Rehabbing Leopard Print Tieks
.. I bought another pair of Tieks.
Watch me as I attempt to justify this purchase to myself in terms of money and storage space:
I have a pair of leopard ballet flats that I love to wear but they make my back ache after a few hours. I hadn't worn them in over a year; I loved the way they looked and hated the way they made my body feel. It didn't make sense to keep them, regardless of how pretty they were.
I knew my best option for comfort would be Tieks. Would you like to guess the MSRP of the Leopard Tieks? $265 - as much as my Moonstruck and Lovestruck Tieks (which I still adore and wear several times a week.)
I knew I couldn't swing another $265 on our limited budget. I also didn't want to add another pair to my shoe storage, even though they were replacing my uncomfortable pair. This situation called for my old friend: eBay. I decided to sell my Biscotti patents on eBay for $85 (originally purchased for $53). I rarely wore them and I couldn't justify keeping something I didn't use. The profit from those shoes added to my original budget meant I could focus on finding the perfect used pair. After weeks of searching, I found one with soles in great condition but needed a little love on the outside.
This pair was $135 with free shipping. In the few days it took to arrive to my home, I researched and planned the steps of their rehab. I spent an additional $5 on a container of Tarrago and $10 on Blackrock Leather N Rich, both from Amazon. I scoured Facebook groups and YouTube for different ways to restore and protect the shoes. In the end, I opted for a very simple rehab so they still show some wear while still looking gorgeous.
Instead of leather paint, I used the Tarrago shoe cream to thinly paint the black spots. Most people opt for the paint so they can look new. I opted for the cream so it can still show its age. After the spots dried, I went over the shoe with Blackrock. I used a clean cloth and added a thin layer all over the shoe, then buffed. Here's the starting with the finished product:
I'm planning on re-conditioning all my Tieks in the coming weeks. I still adore the comfort and simplicity of these shoes. The pricing is still my only complaint but eBay makes it more realistic to own and love this exclusive brand. Having an elegant and comfortable shoe also adds to my minimalist approach to 2019.
Watch me as I attempt to justify this purchase to myself in terms of money and storage space:
I have a pair of leopard ballet flats that I love to wear but they make my back ache after a few hours. I hadn't worn them in over a year; I loved the way they looked and hated the way they made my body feel. It didn't make sense to keep them, regardless of how pretty they were.
I knew my best option for comfort would be Tieks. Would you like to guess the MSRP of the Leopard Tieks? $265 - as much as my Moonstruck and Lovestruck Tieks (which I still adore and wear several times a week.)
I knew I couldn't swing another $265 on our limited budget. I also didn't want to add another pair to my shoe storage, even though they were replacing my uncomfortable pair. This situation called for my old friend: eBay. I decided to sell my Biscotti patents on eBay for $85 (originally purchased for $53). I rarely wore them and I couldn't justify keeping something I didn't use. The profit from those shoes added to my original budget meant I could focus on finding the perfect used pair. After weeks of searching, I found one with soles in great condition but needed a little love on the outside.
This pair was $135 with free shipping. In the few days it took to arrive to my home, I researched and planned the steps of their rehab. I spent an additional $5 on a container of Tarrago and $10 on Blackrock Leather N Rich, both from Amazon. I scoured Facebook groups and YouTube for different ways to restore and protect the shoes. In the end, I opted for a very simple rehab so they still show some wear while still looking gorgeous.
I'm planning on re-conditioning all my Tieks in the coming weeks. I still adore the comfort and simplicity of these shoes. The pricing is still my only complaint but eBay makes it more realistic to own and love this exclusive brand. Having an elegant and comfortable shoe also adds to my minimalist approach to 2019.
Thank you for sharing! I’ve used the Blackrock on my leopard Tieks before and found the leather tacky to the touch for at least a week after. Did you have this problem?
ReplyDeleteWhat cloth or brush did you buff the shoes with? Did it smudge the black paint? Thank you!