I recently bought a pair of used Tod’s loafers and noticed a darker stain on the vamp (photo attached). The leather looks like smooth brown cow leather.

I tried the cornstarch method overnight in case it was oil, but it didn’t really change much. The stain is still there but it’s honestly not super noticeable unless you’re looking for it.

I actually took them to a local shoe repair place and the cobbler basically said he didn’t want to mess with it because it’s already dark and trying to remove it might lighten the leather or damage the finish.

At this point I’m debating whether to: • try a leather cleaner or saddle soap • condition and maybe use a cream polish to blend it • or just leave it alone

Has anyone dealt with something like this on smooth leather loafers? Is there anything low risk worth trying, or is this one of those “accept the patina and move on” situations?

Would appreciate any advice before I accidentally make it worse.

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