Shoes should be polished and conditioned weekly, or at least a couple times each month. For men that wear a pair only once or twice a month, that means after every wearing.
Polishing shoes is a relatively mindless task that takes about fifteen minutes for a pair. And since each pair should be resting for about half the time it takes to do the polishing, it is more effective to do two pair at a time instead of one. That means something more than an hour for a week's shoes. Clark Gable, the former king of Hollywood, used to shine his on Saturday mornings.
Home polishing should begin with a good brushing followed by an application of a conditioner like Saphir Renovateur, part of what is probably the best line of shoe care products in the world (that's a can of Saphir wax on the workbench of Dimitri Gomez, the great Parisian bespoke cordwainer, in the photo). Let those shoes sit for a couple minutes while you condition the other pair and then brush them both briskly once again.
Post conditioning, apply the appropriate color cream to the shoes. It is not necessary that the colors are an exact match. Creams (and waxes) that are darker than the shoe will over time create an antique effect while lighter colors will preserve the original finish. But one coat of a reasonably similar color rarely makes a visible difference.
Apply cream to your alternate pair for a couple of minutes while the layer on the first pair hazes over. Then, return to the first pair with your horsehair brush and brush along the sides and across the top of each shoe. Once you have brushed, apply another coat of cream and again allow it to haze over while you brush the other shoes.
Now apply a coat of wax polish (this is the stuff that imparts the shine), and do the same to the alternate pair while the first sits. Then brush again.
Finally, apply one more coat of conditioner and allow each pair to dry while you brush the other. Buff each with a cloth and you have conditioned and polished two pairs of shoes.
Look for Saphir shoe care products at the ASW store whenever the steamship finally arrives.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Polish Two Pair at a Time
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15 comments:
Great post Will.
Polishing cream and wax? Just curious, please advise.
Are you asking what I use? Saphir.
Sorry... asking if you (after conditioning) use a polishing cream and a polishing wax. Thanks Will.
I must be losing all ability to write coherently. :-)
Conditioner, then cream, then wax then conditioner per the post.
My father used to sit on the side of his bed for the once a week polishing. My husband lines them up in front of his chair and polishes while watching TV. I'd have a bench like the bespoke craftsman if I were a man. Where do you polish your shoes, Will?
When I polish my shoes, I do it outside on a sheltered deck. But most of the time I am in the city and there I sit in a high chair while someone does it for me.
You're a martyr for your art Will. I'm sure I've not as many shoes as you (about 30 pairs of dress shoes) and I have a thing about them always looking good but your cleaning regime sounds a bit arduous to me particularly since I find Pareto (however hard I try) applies to shoe wearing as it does to most human activity.
I find that it takes me hardly any longer to polish two pair of shoes the right way than it does one pair. My preferred mode is conditioner, cream, wax, then sole dressing.
Having said that--a few years ago, I discovered Tarrago self-shining leather cream (which comes in a self-applicator jar), with which I travel. I also sometimes use it at home. It nurtures, protects--and gives something of shine--literally without needing buffing. A soft cloth or other soft buffer increases the shine.
I do polish my shoes regularly, but use a cream polish rather than a wax. I thought using a wax would keep the conditioning aspects of the cream from absorbing into the leather the next time I polished. Sounds like this may not be the case, maybe I'll try a wax.
"I've shined a lot of shoes (and boots) and have grown to hate the "spit shine" look for civilian shoes. I've also grown weary of paying $5 in the city to someone who slathers mysterious crap from a plastic bottle on my shoes. A simple brush shine with a wax polish (cream on cordovan) suits me. It takes very little time and there's something very nostalgic about a can of Lincolm or Kiwi.
"and have grown to hate the "spit shine" look for civilian shoes."
....I don't know tintin. In the late sixties I used to work for a guy who was a retired brigadier general in the British army. Monocle, regimental tie, tweeds, the lot. He used to wear brown brogues (wingtips and captoes) that looked as if they were made in the year Edward VIII abdicated and numerous batman had been polishing them ever since. None of my shoes look quite as good but I have a few 25+ pairs that come close......if achieved it's a knockout look.
Will: Can you please explain the benefits of applying cream (and two coats at that!) before the polish? I currently use renovateur followed by a coat of clear Saphir polish. (And while we're at it, why a final coat of conditioner?)
Why a final coat of conditioner? Whenever i use the conditioner in the beginning, it takes some of the polish off from earlier application. Wouldn't it do the same if applied again at the end?
I second the last two questions.
Why two coats of cream before the wax? I thought most people used cream OR wax.
Also, as Omar said, doesn't conditioner (renovator) partly remove polish? Why do it again at the end?
Cream helps moisturize and two coats adds to the protection of the leather. Wax provides a higher gloss. I no longer use a final coat of Reno but it was recommended by the maker.
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