How to Shine Your Shoes

Do you know how to shine your shoes?  It’s kind of a lost art.  Sure, we see the shoe shine guys at hotels and airports. My dad had a kit that he brought out once a week (usually on Sundays) to make sure his shoes looked excellent for the work week. Now, it can be hard to find shoe polish in a drugstore or department store!  How times have changed. How often do you shine your shoes yourself?  And remember — it’s not just for men!

How to Shine Your Shoes: What You Will Need

• Leather Cleaner  We love Lexol, Meltonian and Saddle Soap
• Wax Polish or Cream
• Polish Applicator
• Edge Treatment
• Buffing Brush and Cloth

How to Shine Your Shoes: Clean Them First

• Remove the laces from shoes, if you have them. You will avoid getting polish on the laces, and you will want to clean and polish the tongue, too.
• Clean loose dust and dirt from the surface of your shoes or boots with a shoe shine brush or damp cloth.
• Use the leather cleaner to remove embedded dirt and scuff marks. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions carefully.

Step Two: Apply Polish

• It doesn’t matter whether you prefer wax or cream polish, as long as it matches the color of the leather you want to polish. If you cannot find and exact match, use a lighter shade. Tan, beige and cream colors will dry darker, and you don’t want to ruin your shoes.
• If you are using a wax polish, use a horsehair applicator brush to apply a conservative amount of polish to the surface of the leather. Use a brush with dark bristles for dark shoes, but more importantly, a brush with light bristles for light shoes. We have several applicators for you to choose from here.
• If using a cream polish, use a terrycloth pad or sponge applicator to apply polish.
• Apply polish sparingly, and brush or rub in circular motion until the leather has a dull coating. Let dry.
• Carefully apply edge treatment with a wool dauber to the edge of the sole and heel. Dab off excess on edges so no residue remains that may stain buff brushes. Let dry.

How to Shine Your Shoes: Buff and Shine

• Use a clean cloth to wipe away excess polish in cracks and bend in the shoes before buffing so as not to get on brushes.
• Buff shoes or boots with a 100% horsehair shoeshine brush. Use black brushes for dark leathers and a light bristle brush on neutral and white leathers only.
• Use a gentle buffing motion to avoid removing polish completely.
• For extra shine, use a shine cloth after brushing to buff shoes to a high sheen. lightly spray polished shoes with water, then buff with the cloth. Be careful not to wrinkle rag as it will remove polish.

This works for men’s shoes as well as women’s leather heels — they need to be shiny and dust-free too.  In between wearings, store your shoes in the bags they often come with to keep dust off and your shine lasting longer, or you can use pillowcases for the same effect.