shoe-shine Having impeccably shined leather shoes is essential not only if you want to be taken seriously by others, but it is also a sign of self-respect.

Shining your shoes can be done impeccably if you are following a few pointers. On top of that, knowing some special tricks will take your shine to a new level.

Here are some tips you will find useful the next time you are polishing your leather (not suede) shoes:

Wax vs. cream

Shoe polishes fall into two big categories: wax and cream. You can use these interchangeably or together (cream goes first, then wax). If you need help to decide, remember that wax polish protects your shoes more and can be smoothened to a high gloss. On the other hand, cream polish cleans and conditions the shoe and doesn’t offer a very high degree of shine.

Getting the color

leather-shoes-black When you are shining your shoes, it is wise to have separate brushes and cloths for brown and black polishes (or any other color) and not to interchange or mix them. As a quick tip, when you are shining your shoes, make sure you pay closer attention to areas where the color has been worn away. Also, try to always find a shade of cream as close as possible to your shoes.

If you can’t find the exact shade

Often times, you won’t find a polishing cream that has the exact same shade as your shoes. If you find yourself in this situation, always go for a lighter shade, not darker. A darker shade will change the color of your shoes.

Dying your shoes

Sometimes, no matter how much you polish a pair of shoes, some areas, which have completely lost their color, won’t look good. In these instances, a good idea might be to have your shoes professionally dyed. This way, they will look like new!

Go for the details

To have shoes that look like no other, you always need to pay close attention to the details. If your shoes have leather soles, we recommend using a little polish around the edge in order to darken them up.

Also, leather soles can be protected by rubbing mink oil or shoe grease on their surface.

Less is more

You should polish your shoes only if it’s necessary. Old polish can build up over a larger time frame and crack. Also, never use too much polish – a thin layer should do the job well.

Additional information

As you probably know, some polishing products, especially wax, can be quite messy when you use them. Therefore, it is always advised to do the whole process on old newspapers or on another area that protects your permanent ones.

Also, be reminded that some leathers are made to be conditioned only with shoe grease or mink oil and not polished (like Doc Marten shoes). Make sure you know exactly how your shoes should be cleaned. Otherwise, you risk destroying them.

Last, but not least, for a good maintenance of your shoes, always make sure you use shoe trees when you are not wearing your leather shoes.

Now it’s time to go ahead and polish your shoes like an expert. Sometimes, one needs to practice more in order to obtain that great shine, but, as they old saying goes, “practice makes perfect”, so don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t work from the first try and always reach for the gold.

Fraquoh and Franchomme