# How to darken tan shoes



## memphislawyer (Mar 2, 2007)

I bought a pair of some Johnston Murphy Kiltie shoes in a light tan color for summer, thinking I can wear them with khaki-colored tropical wool pants, white shirt and a tie. They seem a bit too light in color, though I like the shoes. I dont want a chocolate brown, but something in between would look smarter.

So other than taking them to the cobbler and asking him to dye them (and that can be a bit tricky since they may not hit a great shade of brown) is there anything I can do to darken them? Such as maybe getting Kiwi shoe polish in dark brown and just waxing them until they darken?


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## ToryBoy (Oct 13, 2008)

If want to darken them a lot, you would be going to a specialist cobbler. 

I have darkened shoes and you have to polish several times rather then once to get the desired shade. Get a medium brown polish and apply to the shoes, wear the shoes as well; after a few days apply the polish again and keep doing this until you get to a shade you like. You should get a darker shade in the end (lighter then the polish shade) and continue to apply medium brown polish only. 

You may want to mix it up, by using a medium brown and dark brown polish; however, as they are summer shoes, I would say stick with medium brown polish.


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## CuffDaddy (Feb 26, 2009)

I've done it several times. Kiwi or other waxes generally won't penetrate the leather well enough if you apply them normally. In my experience, you need to use Meltonian or another creme-style polish. If you _follow _a creme application and light polishing with a wax polish, you can get some interesting antiquing as well. I think the barely-tacky finish of a recently-creme-polished shoe helps the paste wax "grab" a little better.


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## smujd (Mar 18, 2008)

Use a darker brown or even black polish (depending on how dark you want to go). Since it's easy to go too dark too quickly, I would start with lighter polishes (although darker than the shoes, obviously) and work your way darker as needed.


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## Cary Grant (Sep 11, 2008)

Perhaps start with a nearby color, slightly darker, of _shoe cream. _Give it a couple of coats. Then a similar shade of polish.

You might also just try using leather conditioner first. That can tend to darken some leather a bit.


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## Packard (Apr 24, 2009)

smujd said:


> Use a darker brown or even black polish (depending on how dark you want to go). Since it's easy to go too dark too quickly, I would start with lighter polishes (although darker than the shoes, obviously) and work your way darker as needed.


I agree; and by and large this is reversable with leather cleaner.

I find that you need to re-apply the darker polish every once in a while or they will eventually revert back to nearly the original color.

When I did this with my penny loafers the seams (and the area around them) became darker than the rest of the leather and gave a nice modeled appearance.


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