Collonil Smoke Waterproofing Shoe Cream 365 – Waterstop Tube 75ml

Description

Collonil Smoke Waterproofing Shoe Cream 365 – Waterstop Tube 75ml – soft grey colour care with rain protection built in

Grey leather is a quiet, useful colour that fades in a very obvious way. Smoke is a soft, warm grey with a hint of brown in it, and as the toes scuff and the welt picks up road dust it drifts either towards a flat, cold slate or towards a dirty beige. Neither looks like the shoe you bought. A smoke waterproofing shoe cream is the honest fix: it puts the soft grey pigment back where the leather has lost it, and it keeps the next shower out.

Waterstop is the cream I hand over most often when somebody asks for one product that does everything. It is the Collonil colour care cream with waterproofing support, made in Germany, and shade 365 is the smoke of the range. Jojoba and almond oil keep the leather supple while the waterproofing element sheds rain and road spray, so you feed the leather and protect it in a single pass.

The 75ml tube has a sponge applicator built into the cap, so you never need to hunt for a cloth or a dauber. Squeeze out about a grain of rice, spread it thin, let it dry and buff. That is the whole job. Waterstop is also approved for high-tech materials and membranes including Gore-Tex and Sympatex, which means you can use it on modern grey trainers and hybrid shoes where a heavy wax would clog the fabric.

Why choose the Collonil Waterstop Smoke 365?

Why Waterstop in smoke is the sensible answer to tired grey leather.

• Care and waterproofing in one. You feed the leather and top up the water repellency in the same pass, which saves you a second product and a second drying time.
• It holds the warm grey. Smoke 365 carries enough pigment to stop a soft grey drifting towards cold slate or dull beige, which is exactly what happens when you polish grey shoes with a neutral cream.
• Jojoba and almond oils. These keep the leather soft and flexible, so the flex creases across the toe stay supple instead of turning into cracks.
• Sponge applicator in the cap. No cloths and no mess. You control exactly how much cream comes out and where it goes, which matters on a pale upper where a blob shows immediately.
• Safe on membranes. Tested for smooth leather with membranes and approved for use with Gore-Tex and Sympatex, so waterproof shoes carry on breathing as they should.

How to use the Collonil Waterstop Smoke 365

Grey shows everything, so clean thoroughly first and keep the layer thin.

1. Brush the shoes clean and dry with a horsehair brush, taking a moment over the welt and the stitching where road dust collects.
2. If the shoes are wet, let them dry at room temperature first, never on a radiator, and stuff them with newspaper or a shoe tree to hold their shape.
3. Clean off any ingrained dirt with a leather cleaner, because a grey cream over grey grime gives you a grubby result.
4. Squeeze a rice-grain of cream onto the sponge applicator and spread a thin, even layer over the leather in small circles.
5. Leave it for around fifteen minutes so the cream dries and the waterproofing element sets.
6. Buff with a clean cloth or a soft brush, and add a second thin coat on the toe and heel if the scuffing still shows through.

My tip from behind the counter

Grey is the one colour where I would always test on the heel first, even with a cream you have used before. Greys vary enormously in how warm or cold they are, and a warm smoke over a cold slate upper reads as brown from a distance. Two minutes on the inside of the heel, judged when dry rather than wet, tells you whether 365 is your grey or whether you want the darker grey in the range. And do the midsole join with a cotton bud, because that seam goes first and a sponge cannot reach into it.

Specifications

• Volume: 75ml tube with sponge applicator in the cap
• Shade: 365 Smoke, listed in the Collonil charts as smokey grey
• Type: Pigmented care cream with waterproofing support
• Contains: Jojoba oil and almond oil with waterproofing agents
• Suitable for: All smooth leather and synthetics, including membranes such as Gore-Tex and Sympatex
• Not suitable for: Suede, nubuck and velour leather
• Dosage: About a grain of rice per shoe
• Drying time: Around 15 minutes before buffing
• Brand: Collonil, Germany, since 1909
• Article code: Col-waterstop-365
• Price: £8.99

Frequently asked questions

Will it cover scuffs on grey leather?

It covers the ordinary sort very well, because it is a pigmented cream rather than a clear conditioner. Clean the leather first, then use two thin coats on the worst areas. A scuff that has gone right through the finish to the raw leather needs a repair cream or a dye underneath, then this cream on top to blend the edges.

Can I use it on grey trainers?

Yes, and it is one of the better options for them, because it is approved for membranes and synthetics as well as leather. Keep it to the leather and coated panels rather than knitted or mesh sections, and use a cotton bud along the midsole seam.

How often should I reapply it?

For shoes in regular wear, every eight to ten wears keeps both the colour and the water repellency topped up. If water has stopped beading on the surface and starts soaking in instead, that is your signal to do it again.

Where can I buy the Collonil Waterstop Smoke 365 in the UK?

You can order the Collonil Waterstop Smoke 365 directly from Shoespecialist.co.uk. We offer free delivery on orders over £50, same-day dispatch when you order before 5pm, and a 60-day return policy.