How to remove some water stains from this Fluevogs vegetable-tanned leather shoes?

I recently bought a pair of vegetable tanned leather shoes and one of the shoes has now developed some water stains, as you can see in the attached photo, in most lights it’s probably not as noticeable as in the photo, but I know the stains are there.

There may be traces of oil in the water - as I am not sure where exactly I picked up the marks.

I understand that vegetable tanned leathers are prone to staining and water marks - what products would you recommend to fix this staining - and do you think it is worth it?

I live in Australia and was also wondering if your products are available here.



http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...athershoes.jpg

Vegetable Tanned Leather:
This is aniline dyed vegetable-tanned leathers.

Vegetable-tanned leathers are prone to staining and water marks:
One reason for prone to staining is these leathers are more “fatliquor thirsty” than the common chrome-tanned leathers. The suppleness of the leather corresponds directly to the fatliquor moisture level. The dryer the leather is, the stiffer the leather gets and forms coarse-breaks or heavy creases. The fuller the moisture level up to 14% when dry to the touch the more supple the leather is, and the leather produces fine- breaks when compressed or flexed-in. When the leather is with fullness of fatliquor (fat, oil and water) it becomes less absorbent, thus not easily stained. The fat content plumps the leather, the oil lubricate the fibers so they slide easily against each other when flex with suppleness and the water contents evaporates leaving behind breathing pores in between the inter-fibrillary spaces for wearing comfort. Thus fatliquor is essentially the lifeblood of leathers; evaporates with heat as VOC (volatile organic compound) and leaches out during excessive water damages that leave the leather stiff. Periodic fatliquor replenishing will prolong the life of these leathers in either situation.

Water Marks:
The pH value of leather is between 3 and 5. Vegetable-tanned leathers are more acidic than the common chrome-tanned leathers. Any liquid that is alkaline or higher than the pH of these leathers will manifest as marks. Alkaline solution browns these leathers and acidic solution lightens them. These leathers sometimes behave just like a litmus paper; and to rectify this phenomenal is to have it rinse over with a pH 3.0 rinse. Penetrated stains would require the work of a pH 3.3 hydrator to hydrate the thickness of the leather to rectify this phenomenon.

Traces of Grease or Oil in the Water:
This is the 3rd steps if the above 2 steps does not produce result. It will require the work of a pH 2.2 degreaser to emulsify the oil or grease follows with rinse.

Liquid stain prevention is 2 folds:
From the leather structure is with Fatliquor-5.0 and from the surface is with Protection-D+. Remember that absorbency equals breathability that translates to wearing comfort.

Kit V3 is the recommended care kit for vegetable–tanned leathers and the dye is using Aniline Dye-21 (rubine) with gloss Topcoat-79G for refinishing.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn4/Rogerkoh/V3.jpg
Leather Doctor® Kit V3 : Vachetta Leather Care Kit

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...neSystem12.jpg
Aniline Leather Dyeing System (12):

Dye:
Rubine &

Topcoat:
Gloss.

Roger Koh
[email protected]


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