Jeffery West Men's Polished Leather Shoes, Black

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Great instructional on getting that mirror shine. Maybe you should amend it with a more thorough walk-through of how to remove shoe polish properly. The best shoe brushes have horsehair bristles. While they may be a touch more expensive than brushes with synthetic bristles, the quality difference is notable and will more than pay for itself over time. Step 3. Condition Shining shoes isn’t just a way to make yourself look better. It’s an opportunity to have a few precious moments to yourself. What Next?

To get it deeply into the leather, I apply it with my two fingers that are wrapped by a cotton t-shirt that I cut up. I also use this same method to apply the polish but use a different t-shirt to do so, as to not mix the products together. After applying the conditioner, it is best to let the shoe dry for 10-20 minutes. And you will notice that in-between each stage there needs to be this dry time period so as to not over-soak the leather and allow for the products to truly set into the leather. Be sure to use a cream color that closely resembles the color of your shoes. If your shoes are an unorthodox color, opt for a neutral shoe cream. Now is the time to apply shoe polish. You can use a small applicator brush with horsehair bristles, but any dry, soft cloth will work perfectly well. In fact, our preference is for the soft cotton cloth because you have more control over the amount of product you use. Look at the pictures to see. Again, I dab my finger into the water, then dab my two polishing fingers into the wax, apply the drops of water onto the leather, then rub away the water with the polish in circular motions. Repeat and do for 1-2 hours throughout the entire shoe. This is the only way of really explaining it. The only thing to look out for is to make sure that you do not apply too much water and thus over-soak the leather or leave a water stain. If you do so you will have to let the shoe sit and dry for a while before starting again. A way to know when you are close is to feel the leather and how it will get smoother and smoother after each layer. And when you feel like you are nearly there, I always recommend letting the shoe dry overnight before applying the final layer of wax’n’water.Kiwi: Kiwi can be found in any drugstore and is a perfectly acceptable budget option. Their shoe shine kit we’ve linked to will get beginners off to a great start.

The final stage is the hardest and in reality, will be what you will have to learn on your own, just by continuously practicing. That being, I will still try and walk you through it. As you have already applied several layers of polish onto the shoe, you have a nice coat on by now which will allow you to directly add water to the mix, as in the old spit’n’shine. The way that I do this is to again affix the t-shirt to my hand, and then lightly dab my wedding finger (or equivalent on my right hand) into the tin of water to get a drop of it on the tip to then apply to the leather before polishing over.After the cream has dried, take either a large horsehair brush or a dry, soft cloth and buff the shoes. Apply gentle pressure and use the same motion that you did in step two. There are lots of shoe care products on the market, and most men lump everything under the “shoe polish” umbrella. There are two main types of product that add color and cover scuffs to shoes: shoe cream and shoe wax, also known as carnauba wax. To learn more about caring for your shoes visit one of our comprehensive guides on men’s shoe care below: Allen Edmonds: We’re big fans of Allen Edmonds in general, and their shoe polish is another great product. A bit more expensive than Kiwi or Meltonian, it comes in a convenient squeeze bottle that helps to minimize mess.

We find that it’s best practice to remove laces where applicable and to keep your shoe trees in. Step 2. Brush You can use both cream and wax when polishing shoes. Start with the cream and buff it, then apply wax to the toe and heel of the shoe, buffing again once dry. Best Brands & Where To BuyBefore applying any actual polish, you’ll want to brush your shoes. This removes surface dirt and other schmutz, and it’s particularly important to get into the welt of the shoe, right where the upper meets the sole. Stuff gets caught in there like you wouldn’t believe, and there’s no better time than now to remove it.