I have a pair of not very old, very high quality boots. They’re old enough that I’m not going to get anywhere on warranty. The polished surface on one boot has just completely flaked off, for some reason. The other is pretty OK (good enough to be seen in, for anything other than a formal occasion). I don’t know why the disparity.
Structurally the boots are absolutely fine. It’s just the surface of one boot that looks totally crappy.
Is it possible to get leather shoes completely re-surfaced with polish, starting from bare leather? I’ve never seen this service advertised, but I can’t see why it wouldn’t be possible given that presumably this is what happens during manufacture.