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Cheap Weejun Color Hack

45K views 51 replies 16 participants last post by  Reds & Tops 
#1 · (Edited)
This is for those of us who've tried to turn cheap modern Weejun-style loafers (Sebagos, Bass, etc.) into something more closely resembling the good old Weejuns from the 50s (i.e. nicer leather, better brown color, non-plasticky finish).

Awhile back I bought two pairs of Sebago Cayman 2 loafers from eBay after reading the good reviews here. The first pair I hacked using the standard method of removing the plasticky finish with rubbing alcohol and a rag, applying liberal coats of brown shoe cream as a "dye", and then polishing with dark brown wax shoe polish.

The result was a distinct improvement over the original clown's nose red color. This pair of Sebagos is now a deep reddish brown and looks very much like the mahogany color Alden used to use:



For the 2nd pair of Sebagos I wanted a darker, more chocolatey brown, which is what I was originally after for the 1st pair. You can only go so far with the alcohol/polish method, as it really only strips away the plasticky finish and a small bit of the red dye, allowing you to darken the color but never really cover up that cheezy red dye #2.

So this time, instead of sending in cream and polish to do a dye's job, I got real shoe dye. Fiebing's Shoe Dye, $6 a bottle at my local cobbler's. As it happened, he had one bottle of dark brown dye on hand -- "Chocolate". I call that kismet.

So I took the shoes and stripped the plasticky finish with rubbing alcohol and a rag. Let them dry for an hour, then placed them on some newspaper, opened the bottle of Feibing's, and got dark brown dye on my hand (unavoidable and fully expected).

Used the little foam dauber my cobbler gave me to wipe the dye on the shoes, taking care not to get any on the interior of the shoes (he said not to worry about getting any dye on the soles since they're already quite dark, and he was right, it made no difference, which is a good thing since I was not exactly artisanal in my shoe dyeing technique). The dye is quite thin, like black water, so coverage was not an issue. It just Goes On, and Spreads Everywhere You Sponge It. Then you let it dry overnight. Then you rub the shoes with a clean rag to smooth the finish, dye them all over again, and leave them to dry overnight again.

In the morning you give them another once-over with the rag, and then polish them up with your favorite dark brown wax polish. I use Saphir and swear by it, but Kiwi's fine too.

When I was done, I couldn't believe how good the 2nd pair of Sebagos looked. The perfect chocolate brown. What every guy who buys Cigar Shell Aldens thinks they're going to look like, except that they never quite nail it. Me included. I wish my Cigar chukkas were this color. I wish all my shoes were this color. My furniture too.

I have a pair of Alden's now-discontinued 725 long vamp loafers in dark brown calf, and their brown is truly sublime. That's what these re-dyed Sebagos look like. Of course, you put your nose right up to the leather and the Aldens have a more uniform and refined appearance -- the Sebagos are, after all, a cheap $6 dye job by a guy who doesn't know what the hell he's doing. But they come a lot closer than they should. Like, 90% close. Farther than a few feet, you can't really tell one from the other. And compared to the dye job on the orginal Weejuns, forget it, no contest, these look better. Weejuns weren't high-end loafers and neither are these $50 eBay Sebagos. But with a $6 dye job, they look like $600 loafers. Nothing AE's selling these days looks as good as this brown.

Moral of story: if you've got a pair of cheap Sebagos/Bass/etc. and just want to dull the plasticky finish and brown them up a bit, do the alcohol/polish routine. Takes less than an hour, makes the shoes look a lot better. But if you want the real thing -- rich, deep, chocolate brown -- get some Feibing's dye and prepare to be stunned.
 
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#27 ·
I will say this though: I have never been as successful at getting black dress shoes to look good as I have been with brown. I've come to accept that the best that black calf shoes can look is pretty good, and that's if you religiously clean and polish them before every wearing. Which is one of the reasons I don't wear black shoes anymore except for ninja assignments.
... those and your standard weddings and interviews. I have just one pair of black shoes (captoe oxfords), and I wear it maybe 2 times a year. My brown and cordovan shoes get a lot of wear.
 
#29 ·
I'm inclined to think that all the rubbing alcohol did was to remove 4 years worth of cream and polish.
Even still, that might not be a bad thing to now know.

I have a cheap thrift store, pair of shell loafers I'm trying to restore.
Part of the problem (besides looking like the previous wearer spent his days kicking jagged rocks with them) is that they have decades of polish build up, I've spent hours trying to rub it off, but the results aren't great (really it just seems to rub it in more).

I might try rubbing alcohol.
 
#31 ·
My attempts...

a couple caveats:
These are LLB heavy-duty handsewn boat shoes.
When I got them they had a very shiny, very red finish to them and the leather was heavy and stiff (like a weejun, in fact more like a weejun than my Sebago loafers).
To try and break them in/dull them I've been wearing them pretty hard, in the snow, in the yard etc, so the "before" pic here is significantly duller than how they arrived.
In both case, the leather looks lighter and less red in the picture thani n person.

I stripped the shoe for the first time a few days ago, I was pretty through, and got it down to an even light brown color.
Since then, the shoe has darkened up significantly, so I did a quick once-over with alcohol right before I snapped this picture.

The dark spots on the shoe are places where the alcohol is still wet (not places where the dye wasn't removed, though I had plenty of those that I attacked with a toothbrush).
If I leave the shoe to set and re-hydrate for a few days it takes on a nice even light brown color.
 
#32 ·
Oh dear lord no -- when I stripped my "cordovan" (non-brushoff) Sebagos they were red. RED. Not reddish brown. RED.

If they looked like the shoes in your pic, I would've been happy to leave them as is. No, the shoes were so red that my wife, who doesn't really care about what shoes I wear, commented upon first seeing them, "Hmm, those shoes are pretty, um, red, aren't they?"

I think the shoes themselves are great. Very comfortable, well-made, good leather, and they seem to be holding up very well (although the heels wear down faster than my Aldens, so I see new/better heels in the near future, not a bad thing probably).

What the world needs is for Alden to offer a "recession loafer". Simple brown calf, in the Weejun mode, call it $200. Not an uncobblable Cape Cod. A real Alden, no-frills, two hundred bucks. Then we wouldn't be talking about hacking Sebagos and Basses.

ConFop: When you stripped down your 'cordovan' Sebagos, is this (more or less) the colour that was revealed?

https://img261.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sebago10b.jpg
 
#33 ·
The Continental Fop said:
Oh dear lord no -- when I stripped my "cordovan" (non-brushoff) Sebagos they were red. RED. Not reddish brown. RED. If they looked like the shoes in your pic, I would've been happy to leave them as is.
Okay, I was wondering. Because I agree that the colour in my photo is just fine. It's the antiqued brown, but the new version is much darker (so I understand). Perhaps stripping down a pair to the red and then using a reddish brown shoe dye would do the trick.

I think the shoes themselves are great. Very comfortable, well-made, good leather, and they seem to be holding up very well (although the heels wear down faster than my Aldens, so I see new/better heels in the near future, not a bad thing probably).
I've almost destroyed the soles of my black Classics, with only two long walks in wet weather. Normally I would apply topy but it just doesn't seem worth it at this price point.

What the world needs is for Alden to offer a "recession loafer". Simple brown calf, in the Weejun mode, call it $200. Not an uncobblable Cape Cod. A real Alden, no-frills, two hundred bucks.
YES. You are RIGHT.

But they won't do it. I'm sure our forum member retailers will come up with all sorts of reasons why. But I think it comes down to an unwillingness to think outside the box.
 
#34 ·
I've almost destroyed the soles of my black Classics, with only two long walks in wet weather. Normally I would apply topy but it just doesn't seem worth it at this price point.
This surprises me. I purchased a pair of Sebago Classics two years ago and they have been wearing like iron. I wear them probably 3 times a week, and even wear them on consecutive days if it is foul weather so that I do not ruin an expensive shoe. This is also my sockless weekend throw on shoe. I think the oiled leather sole and steel shank are great. I could live without the hard plastic heel.

After two years and one month of abuse, I just noticed this morning the first wearing through on the sole. Now I am torn because I only paid about $35 new on ebay, but most cobblers charge $55 for new soles and heels. I guess I should start searching ebay.
 
#35 ·
I like the idea of "recession loafers". I'd love to have alden quality and nicer leathers in a lesser priced casual loafer.

Update on my SAS loafers - been wearing them a lot since I got them since they are so damned comfortable. Never needed any "breaking in" since they fit perfectly the first time I wore it. They are showing fine creases like calf and the shine is going down. From what it looks, I should have a perfect looking loafers in about two months, maybe I'll do a review then with "New" and "worn" pics.
 
#36 ·
srivats said:
Update on my SAS loafers - been wearing them a lot since I got them since they are so damned comfortable. Never needed any "breaking in" since they fit perfectly the first time I wore it. They are showing fine creases like calf and the shine is going down. From what it looks, I should have a perfect looking loafers in about two months, maybe I'll do a review then with "New" and "worn" pics.
Keep us posted, and get some photos up if you can.

I think one of us does this blog: https://www.theweejun.com/. I recommend checking it out since the author has done a "cheap Weejun hack" much like ConFop and has come up with some good results (see photo below). I would be happy to have shoes that looked like this when done!

https://img207.imageshack.us/my.php?image=myweejunscolorhack.jpg
 
#38 · (Edited)
DD, I found one of your old posts (with pics) about SAS penny loafers:
https://askandyaboutclothes.com/community/showpost.php?p=376196&postcount=7

My loafers started out looking exactly like those in the 2nd set of pics, but the finish is starting to somewhat dull. They are still shiny and with a good buffing, the shine comes back almost fully. But I think they will end up looking like the first pic in 2 months' time.

I haven't tried out a recent bass or sebago and I think it will be good to compare them with SAS. I spoke with zappos customser service, and they said that the Bass Logan was the only non-shiny shoe offered by Bass. I then searched for sebago loafers and noticed that sebago makes 2 brown loafers in non-shiny leathers - sadly only with rubber soles:

(click on pics for link to zappos site):

1. Sebago sherman (brown, waxy pull-up - not sure if the brown is corrected or full grain):



Here is a pic from sebago's website:

2. Sebago Arcus (waterproof full grain leather):



I am still deciding between the Bass Gilman and the above 2 shoes. Anyone owning the sebago arcus or sherman?
 
#39 ·
Cool blog, and flattered the author tried the color hack I described. His shoes turned out quite different than mine, though -- whether it's the different dye or his use of shoe cream rather than a wax polish, his shoes look like old shoes while mine look new. I'm guessing, though, given the commentary on the blog, he's going after more of a vintage look than I am.
 
#40 ·
Hi Guys, I should not have been surprised that one of you discovered my new blog (TheWeejun.com) even before I'd had a chance to make my first post on this forum!

Thanks for the props..

Mr Fop - I think you are quite right that the dye may have been the cause of the more vintage look. Fieblings is harder to find in the UK. There is someone who sells all colours on Ebay UK but of course that takes a few days and you all know what it's like when you decide to do some 'shoe hacking', there's no time like the present. For that read: impatient fool.

Also I thought that as the rubbing alcohol had worked so well on the gloss that if I made a boo boo I could always try rubbing them down again.

The dye I used is well known to the British and like many typically half assed UK products only seems to come in a minimal variety of unexciting colours. I chose their 'Medium Brown' for this experiment, as opposed to an American product that would have been called 'New Hampshire Autumn Chestnut' or something.

I haven't mentioned it yet on theweejun.com but I have a pair of black post Wilton weejuns that I bought nearly new on Ebay US simply because the photos made the shoes and the leather look near perfect. When they arrived I was very impressed with the quality of leather used on this pair and they look stunning. In fact they are the first black shoes I've bought in many a year. The thing is that the Wilton shoes are better made in general but as has been mentioned on here before, towards the end of the US made period the quality was already dumbing down, and the candy apple finish of the pair I hacked was actually shocking to me when I opened the USPS parcel! So it's definitely worth checking out offshore models that must have varied from year to year, customer to customer and factory to factory.

Did you post photos of your 'like new' finish CF? I would be interested to see the outcome compared to my 'vintage' look.

Cheers

Baracuta1965
 
#43 ·
srivats said:
DD, I found one of your old posts (with pics) about SAS penny loafers:
https://askandyaboutclothes.com/community/showpost.php?p=376196&postcount=7

My loafers started out looking exactly like those in the 2nd set of pics, but the finish is starting to somewhat dull. They are still shiny and with a good buffing, the shine comes back almost fully. But I think they will end up looking like the first pic in 2 months' time.

I haven't tried out a recent bass or sebago and I think it will be good to compare them with SAS.
Keep in mind the SAS shoes are far better quality than Bass or Sebago, even with the glossy uppers. They are made by a company that specialized in orthopedic footwear. Set your pair on a table (or flat surface) and look at them from behind: you will see the heels are trapezoidal in shape, i.e. wider at the bottom. If Alan Flusser is to be believed, this is a stability feature only found in high-end footwear. It's certainly a very strange thing to see on affordable penny loafers.

srivats said:
I spoke with zappos customser service, and they said that the Bass Logan was the only non-shiny shoe offered by Bass. I then searched for sebago loafers and noticed that sebago makes 2 brown loafers in non-shiny leathers - sadly only with rubber soles:

1. Sebago sherman (brown, waxy pull-up - not sure if the brown is corrected or full grain):

2. Sebago Arcus (waterproof full grain leather):

I am still deciding between the Bass Gilman and the above 2 shoes. Anyone owning the sebago arcus or sherman?
Zappos is a bit misleading. Sebago in fact offers the Classic (with leather soles) in two additional colours Zappos does not carry: brown B76643 and whiskey B76660. The former is apparently a matte/waxy finish. Neither seem to be available from internet stores so you would probably have to order them right from the Sebago website (at full price). I haven't seem them in real life, but from photos it appears neither would have to be "hacked". I've posted photos of them in a thread somewhere on Sebagos; the search function should find it.

Baracuta1965 said:
I haven't mentioned it yet on theweejun.com but I have a pair of black post Wilton weejuns that I bought nearly new on Ebay US simply because the photos made the shoes and the leather look near perfect. When they arrived I was very impressed with the quality of leather used on this pair and they look stunning. In fact they are the first black shoes I've bought in many a year. The thing is that the Wilton shoes are better made in general but as has been mentioned on here before, towards the end of the US made period the quality was already dumbing down, and the candy apple finish of the pair I hacked was actually shocking to me when I opened the USPS parcel! So it's definitely worth checking out offshore models that must have varied from year to year, customer to customer and factory to factory.
The Weejuns I dismantled (photos in my "moccasin construction" thread) were made offshore and dated from about the year 2000 -- the leather on those was excellent. Well, the word excellent may be pushing it, but they were far, far better than anything offered now and they were not glossy at all. I would take another pair of those instantly (in a better size). It's unfortunate quality has varied so much with this brand over the years.

Another option I've been pondering is this: buy the current Weejun/Logan in "tan" and dye them with dark brown or something. From photos the tan model seems to have a matte, semi-full grain finish which would probably accept shoe dye successfully. Any thoughts?
 
#44 ·
DD, that was a well thought out reply. Thank you.

Another option I've been pondering is this: buy the current Weejun/Logan in "tan" and dye them with dark brown or something. From photos the tan model seems to have a matte, semi-full grain finish which would probably accept shoe dye successfully. Any thoughts?
This was exactly what I had in mind when I posted the 2 sebagos above. Sounds like a good plan.
 
#45 ·
...So it's definitely worth checking out offshore models that must have varied from year to year, customer to customer and factory to factory.

Baracuta1965
This has been my experience with late model, off-shore Weejuns. A few years ago I bought some made in Brazil Weejuns ($34 CDN at the Bay) that turned out to be utter crap. About a year ago I purchased a pair made in the DR that I wear regularly and they are holding up very well indeed. Yes the leather is still corrected grain and all that but they were only $59 US at Nordstrom Rack. I can attest that the heel last longer than those of a Cape Cod loafer... Anyway, here they are after I dumbed down the goofy gloss:

and without flash

It's very easy to remove the gloss and and overly dark paint Bass uses with a light squirt of oven cleaner. Afterwards I conditioned the leather and polished with "khaki" coloured shoe cream. A little bit of the dark colour is still visible in the top picture on the strap of the left shoe.

No harm has come to the lowly Weejun from my experimentation with harsh chemicals. Perhaps with time the stitching may protest but I think by that time the soles will be done and a new pair purchased. I like these Weejuns (the "Leavitt" model), a beater shoe that sits by the door without trees or much care at all, ready to go at a moment's notice.
 
#46 ·
Would using acetone seriously destroy the leather? I could see the acetone stripping off the coating with ease, and or turning the leather to mush. Would it dry out the leather?
 
#47 ·
No harm has come to the lowly Weejun from my experimentation with harsh chemicals. Perhaps with time the stitching may protest but I think by that time the soles will be done and a new pair purchased. I like these Weejuns (the "Leavitt" model), a beater shoe that sits by the door without trees or much care at all, ready to go at a moment's notice.
Nice effect DS23pallas (which is a great car too btw). In my long personal experience with shoemakers, there are so many variables that it's easy to pick up a 'friday' pair or a super quality pair. Mostly these choices are down the customer (the stores) who can and do eliminate as much as possible from many products in order to meet price points. For this reason you will huge discrepencies between regular models (like Churchs appalling bookbinder shoes) and export models (which are more likely to made of french calf).

When you add in second hand to the mix as on Ebay it's hard to know the provenance of whatever you are buying so best thing is to go on photos and if you strike out, then you can always sell them again.

Being in based in England though, you do take a hit on the shipping costs!

Clay J: I think acetone is pretty harsh when alcohol works so well if applied with some vigour...

Baracuta1965
 
#48 · (Edited)
Just a short note on my black Sebago Classics: I'm getting annoyed with them, due to (1) a fold in the leather which is rubbing on my one foot, (2) the waxy soles have almost worn away after only a half-dozen long walks, and (3) the overall cheapness of the leather. I will "deconstruct" them this spring and post photos.

I think I will trend away from loafers for a while. Once I have a few more oxfords under my belt, then I'll try again. Almost no stores sell classic loafers in Canada anymore, anyway, except for the odd tassel loafer.

I'm fascinated by the stripping-and-dying technique, though, and am eager to try it eventually. Anything that gives cheap loafers a new lease on life is a good thing.
 
#49 ·
I stopped at my local shoe repair place today, to pick up an old pair of penny loafers in for repair, and I noticed he was selling Fiebings products. Apparently it's pronounced "fee-bings", for trivia fans. Anyway, the company also sells a stripping solution which removes polish and tanning treatments to prepare leather for dyes. So if you guys are trying this with a good pair of shoes, I suggest getting some of that stripping stuff too.
 
#50 ·
It's that "de-glazing" stuff, right? My guy was all out of it when I stopped in and bought the chocolate dye. I really should order some and re-do these shoes from the ground up. I bet they'd look even better stripped down to the natural leather color and then dyed chocolate brown.

I stopped at my local shoe repair place today, to pick up an old pair of penny loafers in for repair, and I noticed he was selling Fiebings products. Apparently it's pronounced "fee-bings", for trivia fans. Anyway, the company also sells a stripping solution which removes polish and tanning treatments to prepare leather for dyes. So if you guys are trying this with a good pair of shoes, I suggest getting some of that stripping stuff too.
 
#51 ·
I took a whack at a hack on a pair of almost new corrected-grain, massively shiny Weejuns the other night. Two applications of rubbing alcohol with cotton balls, then neutral shoe cream.

The dye comes right off on the balls, it's amazing.

I applied, I didn't rub hard. I'm not looking to strip the things down to that pinkish, piebald look I've seen on other experiments. I just wanted to get rid of the plasticky look.

Before: They don't look too shiny here but trust me, they were.



First app of rubbing ETOH:



Second app:



After shoe cream, a swipe with a chamois, and a night to rest; in the cold light of dawn:

 
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