Maintenance: Self Service Shoe Shines

It was said that even when he was the King of Hollywood, Clark Gable would never make appointments for Saturday mornings because that was when he shined his shoes (the pair on the left is from one of Andy Warhol's time capsules). And, other than those of us who employ a valet, that's a habit we should emulate. Dress shoes should be polished roughly every second wearing, which means a man might have three to four pair to shine every week. With practice the job will take ten to fifteen minutes for each pair.

The tools for a weekly shine session are shine brushes and polishing cloths for black and brown, a toothbrush for cleaning around the sole, and polish and edge dressing in appropriate colors. Add a suede brush and a suede eraser for suede shoes. A pair of wall-mounted shoe butlers like the ones used in professional shine stands are useful for holding the shoes in an accessible position during polishing.

Many of these materials are available in kit form or individually from online sources like Joe's Shoe Service.

Polishing
Caring for leather shoes is a multi-step process. First, remove any surface dirt. Clean the joint between the sole and the upper with a wet toothbrush. Then it's time for polish. My friends the shine professionals at San Francisco's A Shine & Co have shown me that the best shines are a combination of both cream and wax, starting with Meltonian cream and finishing with Lincoln wax. The cream softens and lubricates the leather. The wax comes to a higher shine. Avoid liquid polish as it will dry out the uppers and leave them vulnerable to cracking.

Remember that shoes tend to get darker as they age. Use a lighter color polish than the shoes to maintain the color. Use darker polish to add highlights, antiqueing the finish.

And for a how-to on polish technique, see Andy Gilchrist's excellent tutorial on Ask Andy About Clothes.

Suede Shoes
Clean suede shoes by brushing dust out of the joint where the sole meets the upper with a toothbrush and then apply edge dressing to the heel and soles. Remove marks with the suede eraser and finish with a light brushing to restore the nap.

Evening Shoes
Clean patent leather evening shoes after removing the silk bows from pumps and laces from dress oxfords. Scrub out the joint where the sole meets the upper with a toothbrush and apply edge dressing to the heel and soles. Then rub petroleum jelly on the uppers with a cloth, and leave the jelly on for a while so it soaks in. Finally, buff them lightly with a soft clean cloth. The jelly will not only keep them shiny but also prevent the uppers from cracking.

Saturday mornings are for shoes!