Dandy Shoe Care is best known to the guys at styleforum as an artisan in the field of shoe shining and leather care but to shoehorn (pun intended) Alexander Nurulaeff, founder of  Dandy Shoe Care as mere shoe polisher is to besmirch his reputation as a specialist in the field of artisan coloring of footwear. 

Dandy Shoe Care births Alexander the Great

One can understand a lot by looking at a man’s shoes;  It is not enough that they are beautiful, because it is the care for them that reveals one’s true nature. – Alexander Nurulaeff, Artisan Founder of Dandy Shoe Care

Nurulaeff began his career as a painter and after years spent studying materials and the meticulous technique of artistic coloring and leather treatment, Nurulaeff began to practice the highly sought after the Patina technique previously found in high end brands like Berluti.

Typically, as a pair of shoes age with use, specific ‘high-wear’ areas darken and change as they absorb oils, moisture from rain damage and periodical shoe care products. The areas with the most patina tends to occur around the toe box and sides of the vamp. “Shoe antiquing” or Patination is the process by which this process is artificially applied through leather pigments, application of different shades of polish and then repeated buffing and flexing. Eventually, the cellular structure of the leather itself changes much as a regular pair of shoes would from wear, as a result, the shoe areas with more wear absorb more oils from polish and conditions causing the “antiquing” to occur.

Dandy Shoe Care offers this service of Patination or antiquing along with other custom treatments to make not just shoes but also leather bags and accessories all the more unique and exclusive. Seen here is the “Alexander the Great” new Patina developed by Dandy Shoe Care for a lucky collector from Canada. Nurulaeff  takes a well-made pair of Goodyear welted Meermin Mallorca oxfords and turns them into a true work of art and a unique masterpiece. Get your shoes treated by Dandy Shoe Care here.