Fix damaged leather shoes.

How to Fix Leather Scratches on Shoes — Repairing Damaged Air Jordan 1

Want to learn how to repair scratched leather shoes? Who better to learn from than Vick Almighty. In his time as a sneaker customizer and repair wizard, Vick has perfected the art of fixing scratches in leather shoes. 

Take for example the Jordan 1 Phantom shown here. The back leather piece is completely scratched and scuffed after years of wear. When we're all done, you won't be able to tell it was even damaged in the first place. 

Ready? Let's get straight into this how-to guide and teach you how to fix your scratched leather shoes

Step 1. Clean

Before you do anything else, you need to ensure that your leather shoes are clean and free of dirt. This will allow you to properly assess the damage.

We opted to clean the Phantom Air Jordan 1 with the RESHOEVN8R Signature Kit. We gave the shoe a deep clean both inside and out with the Solution and Brushes, and then finalized the cleaning with a pass through the washing machine thanks to our Sneaker Laundry Bag and Laundry Detergent

No better way to clean your leather shoes. 

Our Solution is made of natural oils that condition the leather as you clean your shoes. And thanks to our Patented Laundry System, it's safe to put your leather sneakers in the wash to fully flush them out. 

Signature Kit

Everything you need to clean your Yeezys at home.

Laundry Pods

The secret behind our Patented Laundry System. 

Step 2. Fill & Sand

Now that your shoes are clean it's time to start filling in the scratches. This is the most painstaking and tedious portion of the process. The idea here is to fill in the damaged area with leather filler, sand it smooth, and then repeat until the scratches are no more. 

As seen in the video, this process took Vick about three passes with the filler and sandpaper. We suggest using a natural progression of sandpaper, starting with 400, then moving to 600, and so on until you achieve your desired results. 

Step 3. Paint

You've fixed the scratch, but that was only half of the battle. In order to make your leather shoes look fully factory flawless, you'll need to paint over the damaged area, too. For this we'd suggest that you tape off the other parts of the shoe to avoid getting paint in unwanted areas. 

For best results, use your sandpaper to smooth the surface in-between coats of paint. Aim for at least 3 coats of paint. Once you apply the final coat, finish the process with one last pass of the sandpaper. 

Fin. 

And just like that, you've learned how fix damaged, scratched leather shoes. Want to give this a shot? Make sure you hit us up on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook and share some photos of your shoe restoration journey! 

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