How I Restored a Pair of Allen Edmonds Lexington Dress Shoes (Crease Repair & Deep Clean)

A few weeks ago a client sent me a pair of Allen Edmonds Lexington cap toe oxfords that needed a full restoration. Scuff marks, dry leather, creases across the vamp — the kind of shoes that look like they've been well-worn and well-neglected in equal measure. This is exactly the type of project I love, so I filmed the whole process.

Below I'm going to walk you through every step I took — from the initial brush-down to the final mirror shine. If you've got a pair of Allen Edmonds sitting in your closet that haven't seen any love in a while, this one's for you.

What I Was Working With

The shoes were Allen Edmonds Lexington oxfords in black. Classic Goodyear welt construction — the kind of shoe that's absolutely worth restoring because the bones are great. Problems I identified on inspection:

   
• Visible scuff marks on the leather upper
   
• Creases across the toe box and vamp
   
• Dry, dull leather — clearly treated with off-the-shelf products at some point
   
• Dirt and dust packed into the welt
 

All of this is fixable. Here's how I approached it.

Step 1: Dry Brush to Remove Surface Dust

Before I touch the leather with anything wet or product-based, I always start with a dry horsehair brush. I brush the entire shoe — uppers, welt area, seams — to knock off any loose dust and debris. It sounds like a small thing but it matters. You don't want to be pushing surface grit into the leather when you start cleaning.

Laces come out first. Always.

Step 2: Clean the Welt

The welt is the strip of leather that runs around the perimeter of the shoe connecting the upper to the sole. It's where dirt accumulates and most people never clean it. I use a small applicator brush with just water to break down the compacted dust and grime sitting in that channel. Once it's loosened, I wipe it down with a microfiber cloth.

It's a detail step, but it's what separates a thorough restoration from a surface-level shine.

Step 3: Strip the Leather with a Preparation Solution

This is where the real work begins. Before I apply any Saphir products, I use a preparation solution to strip everything that's already on the leather — old wax, silicone residues, previous product buildup. When I looked at these shoes I could already tell the previous owner had been using off-the-shelf products. Those products tend to leave a film on the leather that prevents quality conditioners and polishes from penetrating properly.

I work the solution across the entire upper and let it do its job. You'll see the leather look stripped and a little pale at this stage — that's normal. It means the surface is clean and ready to absorb what comes next.

I only use Saphir Médaille d'Or products in my restorations. In my experience, Saphir is the gold standard in professional shoe care — nothing else comes close for the quality of the ingredients or the results.

Step 4: Deep Clean with Saphir Leather Cleanser

After stripping, I follow up with a Saphir leather cleanser to go even deeper into the pores. At this point we're removing everything — any remaining residue, ingrained soiling, anything the prep solution didn't catch. I buff the shoe after this step to set the stage for conditioning.

Buffing after every product layer is a habit I never skip. It helps each subsequent product adhere and penetrate better.

Step 5: Nourish the Leather with Saphir Lotion

Once stripped and deep cleaned, the leather on these Lexingtons was visibly dry. That's expected — we just removed everything that was on it. Now we need to put back what the leather needs: moisture, suppleness, and protection.

I apply a generous layer of Saphir leather lotion and work it in thoroughly. This is where the leather starts to come back to life. You can actually see the colour deepen slightly as the leather drinks in the conditioner.

Preparation is everything in this process. I never rush past the conditioning step because a well-nourished leather will hold polish better, crease less aggressively over time, and last significantly longer.

Step 6: Crease Repair

The Lexingtons had visible creasing across the vamp — a common issue on dress shoes that have been worn regularly without shoe trees. To address creases in leather, I use a combination of heat and pressure to relax and redistribute the leather fibres back toward their original position.

This step requires a careful hand. Too much heat damages the leather; too little doesn't move the fibres. I work slowly and methodically, focusing on the deepest creases. You won't eliminate every crease entirely — leather has memory — but you can dramatically reduce their appearance and prevent them from cracking further.

Step 7: Colour Renewal with Saphir Cream Polish

With the leather clean, conditioned, and the creases addressed, it's time to restore the colour. I applied a black Saphir cream polish across both shoes, working it in with an applicator brush and buffing between coats.

Saphir cream polish does two things at once: it deposits pigment to refresh and even out the colour, and it conditions the leather further with its beeswax and solvent base. On black shoes especially, you'll notice the colour go from dull and patchy to deep and consistent.

I buff after every layer. Always.

Step 8: Wax Polish & Mirror Shine

The final step is the one people always want to see. For the toe cap, I applied a wax polish to build up the mirror shine. I chose a blue-tinted black wax over a neutral black — on black leather, the blue undertone in the wax actually produces a deeper, more dimensional shine. It's a small detail that makes a real difference in the final result.

To bring out the mirror shine, I use a piece of cotton cloth wrapped around my fingers, apply a small amount of wax, and rub in tight circular motions with light pressure. The key is thin layers built up over time, not one thick application.

The results speak for themselves.

The Products I Used

   
• Horsehair brush (dry brushing and buffing)
   
• Saphir preparation / stripping solution
   
• Saphir Leather Cleanser
   
• Saphir Leather Lotion (conditioning)
   
• Saphir Cream 1925 in Black (colour renewal)
   
• Saphir Mirror Gloss Wax Polish in Blue/Black (toe cap shine)
   
• Microfiber cloth and cotton buffing cloth
 

Every product I use in my restorations is from the Saphir Médaille d'Or line. I don't use anything else on client shoes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you fully remove creases from leather dress shoes?

You can significantly reduce them, but not always eliminate them completely. Leather has memory — once a crease is set in, heat and pressure can soften and redistribute the fibres but the line may still be faintly visible. Using shoe trees consistently after every wear is the best prevention.

How often should Allen Edmonds shoes be deep cleaned?

For regular wearers (2–3 times a week), a deep clean and conditioning treatment every 3–4 months is a good baseline. More frequently if you're wearing them in wet or harsh conditions. A basic brush-down and light conditioning between deep cleans goes a long way.

Why use Saphir instead of off-the-shelf shoe polish?

Most off-the-shelf polishes contain silicone and synthetic waxes that sit on top of the leather rather than penetrating it. Over time they can actually dry the leather out and make it more prone to cracking. Saphir products use natural waxes, oils, and high-quality pigments that nourish the leather from within while providing genuine protection.

If you found this walkthrough useful, the full video is at the top of this page — I document the entire process start to finish. Subscribe to the channel if you want to follow along with future projects.