When you invest in a good pair of shoes or a fine leather handbag, you want to take precautions to protect them from the elements. I'm showing you how to use a waterproof spray to protect your leather goods and repel dirt and water.
When I splurged on a pair of Starstruck Tieks, I knew I wanted to protect them before I wore them. The Tieks website lists the foil finish as delicate so I wanted to try something to protect the beautiful gold glitter finish from the elements. After a lot of debate and research, I decided against sealing them with a finisher and I went with a waterproof spray for shoes instead.
I'm going to use my Tieks as an example for this post, but you can also use this waterproof spray for leather boots, leather bags, and various leather shoes. I'm planning on trying this spray on a Louis Vuitton handbag soon, so I'll be sure to update as soon as I have results.
Within the Tieks community (specifically the Tieks B/S/T group on Facebook), there has been a lot of talk about how to protect the "struck" Tieks. That means, Lovestruck Tieks, Starstruck Tieks, and Moonstruck Tieks. You can see photos of all of these in my post with side by side comparisons of Tieks shoes. These shoes are created using fine Italian leather that is pressed with a foil, then tumbled to give them a crackled appearance. They are very unique and each pair is a little different since they're handmade.
This pair of Starstruck has just the right amount of Peacocking (or iridescent color shift) and I was afraid I'd lose the brilliance of the finish when I tried to protect them. That's the main reason I decided against using a satin finisher. I wasn't sure how that would hold up over the long haul.
Waterproof Spray for Shoes
Since the finish is on the delicate side, people often want to protect or "seal" them prior to wearing them. At the recommendation of Tracy from Legends Costumes and Leather, I tried a new-to-me product called Collonil Carbon Pro Spray. This waterproof spray is made in Germany and is formulated for designer leather shoes, bags, and pretty much anything else you need to waterproof. It will repel dirt and water from ruining your important items. You can use this spray for any pair of Tieks (except the patent leather Tieks; you don't need to do anything to care for the patent except wipe them with a damp cloth if they get dirty).
I simply laid a napkin over the insole of the shoe and then sprayed the Collonil Carbon Pro waterproof spray according to the packaging. The smell is a bit potent, so be sure to use in a well-ventilated room or outdoors.
As you can see in these before and after waterproof spray photos, there is no discoloration or loss of brilliance. In fact, I think the finish is even more vibrant.
Overall, I'm very happy with the results of using the Carbon Pro Spray. According to Collonil, after the waterproof spray has dried completely you can use other care products if you wish. So, if you wanted to dab another conditioner on, you could for a bit of extra protection (just be careful not to rub or buff the foil finish; be very gentle). It also states that protection should be renewed regularly, so I imagine I'll treat them a few times of year since I have quite a few pairs of Tieks that I rotate.
Here's a video to show how I applied the waterproof spray:
If you're looking for more information about caring for your fine leather shoes, I've got a lot of articles to help! Read about how to stretch leather shoes, how to polish Tieks (with color matches for the polish), how to take care of your Tieks, how to condition with Chamberlains Milk Leather, and how to add moleskin to Tieks and why you might want to prevent a Tieks toe bump.
Donna T says
Hi Ruth, would you recommend this waterproof spray on the Leopard Tieks? I know that they also have a more delicate finish, and I want to make sure to protect it the best that I can. As always your advice and feedback on all things Tieks is greatly appreciated. Thank you
Zenaida Arroyo says
I just ordered the Starstruck because of how beautiful they look here. I also ordered the waterproof spray. Thanks!
Ruth V. says
Awesome! I hope you love them!
Annie says
Hi! I’m glad I found your site. I just bought my first pair
Of classic tiek fuschia is there any special care I need to do?
Should i spray them with carbon pro prior to using them?
Thank you
Ruth V. says
Hi Annie! I don't think you need to use Carbon Pro on the classics. I'd just use the Tarrago polish as needed: https://www.vivaveltoro.com/polish-tieks-leather-ballet-flats/
Hope that helps!
Kate Schipper says
Hi Ruth!
I love your website it is so helpful for taking care of my tieks. I just purchased a pair of the vegan tieks, is there anything I need to do to them to keep them at their best?
Thank you Ruth!!
Ruth V. says
Hi Kate! You could spray them with a waterproofing spray or Scotchgard. Also, I might apply a little fray-check at the back seam by the heel. I've seen some split there in the past.
Samantha says
Hi, I got my first pair (cardinal red) and I'm loving them. A friend of mine wants to sell me her leopard tieks and I'm so tempted to buy them. Can they be conditioned like others and also, what would you suggest for touching up the infamous drivers heel? (I understand they're a little more delicate than some others.) Thank you for your awesome posts, I've learned soooo much!
Ruth V. says
Hi Samantha! The leopards can be polished with the Amber tarrrago polish, but you'd have to send it in for rehab (likely) if the driver's heel is very bad. Tracey at Legend Costumes and Leather (look on Facebook) is an expert with Leopard Tieks.
Kim Wiese says
I just ordered Love Potion. How should I protect them? Thanks!
Ruth V. says
Hi Kim! I usually coat my "Strucks" with this: https://www.vivaveltoro.com/waterproof-spray/
Rachell says
What about drago and ember? Use the spray or something else? Let me know about the liner. I have been adding liners to my shoes. They make them a little smaller. But I don’t want them dark
Ruth V. says
You can definitely spray Drago and Ember too. It won't hurt. Or, you could simply clean and condition them with Apple Care products every once and a while. My favorite insoles are here: https://www.vivaveltoro.com/insoles-for-flats/