Wanted to dye a brand new pair of black Nappa leather dancing shoes to white/cream and after several applications IVORY proved to be a lovely creamy off white colour. Leather Hero provided heaps of info on the website which I carefully perused before ordering. I also tested the colour and a few other sample colour pots on an old pair of shoes. Started with a coat of primer. I tried a number of application methods, from paintbrush to cotton swabs, cotton pads and cotton fabric. I suspect that spraying the shoes with a very small airbrush would be the best way to achieve an even finish, but didn’t have one. (Maybe Leather Hero could find a suitable one to add to their merch). It took around 10 days Drying time between coats) and 10 layers using these methods to achieve acceptable (though not perfectly even) coverage. Fortunately I had purchased a 100 mil bottle. Then came the test - dancing in the white shoes. Surprisingly, they performed ok, except where the feet rubbed together. The black scuff marks are actually the original leather colour showing through. Anyroad, that can be repaired and I will allow them more time to cure before subjecting them to such hard wear and tear in future. Having learnt from my first experience with the product, I am confident that my next try will be perfect! Thankyou LH! I did plan to add photos to this review, but couldn't upload them.
In planning to dye a brand new pair of leather dancing shoes from Black to White, the sample pots provided a means of testing on an old pair of shoes to see which shade was preferred, an indication of how many coats might be required and opportunities to experiment with different application methods. It came with a white leather sample as well which is helpful. Delivery was fast.
Very pleased with this product. Our 20yr Dark Chocolate Leather lounge come like new after a wash down, we applied x3 coats of the colour cream and then after they were dry the day after we applied the leather top coat conditioner #7.
Easy to use, works well, you don’t need much product for it to work so very cost effective for odd jobs.
Gule is just PVA glue and not fast curing. Not suitable for curved parts where materials has pressures.
Not very strong either, it came apart/peeled with slight pressure. Not suitable for parts you are going to sit on/has regular movement.
Hi Edward,
Thank you for your comments. We'd like to clarify that our glue is not just a PVA. It is an EVA with special ingredients that give it high bonding strength together with the softness and flexibility required for lots of leather repairs.
Here are some tips that may improve the results you are seeing:
1) Be sure that the surfaces you are joining are correctly prepped with Spot & Prep (No.4). It strips soiling as well as invisible factors that can impede adhesion.
2) Sand to etch the surfaces. If you've already sanded, go back in with a more coarse sandpaper this time. Scuff the surface to increase the surface area which should give the glue more traction.
3) Apply once, wait till it becomes tacky then apply another coat. Wait till is starts to go tacky then join the surfaces.
4) Allow more drying time. The more glue used, the longer the curing time. As you are working on a curved area, give it a week or two to cure (expell all moisture) or use a hair dryer to force cure it.
5) If possible, insert some achoring stitches. Load bearing repairs often benefit from the addtional support of stitching. Check out our video '3 Hole Repairs' for an example.
These strategies usually give good results on leather. If the material you are working on is vinyl or very dry/brittle auto leather, good results may be difficult to achieve.
I’ve been having difficulty getting leather to stick and have tried a number of different glues, but yours has been by far the best. Thanks!
I bought some sample pots to try to cover up the bald spots on my favourite old shoes. Painted on pony hair leather. Leather paints were easy to blend and clean up afterwards. Not the best paint job by me (hard to replicate a furry look on bald leather!), but good enough. very happy, thanks.
Had a 24 y/o steering wheel with small wear hole in leather. After filling hole used restoration kit and wheel came up beautifully. Best part no real skills required.
Amazing quality products that actually work. My first time using these products and I will not be using anything else, they really have exceeded my expectations.
My husband spilt sambuca on his Blundstones and I was convinced it wouldn’t come out. I bought this cleaner with the hopes that maybe I could lighten the stain a little. To my surprise the stain is completely GONE! I was shocked, I wish I had taken before and after photos! Very impressive and I am recommending the product to everyone!
This was so easy. My toddlers had trashed my beautiful mid century style couches. There were so many stains and they had also faded from the sun. This product helped to blend in the stains and give everything an even colour. I used the colour bark. It was perfect. I had even left one chair out in the weather for over 6 months and after I used this on the pieces indoors I also decided to do that one! It has turned out incredible. I would recommend this to anyone I met. Thanks for a fabulous product!
I really enjoyed the process of learning to repair a gaping hole and general wear and tear. Everything went really well and I was super pleased with the outcome until I used the top satin top coat. I found it hard to apply evenly, even after adding 10%paint. The paint result was a perfect match to the original and looked fantastic , but now with the top coat it is dull, a bit streaky and almost grippy. I feel disappointed, I presumed the provided satin top coat in the kit would match the painted finish. I would love some help to rectify it if I can so I can be confident to use leather hero again. On a whole I really liked the product.
Thanks in advance
Hi Juanita,
Thank you for sharing your experience and your questions. We have sent you an email with advice for your job.
Really happy I found Leather Hero. I have recently discovered an interest in quality leather good and after purchasing a second hand item that came in worse condition than advertised, I had all but given up (white leather, you see). It came up beautifully, and I've now used the products to protect all my leather goods, even just the protect spray makes the leather look better.
This product gives good results ;provided the instructions are followed exactly, and the process is not rushed. Great care should be taken when sanding damaged surfaces, otherwise additional damage may be caused.
Got the Leather Hero Repair Kit as it was better value than some of the other advertised.
Kit came with a instructions to get the instructions on the website. From there I learned I needed to have a scrubbing brush (had one already which was fine), fine grain sand paper and applicators - either paint brush or sponge applicator - it was a bit vague at that point.
I think the instructions on the web are fine if you know what you're doing. I didn't. It took me a couple of goes of trial and error and in the end I needed my car for the weekend so I ended up rushing the last attempt.
To my surprise, the steering wheel came out looking much better than I thought it was going to. I'm a bit pedantic so I want to go back and give it another go at some point in the future to address some very minor blemishes that I didn't get quite right. But the main points I was trying to fix were definitely addressed.
So 5 stars for the product itself. But if it's your first go, I'd suggest reaching out to someone with a bit of experience to get a bit of detail on how to do the job right the first time rather than just relying on the online instructions.
PS - I have a before and after photo but couldn't upload them for some reason
Worked very well on a white leather jacket that had gotten wet and colour transfer occurred. I used it twice on same spot. Black marks are almost completely gone and unnoticeable. Amazing product!
A large patch of discolouration ruined an otherwise expensive and rather classy sofa.
I wasn't expecting much to be honest but thought worth a try.
A superb result. You'd have to look very carefully indeed to see it.
A very good product.
Thanks
John
I used this product to bring to life a very pale pink pair of flat shoes.
I followed the very clear instructions and each step was easy to apply…. So pleased with the results.