so I tracked down a source at a golf club supply house ( https://www.foresupplyco.com/productDetail.asp_Q_catID_E_48_A_subCatID_E_55_A_productID_E_703 ) which charges $11.50 (plus s&h) for 32 oz (!). Freight from that source is high but I made it up by ordering some cedar shoe trees for a good price. The quart container obviously lasts a long time.

BTW, a section of the (golf) Locker Room Manager's Association web site reads (in part) (https://www.yourlrma.com/1chap6.htm ):

"ON SHOES THAT ARE BRAND NEW, HAVE A "NATURAL FINISH" (RAW LEATHER WITH NO DYE APPLIED) OR WHERE NO POLISH MATCHES THE COLOR OF THE UPPER, USE LEATHER BALM OR A NEUTRAL POLISH. Actually, in most cases golf shoes only need saddle soap and nothing else for the first several rounds of their lives. However if I'm going to use a neutral, my first choice is leather balm (Zoe's Venetian Cream) because it works on everything from manmade golf shoes to Sperry Topsiders."

That's a lot of usefull information! Thanks! :icon_smile_big:

 

I originally discovered AAAC while searching for a treatment for my Alden #8 LHS after a factory recrafting three years ago. A posting (ROI, September 25, 2006 listed at bottom of this thread) referred to Mr. Hoween recommending Venetian Cream for use on their shell cordovan a number of years earlier.

I was initially reluctant to us it because of its strong "chemical" odor but did so because of the purported recommendation from Mr. Horween (which I tried to confirm by emailing the Horween Leather Co. website without getting a response.)

Whatever Venetian Cream contains - no ingredients listed on the container but there is a strong poison warning (!) - it seems to condition the leather. I use the white liquid (labeled "neutral") sparingly (shake very well before using). Since my LHS' were recrafted I've simply used the Venetian Cream plus the "mcarthur procedure" - never any colored wax or show cream - and my shoes look great.

Venetian Cream is difficult to find IME. The price from Russell Moccasin is $6.50 (plus s&h) for just 2.0 oz. I'm too thrifty to pay so much so I tracked down a source at a golf club supply house ( https://www.foresupplyco.com/productDetail.asp_Q_catID_E_48_A_subCatID_E_55_A_productID_E_703 ) which charges $11.50 (plus s&h) for 32 oz (!). Freight from that source is high but I made it up by ordering some cedar shoe trees for a good price. The quart container obviously lasts a long time.

BTW, a section of the (golf) Locker Room Manager's Association web site reads (in part) (https://www.yourlrma.com/1chap6.htm ):

"ON SHOES THAT ARE BRAND NEW, HAVE A "NATURAL FINISH" (RAW LEATHER WITH NO DYE APPLIED) OR WHERE NO POLISH MATCHES THE COLOR OF THE UPPER, USE LEATHER BALM OR A NEUTRAL POLISH. Actually, in most cases golf shoes only need saddle soap and nothing else for the first several rounds of their lives. However if I'm going to use a neutral, my first choice is leather balm (Zoe's Venetian Cream) because it works on everything from manmade golf shoes to Sperry Topsiders."

So you use the neutral on burgundy?

 

Less polish, more elbow grease

So you use the neutral on burgundy?

Yes. Although the Venetian Cream is not really "neutral" in the sense that uncolored shoe polish is neutral.

I've had my shell LHSs for about 15 years. By the time the first resole job (i.e., second set of soles) was worn out the leather, rather than having a nice patina, had taken on a dull, dirty look that I attribute to using too much polish - tried both neutral and "cordovan" - over the years. I considered getting rid of them because I didn't like the look.

Then I discovered Alden would refinish the leather when they replaced the soles and heels - which I needed to have done anyway - so I gave them a try. Unlike some other posters here I liked the way the leather looked when it came back from the recrafting. My #8s lean more toward the black side than the burgundy side to my eye.

Since the recrafting I've used Venetian Cream without, to the best of my recollection, any ordinary shoe polish or cream, as described in my earlier post.

People like their shoes to look one way or another (e.g.,, spit shine, "glowing", matt finish) and, like many things in life, there are probably several ways to get the result you like. But whatever substance you treat leather with, my experience is to use it sparingly, clean and buff the leather often with no additives - the "process" espoused on this site by uber-poster "mcarthur" - and be patient (the hardest part). I think that after a few weeks of brush and cotton cloth buffing any good quality leather will start to respond. From then on maintaining the look is easier.

BTW, the cotton polishing cloth I use for my best shoes is an old pair of Brooks Brothers cotton flannel boxer shorts (seriously).

The best result is achieved with a pair boxers that was made in the U.S. from Sea Island cotton, purchased at full list price from the 346 Madison location, and worn at least once a week for several years and laundered - not too frequently, of course - with a mild organic soap before using them to caress your precious shells. Obviously the correct way to polish leather from a horse's butt is to use cotton that's been broken in by being worn next to a "trad's" butt.

 

Given that AE offers their cream/dressing for shell cord only in burgundy and black, it sounds like the Venetian Cream might be just the ticket for the lighter shades of shell cordovan shoe/boots. I'm going to have to give this one a tryout!

 

Eagle,

Might we want to spread the word to the Trad side?

 

That supplies store doesn't ship to Canada. I'm gonna go with Meltonian cream.