My father was career Army and took immaculate care of his low quarters and jump boots. He of course had a shoe shine kit. There were two things in our household that were absolutely forbidden to mess with and that was my father's boots/low quarters and his uniform. I remember him having his shoe shine kit from back in the early 1960's. When he passed away I was given his show shine kit. Kept it for years before finally breaking down and buying my own this year. Wish I would have run across this video before I bought my current show shine kit.
Wow, I haven't seen a tin of wax since my dad used them. I'm 55 now, and he's been gone several years. You've brought back some cherished memories from Sunday mornings watching my daddy get ready for church. Thank you.
Agreed...shoe trees are SUPER important! We have another video coming for that one. The focus on this video was over the products to have in a "basic" shoe shine kit. I think the title could have been a little better.
Definitely agree! I cannot begin to tell you just how many men and women come into our shop daily with the worst looking shoes. I don’t think they’ve ever done anything but wear them. Thanks for watching and commenting!
I would add: 1) saphire black cream on a tube. 2) saphire brown cream on a tube 3) extra shoe laces in your bag 4) long shoehorn 5) extra innersole soft. 6) extra innersole warm in thick wool.
New to your channel. I never learned the proper way to shine my shoes after all these years and I just turned 50 years old. I've picked and choose shoe polishes and brushes at stores but never really looked for the best. Thanks for the education.
I used to shine shoes as a kid in the late 70's for a hustle at the corner gas station . My Father taught me and always stressed the importance of wearing a nicely shined pair of shoes. Then later I went to the military. Shined my shoes just about every night. Now I do it for a piece of Mind. This is a excellent video. And the quality of products does make the difference. Shoe trees are a must!
I got a basic kit from a yard sale and I added some stuff (and junked most of the stuff since it was old and hardened Except for the old school Kiwi tins) I have a pair of Georgia Boot Loggers I use for work washing cars at a local Toyota dealership. They see LOTS of moisture from the water and I wear them in winter so they get a lot of moisture And then a lot of arid air so that leather gets dry pretty fast IMO. I have Obenhaufs Leather Oil and then some of their Heavy Duty Leather Protector cream I apply every six weeks and use the oil every three months. I’m gonna do a deep clean on them before I put them in storage for the summer months. My mom says I’m a bit obsessive over them. Well you would be too if you spent $150 on boots you’re only using half a year. But Obenhaufs is fantastic stuff for the money. Originally developed for wild land firefighters it offers great protection from the elements for your leather. No I’m not sponsored by them I’m just spreading the word.
I just bought a kit from eBay and it comes with 2 brushes, 2 waxes (panther black and brown). I’m not sure if this is a vintage product. Because find it anywhere on American sites, I think somewhere in Africa lol. So I will keep the brushes, and just ordered the black saphir Pate De Lux. Do you think the panther would work? It didn’t come yet.
Really surprised that shoe cream was the top priority for first item to purchase. Always thought shoe conditioner would be first and shoe cream is just an accessory buy.Thanks for sharing
Great video! Just received the Saphir black cream from you a few days ago and love it! Applied it to my two black shoes and all of my shoes with darker sole edges... and the results were great! Saphir is very easy to work with and contains a lot of pigment. My shoes look great! I’ll be ordering a few more creams soon for the rest of my collection. Thank you for the advice!
Great video!!! I think that you can actually make it with just one brush of you remove excess cream with cloth prior to buffing. Cant agree more on the importance of creams vs waxes not sure if you also mention that wax is also necessary to protect welts (for gy, storm and/or Norwegian). Thanks for sharing !!!!
Great video I wish I would have seen it prior to building my shoe shine kit. I started out with 2 large brushes then Saphir creams Black and light Brown creams to go with my shoes. Then I got the round brush's and Saphir neutral cream because I didn't know what color to get to match my brown shoes. I put all of my shoe supplies in a Container Store plastic see through container, I use a old t-shirt to apply creams to my shoes or use my fingers.
Honestly, I didn‘t know, that there are cremes, conditioners, wax before a couple of days. I just used a creme from the manufacturer of my shoes (Ludwig Reiter, an austrian company), take care that the shoes are in a stretcher when I don‘t wear them and put newspaper in the shoes in case they get wet. I have a pair for app. 5 years, until I don‘t pay for another resole. After all, it is great to treat myself with a pair of new shoes once in a while. But your videos are very good and I enjoy watching them.
My dad used to be those kids in the 1940's shining shoes on the streets of Manila for money. Well, he migrated to the U.S.A. and worked for Boeing. Because of that he's been able to buy all the nice things he ever wanted including nice Italian shoes. He had a full kit of shoe care products which he taught me as child how to properly use. He did actually labeled his brushes by color.
I think that the shoe conditioner should be bought before the cream(if you can't afford to buy all the products at the same time; and if your shoes are new). Yeah, the cream gives the colour back, but how much of the colour will fade in the first 2-3 months of wearing, even if you have just 2 pair of shoes and change them every day? P.S.: I really enjoy your videos. This is just my personal opinion and observation.
Thanks for your comment! We agree that conditioner is great...and very important for your shoes, but the reason we rank a GOOD shoe cream as #1 is because it handles all 3 (conditions, re-colors, and shines). A good shoe cream, such as those by Saphir and other higher-end brands, contain a lot of conditioners/natural oils in them that will keep your shoes soft and supple, while also covering up any scuffs/discoloration to your shoes from wear, and will provide a decent shine (Saphir MDO creams also contain some natural waxes). You won't get all of these benefits from just a conditioner. Again, this is just our opinion, and why we still recommend conditioner as a top 2 product to get. On a side note, we're glad you're enjoying the videos! We really enjoy hearing opinions and suggestions from all of you. Thanks again!!
Can y'all do a video for women's boots? I find that my boots all kind of ride the line between rugged and fashion. Some have heels, so you can't use shoe trees, I've tried to polish them over the years but frequently they have a fancy finish so polishing them will remove that... I never know which of the "guidelines" for mens' shoes that would apply and which ones would be too harsh for women's boots!
Great video. A shoe cleaner is essential though. The younger guys at work who ask me why their shoes don’t respond well to polish, I find they polish right over dust, dirt, and grime. Especially true for any guys who have gone 6 months or more of doing nothing.
Sorry to be off topic but does anyone know a way to log back into an Instagram account?? I stupidly lost the account password. I appreciate any help you can offer me.
@Ameer Finnegan i really appreciate your reply. I found the site on google and I'm trying it out now. Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
@Ameer Finnegan WTF IT REALLY WORKED :O I just got access to my ig login within roughly 40 minutes of using the site. Just had to pay 15 $ but for sure worth the money :) Thanks so much, you saved my ass!
Great information. I just started getting good quality shoes -- got a pair of Allen Edmond loafers off eBay that were almost brand new for $100 and a pair of Becket Simonon on the way -- so this is very helpful. I had never heard of shoe creams before, just grew up using waxes. Could you maybe do a video (of point us in the direction of one) covering different qualities of cream brands? I know that Saphir gets recommended a lot but what about less expensive choices? As I said, I'm just getting into this but I'm on a limited budget. Thanks again for the information and keep up the great work!
Thanks...glad you enjoyed it! It really depends upon how often you wear them. If you wear them several times a week, I'd recommend conditioning them 1-2 times a month. You can always apply it more...as conditioning them often is not a bad thing. Unless your shoes are 'caked' in wax, you're okay to apply it with wax on them. If your shoes have a lot of wax build up on them, we would recommend stripping off the old wax buildup first. Again, the only place we would even recommend putting more than 1 coat of wax is just the toes and heel counter area. Hope that helps.
I have neuropathy and walk in a way that scrapes the toe and tip of my shoes and I basically wear the back of the heal block off. Can you do a video on shoe protection for over pronation and foot drop?
For construction boots, do you recommend shoe creme over mink oil? Clean with saddle soap and condition with mink oil has been my monthly routine on my Timberlands.
I really enjoyed this video as it has been something that I have tried to figure out myself. My current kit has these (even if not Saphir and a proper box) it was still good to know that I am on the right track.
Hey, what do you recommend for occasionally worn shoes, like the dress shoes languishing in my closet for extended periods of time, to keep them in reasonable condition until the next time I have a more dressy occasion? (I'm much more a jeans and t-shirt guy rather than a slacks and collars type person) Should I leave them in the box, or out? I'll assume shoe trees may be in the recommendations, but I'm clueless about them altogether. So, maybe related to the question at-hand or a tangent, is there a "how, when, and why" guide for shoe trees? I'm sorry for such odd questions; I never had nice things growing up, but I'd like to change that now.
Hi, thanks for great informative videos! Can I use renovateur for leather products other than shoes? Or should I prefer using lotion for wallets and similar items? Is there any criteria I should consider to pick lotion over renovateur?
Man, I might start shining all the shoes in the house on a regular basis again. Love the box with the seperate levels. Otherwise have the rest already ( Saphir & Burgol). Keep on shinning 😃👍👞
2 brushes, 1 soft toothbrush, tee shirt rag, Tins, creams, & conditioners all kept in an unused sneaker shoe box lol. I have cedar shoe trees and hangars in closet making a nice cedar shine box completely unnecessary for home use (but still on the nice to have list). I do need a suede eraser and brush. 👍
Haha...totally agree! That's why we started the video by saying that we don't care whether you use a plastic bag or a cedar shine box, just have shoe shine supplies. We cannot even begin to count the number of guys that come into our shop weekly that have never even shined a pair of shoes. On a side note, a nice shoe shine box is nice for the long haul AND as a hand-me-down. My granddad gave me his old shoe box from the '50s, and I still have it. Heath and I built our dad a wooden one 30 years ago, and he still uses it.
@@TrentonHeath did you say don't know how to shine shoes! From being about 3 to 4yrs my brothers and I had to make sure our shoes were cleaned every Saturday, put away for school. We were brought up really well. Don't these fellas know that women look at their shoes lol, they are defo single. Thanks for the info Trentham & Heath😊 Manchester, England
Pamela Smith You’d be surprised at just how many guys no longer shine their shoes. One of the reasons we started this channel was to encourage guys to care about their shoes and maintaining them. Great name, by the way! Pamela is our mothers name. 😉 Oh, and we’re long time Man United fans.
Hi, I'm trying to get that shoe-shine but one part of the leather does keep shineless, no matter what I try. Is it better to ad water or to ad more wax? Thanks and it is a great youtube channel you make! Ch.
Hi bud I have a query. I just got my self a pair of Cole Han dress shoes. Haven’t worn them yet. Also got a shoe tree for it. My query is do I store my shoes always with a shoe tree? Or only after I wear them ? Thanks for the help. I love your channel BTW
You should put the trees into the shoes after wearing. However, I always keep them in the shoes regardless of whether they're worn or not. Won't harm the shoes.
I just ordered a kit from eBay and it has a Dopp kit with 2 brushes a light and dark one, 2 PANTHER polish’s a black & brown, but as I was doing research I never heard of that brand lol so I’m a little bit hesitant on using it. So I went ahead and bought the saphir Pate De Lux just in case. Have you ever heard of panther?
There's a cobbler at the Grand Central Station in Manhattan, who's been there for years. Looks like he'll be going out of business since so many of his clients are working from home. and corporate culture these days tends towards "casual" dress, sneakers and no suits. So there are few customers these days. For whatever he does, he has to charge more than previously, to make up for the loss of business.
Hey guys. Love your channel! I was wondering what some cheaper online shoe cleaner brands that you would recommend? It's quite expensive to buy a full set from Saphir. Also can I apply shoe cream to nubuck and suede or only "normal leather"?
A good, fairly inexpensive brand is Bick (Bickmore). You can find a large bottle (8oz, usually) of their leather cleaner for under $10. Their leather conditioner is also excellent, and comes in at around the same price. I have found both products work very well, and last a long time (especially for the price). Cream/conditioner are not good on suede/nunbuck. Bickmore does make some suede/nunbuck cleaner and waterproofing spray, though.
Great videos you have and best inf for the shoes, one question, you clean, put crean and shine with wax, how often you DO this process in one year, thanks
Great video - nicely done. Question about the brushes. I have a brush for black and one for brown. I also have a pair of dark red shoes - I use the Saphir Hermes #12 cream - I currently have a separate brush but is it alright to use the brown brush in a pinch?
Bryan Harris from my experience, it is generally okay to use a brown brush in a pinch but you will eventually notice some slight color buildup on your shoes if you use one brush for multiple colors. How quickly and how much depends on how good your shoe leather is (better leather absorbs more) and the polish you use. I would recommend, if you don’t want to collect several brushes, to get yourself some neutral shoe polish
Hi Bryan! We definitely agree with Talha. It's okay to use the brown brush in a pinch, but it's probably best to use a separate brush for the red, as the Saphir pigments are very strong and can build up quickly on a brush, thus easily transferring to other shoes. I think it's best to continue using the separate brush you have for the red, but yes, in a pinch it's okay to use the brown brush.
So informative! What about patent leather though? I wear a uniform everyday in my line of work, and would like to know the best way to take care of, and clean patent leather. Also, in the process of caring for patent leather, how to possibly prevent the cracking of patent leather at the 'walking crease' lines.
Thanks for the question! For patent leather, we recommend a patent leather cleaner. It's what we use in our shop, and it cleans/conditions well. As far as the 'walking crease', just make sure you're using cedar shoe trees that fit your shoes well. It will help out with the creasing.
Uniform shoes typically don't incorporate high end patent leather if there is such a thing. A lint free cloth, glass cleaner or vinegar w/ distilled water will do the trick in a pinch. All patent leather will crack and once they're scuffed they're done. I found it more convenient in the long term just to put a spit shine on a leather uniform shoes which takes much much longer to crack and scuffs buff out very easily.
Hello, I am 24 years old and I just bought my first pair of leather shoes. Can you tell me how many times a month do I need to apply the cream, the lotion, and the wax to the shoes?
There is white stitching through the soft, pebble-like black leather of my new Allen Edmonds Normandy boots (three stitches parallel, across the cap, around the heel, etc.). I will use neutral polish over the white stitches, then tape them over before using black (Saphir Medaille D’Or) polish everywhere else. I haven’t bought the neutral polish yet, so am waiting to apply the black. Can I start now by using a little Renovateur everywhere, even over the stitching? Also, what color Pate De Luxe wax should I use right off the bat, and ongoing?
You know what, I love my LARGE Potter and Sons horsehair brush!!!!.... but, why don't you guys carry a black handle one for the black shoe polish!??!🤔 ALSO, when will you get these cedar boxes back in stock?!?!!? I have been looking for one, and the only I kind of like is the Allen Edmonds box, but a cedar box would be pretty cool, if you ever get them back in stock
Great videos. I am so glad this channel exist... very informative. Thank you. Quick Q: I have 3 pairs of shoes that I wear in rotation 2-3 a week. What is the best practice to maintain them. Shoe shinning every time after I wear them.? ... one a week (every Sunday)?... or once a month.? Do I also, use Saphir Renovator every time when I Shoe shine my shoes? Great job and thank you so much.
Goran Ilic Thank you! We appreciate you watching. Awesome job rotating your shoes! Unless you get scuffs or something on your shoes, I think once a month is generally sufficient to keep them looking nice. No, you don’t have to use Renovateur each time. Many times, I’ll just throw some shoe cream on mine to give it a quick touch up.
Is mink oil replacing your conditioner/lotion in this process? would you recommend also finding a shoe wax afterwards? and is saddle soap a predecessor to the mink oil for cleaning? i have a new pair of wolverine blvd. boots and i really want to take care of them. thanks for your videos! hopefully this isn't a lazy question.
For smooth leather boots, what are the proper steps and products? Are those right? 1.clean 2.renovateur conditioner 3.colored medaille d'or 1925 beeswax cream. 4.medaille d'or wax. 5.mirror gloss wax on hard parts. 6.finish with water resistant spray.
Hi There! Is it key to have a coloured wax for black or brown shoes? I noticed you had a white or natural colored wax on hand with you in the video. Could we use the natural on a black pair etc?
Hello guys, my name is miguel angel im watching your videos from Dominican Republic. So here in my country is very difficult to find some things like care shoe starter kit like this one and also some separately stoffs like the wax and those things so my cuestion is how can i get one of this kit from you guys inclouding the shoe tree u have on stock, do you do shippings over my country and how much will that be ? Thanks alot and cheers from: Dominican Republic.
Is neatsfoot oil a valid shoe conditioner? Or is that gonna be not what my leather shoes really need? I have some work shoes and some work boots but the leather is not as mirror smooth like you know dress shoes are. Is it OK to apply shoeshining to these kinds of shoes because they’re not like mirror polish type shoes?
Awesome video! Question: if I’m using a cream on them already, is it still important to use a leather conditioner (since the creams already do some of that), and if so, why?
Chris Garner Much of it depends upon the brands of creams that your using. We’ve played around with many different creams in our shop, and some just don’t have as many conditioning properties as others. If you have a good shoe cream, that is what I use most of the time; however, every now and then, I’ll throw a deep, nourishing conditioner on there before I put on my cream. You just can’t go wrong making sure your uppers are always well moisturized and supple. On a side note: it also depends upon the leathers on your uppers. If they’re a higher end leather, open pores leather, I would do both. Condition every once in a while and always use cream. If they’re a closed pored leather (those with a factory shine put on them), a cream is all you really need.
How about using a shoe pomade cream instead of wax? Is that a good alternative or just a quick fix up? I have some from Burgol and their marketing spiel is: „The mixed emulsion cream is the ideal supplement for deep-acting care of smooth leather shoes. The finest natural colour pigments and moisturising oils in Burgol Shoe Pomade Cream protect the leather structure from drying out and preserve its natural silky shine.“
Hey guys, how do obenaufs heavy duty LP conditioner + Bickmore leather deep cleaner stack up to the saphir products? Am I missing something for the complete shoe care spectrum? Looking for use on leather boots (thursday captains; meermin chelseas)
My father was career Army and took immaculate care of his low quarters and jump boots. He of course had a shoe shine kit. There were two things in our household that were absolutely forbidden to mess with and that was my father's boots/low quarters and his uniform. I remember him having his shoe shine kit from back in the early 1960's. When he passed away I was given his show shine kit. Kept it for years before finally breaking down and buying my own this year. Wish I would have run across this video before I bought my current show shine kit.
Wow, I haven't seen a tin of wax since my dad used them. I'm 55 now, and he's been gone several years. You've brought back some cherished memories from Sunday mornings watching my daddy get ready for church. Thank you.
I feel the exact same way ❤
excelent video. but for me, its:
1) shoe cream
2) shoe tree
3) shoe brush
4) the rest...
Agreed...shoe trees are SUPER important! We have another video coming for that one. The focus on this video was over the products to have in a "basic" shoe shine kit. I think the title could have been a little better.
Guys and girls need to look after their leather shoes i would say. I love that leather conditioner.
Definitely agree! I cannot begin to tell you just how many men and women come into our shop daily with the worst looking shoes. I don’t think they’ve ever done anything but wear them.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
After a good shoe cream I’d recommend an equally good shoe brush, then a wax depending on shoe style. A good brush is indispensable !
I would add:
1) saphire black cream on a tube.
2) saphire brown cream on a tube
3) extra shoe laces in your bag
4) long shoehorn
5) extra innersole soft.
6) extra innersole warm in thick wool.
Myrslokstok This was our “basic” shoe shine kit items, but definitely agree with you. Those are some great additions! Thanks for the comment! 👍🏻
Those loafers are yours or a customer ❤ just wanted to ask ❤on the thumbnail
New to your channel. I never learned the proper way to shine my shoes after all these years and I just turned 50 years old. I've picked and choose shoe polishes and brushes at stores but never really looked for the best. Thanks for the education.
I have my shoe shine kit in small plastic pails. Covered with supermarket plastic bags when stored. Cheapskate, yes. But it works.
I used to shine shoes as a kid in the late 70's for a hustle at the corner gas station . My Father taught me and always stressed the importance of wearing a nicely shined pair of shoes. Then later I went to the military. Shined my shoes just about every night. Now I do it for a piece of Mind. This is a excellent video. And the quality of products does make the difference. Shoe trees are a must!
Ryan Ross Thanks for sharing! Yep, definitely agree...Shoe trees and the right products can make a huge difference...AND having well-polished shoes.
@@TrentonHeath for Black Cherry color shoes. What color polish and/ or cream would you use or recommend?
I got a basic kit from a yard sale and I added some stuff (and junked most of the stuff since it was old and hardened Except for the old school Kiwi tins)
I have a pair of Georgia Boot Loggers I use for work washing cars at a local Toyota dealership. They see LOTS of moisture from the water and I wear them in winter so they get a lot of moisture And then a lot of arid air so that leather gets dry pretty fast IMO. I have Obenhaufs Leather Oil and then some of their Heavy Duty Leather Protector cream I apply every six weeks and use the oil every three months. I’m gonna do a deep clean on them before I put them in storage for the summer months.
My mom says I’m a bit obsessive over them. Well you would be too if you spent $150 on boots you’re only using half a year.
But Obenhaufs is fantastic stuff for the money. Originally developed for wild land firefighters it offers great protection from the elements for your leather. No I’m not sponsored by them I’m just spreading the word.
I just bought a kit from eBay and it comes with 2 brushes, 2 waxes (panther black and brown). I’m not sure if this is a vintage product. Because find it anywhere on American sites, I think somewhere in Africa lol. So I will keep the brushes, and just ordered the black saphir Pate De Lux. Do you think the panther would work? It didn’t come yet.
Every woman should also have this supply. People judge us by our shoes as well.
Sara Absolutely! I cannot begin to tell you just how scuffed up and awful most of the ladies shoes/heels look that come into our shop daily.
Thank you!!
Your husband's opinion is all that matters.
@@thebibleandabeer8593 lmao, i mean... Thats wrong but ok.
@@codykeith5144 Don't @ me. Simp
I can't thank you enough for the quality of your videos and your generosity in sharing your knowledge!
You’re welcome. We appreciate you watching!
Finally! A clear explanation of each shoe care component. Thank you!
Really surprised that shoe cream was the top priority for first item to purchase. Always thought shoe conditioner would be first and shoe cream is just an accessory buy.Thanks for sharing
Great video! Just received the Saphir black cream from you a few days ago and love it! Applied it to my two black shoes and all of my shoes with darker sole edges... and the results were great! Saphir is very easy to work with and contains a lot of pigment. My shoes look great! I’ll be ordering a few more creams soon for the rest of my collection. Thank you for the advice!
Thanks, Mark! We're glad you like it. It really is a GREAT shoe cream!
Great video!!! I think that you can actually make it with just one brush of you remove excess cream with cloth prior to buffing. Cant agree more on the importance of creams vs waxes not sure if you also mention that wax is also necessary to protect welts (for gy, storm and/or Norwegian). Thanks for sharing !!!!
Great video I wish I would have seen it prior to building my shoe shine kit. I started out with 2 large brushes then Saphir creams Black and light Brown creams to go with my shoes. Then I got the round brush's and Saphir neutral cream because I didn't know what color to get to match my brown shoes. I put all of my shoe supplies in a Container Store plastic see through container, I use a old t-shirt to apply creams to my shoes or use my fingers.
Honestly, I didn‘t know, that there are cremes, conditioners, wax before a couple of days. I just used a creme from the manufacturer of my shoes (Ludwig Reiter, an austrian company), take care that the shoes are in a stretcher when I don‘t wear them and put newspaper in the shoes in case they get wet. I have a pair for app. 5 years, until I don‘t pay for another resole. After all, it is great to treat myself with a pair of new shoes once in a while. But your videos are very good and I enjoy watching them.
My dad was a barber and we always had show shine supplies stored in two cigar boxes. I’ve carried on that same tradition.
Saddle soap is a good one too.
My dad used to be those kids in the 1940's shining shoes on the streets of Manila for money. Well, he migrated to the U.S.A. and worked for Boeing. Because of that he's been able to buy all the nice things he ever wanted including nice Italian shoes. He had a full kit of shoe care products which he taught me as child how to properly use. He did actually labeled his brushes by color.
I think that the shoe conditioner should be bought before the cream(if you can't afford to buy all the products at the same time; and if your shoes are new). Yeah, the cream gives the colour back, but how much of the colour will fade in the first 2-3 months of wearing, even if you have just 2 pair of shoes and change them every day?
P.S.: I really enjoy your videos. This is just my personal opinion and observation.
Thanks for your comment! We agree that conditioner is great...and very important for your shoes, but the reason we rank a GOOD shoe cream as #1 is because it handles all 3 (conditions, re-colors, and shines). A good shoe cream, such as those by Saphir and other higher-end brands, contain a lot of conditioners/natural oils in them that will keep your shoes soft and supple, while also covering up any scuffs/discoloration to your shoes from wear, and will provide a decent shine (Saphir MDO creams also contain some natural waxes). You won't get all of these benefits from just a conditioner. Again, this is just our opinion, and why we still recommend conditioner as a top 2 product to get.
On a side note, we're glad you're enjoying the videos! We really enjoy hearing opinions and suggestions from all of you. Thanks again!!
I really enjoy watching your videos. They inspire me to want to buy out a cobbler and take over a shop.
Great video and heads up not just men but women buy leather boots and condition them as well! ;)
A nice touch is to top the waxed toe with a bit of neutral wax and buff. It gives it a glassy depth.
Can y'all do a video for women's boots? I find that my boots all kind of ride the line between rugged and fashion. Some have heels, so you can't use shoe trees, I've tried to polish them over the years but frequently they have a fancy finish so polishing them will remove that... I never know which of the "guidelines" for mens' shoes that would apply and which ones would be too harsh for women's boots!
I've been looking for boots that aren't fashion- where are they!! I ended up just buying some men's boots.
I second this.
Great video. A shoe cleaner is essential though. The younger guys at work who ask me why their shoes don’t respond well to polish, I find they polish right over dust, dirt, and grime. Especially true for any guys who have gone 6 months or more of doing nothing.
Sorry to be off topic but does anyone know a way to log back into an Instagram account??
I stupidly lost the account password. I appreciate any help you can offer me.
@Keagan Silas instablaster =)
@Ameer Finnegan i really appreciate your reply. I found the site on google and I'm trying it out now.
Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
@Ameer Finnegan WTF IT REALLY WORKED :O I just got access to my ig login within roughly 40 minutes of using the site.
Just had to pay 15 $ but for sure worth the money :)
Thanks so much, you saved my ass!
@Keagan Silas Happy to help :D
Great information. I just started getting good quality shoes -- got a pair of Allen Edmond loafers off eBay that were almost brand new for $100 and a pair of Becket Simonon on the way -- so this is very helpful. I had never heard of shoe creams before, just grew up using waxes. Could you maybe do a video (of point us in the direction of one) covering different qualities of cream brands? I know that Saphir gets recommended a lot but what about less expensive choices? As I said, I'm just getting into this but I'm on a limited budget. Thanks again for the information and keep up the great work!
What are your thought on saddle soap? Is it necessary or just preference?
Johnson's paste wax was a MUST HAVE for inspections.
Very informative video ! How often should I condition my shoes ? Do I need to remove wax polish before applying conditioner ?
Thanks...glad you enjoyed it! It really depends upon how often you wear them. If you wear them several times a week, I'd recommend conditioning them 1-2 times a month. You can always apply it more...as conditioning them often is not a bad thing. Unless your shoes are 'caked' in wax, you're okay to apply it with wax on them. If your shoes have a lot of wax build up on them, we would recommend stripping off the old wax buildup first. Again, the only place we would even recommend putting more than 1 coat of wax is just the toes and heel counter area. Hope that helps.
I have neuropathy and walk in a way that scrapes the toe and tip of my shoes and I basically wear the back of the heal block off. Can you do a video on shoe protection for over pronation and foot drop?
For construction boots, do you recommend shoe creme over mink oil? Clean with saddle soap and condition with mink oil has been my monthly routine on my Timberlands.
What about Saddle Soap?!?
I really enjoyed this video as it has been something that I have tried to figure out myself. My current kit has these (even if not Saphir and a proper box) it was still good to know that I am on the right track.
I’m a women and I like shined shoes you keep saying guy. I watch your Chanel for my shoes.
Hey, what do you recommend for occasionally worn shoes, like the dress shoes languishing in my closet for extended periods of time, to keep them in reasonable condition until the next time I have a more dressy occasion? (I'm much more a jeans and t-shirt guy rather than a slacks and collars type person)
Should I leave them in the box, or out?
I'll assume shoe trees may be in the recommendations, but I'm clueless about them altogether. So, maybe related to the question at-hand or a tangent, is there a "how, when, and why" guide for shoe trees?
I'm sorry for such odd questions; I never had nice things growing up, but I'd like to change that now.
Do you recommend having separate brushes for dark brown vs light brown?
yes.
For me the top three are:
1. Wax
2. Brush
3. Rag
Wow I really needed this video !
It has everything I need when it comes to shoe care.
Thanks, Ashley! Glad you enjoyed!
Hi, thanks for great informative videos! Can I use renovateur for leather products other than shoes? Or should I prefer using lotion for wallets and similar items? Is there any criteria I should consider to pick lotion over renovateur?
I would not recommend Renovateur for beginners. Instead would recommend Venetian Shoe Cream or Bicks 4 cream which are gentler conditioners on shoes.
I have a lot of very expensive leather kicks (sneakers) do you have a video for caring for those sir?
Man, I might start shining all the shoes in the house on a regular basis again. Love the box with the seperate levels. Otherwise have the rest already ( Saphir & Burgol). Keep on shinning 😃👍👞
How about a product to clean them with like saddle soap. Don't all the layers of cream and or wax build up after a while and need to be removed ?
2 brushes, 1 soft toothbrush, tee shirt rag, Tins, creams, & conditioners all kept in an unused sneaker shoe box lol. I have cedar shoe trees and hangars in closet making a nice cedar shine box completely unnecessary for home use (but still on the nice to have list). I do need a suede eraser and brush. 👍
Haha...totally agree! That's why we started the video by saying that we don't care whether you use a plastic bag or a cedar shine box, just have shoe shine supplies. We cannot even begin to count the number of guys that come into our shop weekly that have never even shined a pair of shoes. On a side note, a nice shoe shine box is nice for the long haul AND as a hand-me-down. My granddad gave me his old shoe box from the '50s, and I still have it. Heath and I built our dad a wooden one 30 years ago, and he still uses it.
Trenton & Heath - That's awesome. Those types meaningful and useful keepsakes are priceless.
@@TrentonHeath did you say don't know how to shine shoes! From being about 3 to 4yrs my brothers and I had to make sure our shoes were cleaned every Saturday, put away for school. We were brought up really well. Don't these fellas know that women look at their shoes lol, they are defo single. Thanks for the info Trentham & Heath😊 Manchester, England
Pamela Smith You’d be surprised at just how many guys no longer shine their shoes. One of the reasons we started this channel was to encourage guys to care about their shoes and maintaining them.
Great name, by the way! Pamela is our mothers name. 😉 Oh, and we’re long time Man United fans.
Hi,
I'm trying to get that shoe-shine but one part of the leather does keep shineless, no matter what I try. Is it better to ad water or to ad more wax?
Thanks and it is a great youtube channel you make!
Ch.
Hi bud I have a query. I just got my self a pair of Cole Han dress shoes. Haven’t worn them yet. Also got a shoe tree for it. My query is do I store my shoes always with a shoe tree? Or only after I wear them ? Thanks for the help. I love your channel BTW
You should put the trees into the shoes after wearing. However, I always keep them in the shoes regardless of whether they're worn or not. Won't harm the shoes.
I just ordered a kit from eBay and it has a Dopp kit with 2 brushes a light and dark one, 2 PANTHER polish’s a black & brown, but as I was doing research I never heard of that brand lol so I’m a little bit hesitant on using it. So I went ahead and bought the saphir Pate De Lux just in case. Have you ever heard of panther?
There's a cobbler at the Grand Central Station in Manhattan, who's been there for years.
Looks like he'll be going out of business since so many of his clients are working from home. and corporate culture these days tends towards "casual" dress, sneakers and no suits. So there are few customers these days. For whatever he does, he has to charge more than previously, to make up for the loss of business.
Hey guys. Love your channel! I was wondering what some cheaper online shoe cleaner brands that you would recommend? It's quite expensive to buy a full set from Saphir. Also can I apply shoe cream to nubuck and suede or only "normal leather"?
A good, fairly inexpensive brand is Bick (Bickmore). You can find a large bottle (8oz, usually) of their leather cleaner for under $10. Their leather conditioner is also excellent, and comes in at around the same price. I have found both products work very well, and last a long time (especially for the price).
Cream/conditioner are not good on suede/nunbuck. Bickmore does make some suede/nunbuck cleaner and waterproofing spray, though.
Corey Fink thanks!
Cabinet grade shoe shine box👍🏽
Great videos you have and best inf for the shoes, one question, you clean, put crean and shine with wax, how often you DO this process in one year, thanks
Hmm, is the restoration cream replacement for saddle soap. Anyone pls answer. Love the vids... timeless and helpful
For an oxblood shoe would you recommend Mahogany or Burgundy shoe cream?
I could listen and watch this guy all day, boy is my life boring!😂😂👍👍💪💪❤❤
Great video - nicely done.
Question about the brushes. I have a brush for black and one for brown. I also have a pair of dark red shoes - I use the Saphir Hermes #12 cream - I currently have a separate brush but is it alright to use the brown brush in a pinch?
Bryan Harris from my experience, it is generally okay to use a brown brush in a pinch but you will eventually notice some slight color buildup on your shoes if you use one brush for multiple colors. How quickly and how much depends on how good your shoe leather is (better leather absorbs more) and the polish you use. I would recommend, if you don’t want to collect several brushes, to get yourself some neutral shoe polish
Hi Bryan! We definitely agree with Talha. It's okay to use the brown brush in a pinch, but it's probably best to use a separate brush for the red, as the Saphir pigments are very strong and can build up quickly on a brush, thus easily transferring to other shoes. I think it's best to continue using the separate brush you have for the red, but yes, in a pinch it's okay to use the brown brush.
Great video! Love It. Love the box as well! Been looking for a good one. Any recommendations on one that has a slightly larger capacity?
Use a amno can.
Straight to the point. Very helpful video!
So informative! What about patent leather though? I wear a uniform everyday in my line of work, and would like to know the best way to take care of, and clean patent leather. Also, in the process of caring for patent leather, how to possibly prevent the cracking of patent leather at the 'walking crease' lines.
Thanks for the question! For patent leather, we recommend a patent leather cleaner. It's what we use in our shop, and it cleans/conditions well. As far as the 'walking crease', just make sure you're using cedar shoe trees that fit your shoes well. It will help out with the creasing.
Uniform shoes typically don't incorporate high end patent leather if there is such a thing. A lint free cloth, glass cleaner or vinegar w/ distilled water will do the trick in a pinch. All patent leather will crack and once they're scuffed they're done. I found it more convenient in the long term just to put a spit shine on a leather uniform shoes which takes much much longer to crack and scuffs buff out very easily.
Hello, I am 24 years old and I just bought my first pair of leather shoes.
Can you tell me how many times a month do I need to apply the cream, the lotion, and the wax to the shoes?
There is white stitching through the soft, pebble-like black leather of my new Allen Edmonds Normandy boots (three stitches parallel, across the cap, around the heel, etc.). I will use neutral polish over the white stitches, then tape them over before using black (Saphir Medaille D’Or) polish everywhere else.
I haven’t bought the neutral polish yet, so am waiting to apply the black.
Can I start now by using a little Renovateur everywhere, even over the stitching? Also, what color Pate De Luxe wax should I use right off the bat, and ongoing?
Bring back the Basic Shoe Shine kit on the potter site
You know what, I love my LARGE Potter and Sons horsehair brush!!!!.... but, why don't you guys carry a black handle one for the black shoe polish!??!🤔 ALSO, when will you get these cedar boxes back in stock?!?!!? I have been looking for one, and the only I kind of like is the Allen Edmonds box, but a cedar box would be pretty cool, if you ever get them back in stock
As a beginner, do I really need the Medaille d’Or line, or would the Beauté de Cuir line suffice? It’s less than half the price.
Alex Mercado The Beaute de Cuir line would be just fine. It’s still great stuff, and we use it a lot in our shop.
Excellent video and information.
For black police boots should I use the cream and then the wax?
Do you ever use Bick 4 conditioner? Is it a possible alternative to Saphir Renovateur?
Great videos. I am so glad this channel exist... very informative. Thank you. Quick Q: I have 3 pairs of shoes that I wear in rotation 2-3 a week. What is the best practice to maintain them. Shoe shinning every time after I wear them.? ... one a week (every Sunday)?... or once a month.? Do I also, use Saphir Renovator every time when I Shoe shine my shoes? Great job and thank you so much.
Goran Ilic Thank you! We appreciate you watching. Awesome job rotating your shoes! Unless you get scuffs or something on your shoes, I think once a month is generally sufficient to keep them looking nice. No, you don’t have to use Renovateur each time. Many times, I’ll just throw some shoe cream on mine to give it a quick touch up.
@@TrentonHeath Thank you very much and keep posting more videos.
Is mink oil replacing your conditioner/lotion in this process? would you recommend also finding a shoe wax afterwards? and is saddle soap a predecessor to the mink oil for cleaning? i have a new pair of wolverine blvd. boots and i really want to take care of them. thanks for your videos! hopefully this isn't a lazy question.
I’ve always used mink oil to condition my shoes. It’s what I started with. Are the conditioners you recommend better?
Hi,
Do you use renovateur for exotic leather as well( cowboy boots)? Or it got be the ones specifically saying " For exotic leather " ?
Does the Basic shoe shine kit listed on your website comes in the wooden box?
Great tutorial and great explanations, I’m a new subscriber. Thank you
2006jayden Glad you enjoyed! Thanks for the sub!
Useful video. Women also own leather shoes :)
For smooth leather boots, what are the proper steps and products? Are those right?
1.clean
2.renovateur conditioner
3.colored medaille d'or 1925 beeswax cream.
4.medaille d'or wax.
5.mirror gloss wax on hard parts.
6.finish with water resistant spray.
Hi There!
Is it key to have a coloured wax for black or brown shoes? I noticed you had a white or natural colored wax on hand with you in the video. Could we use the natural on a black pair etc?
I have noticed that you all and Dan the Cobbler both use Saphir products. Are Saphir products that much better than Kiwi products?
Is Apple leather conditioner a good brand for shoes? I bought it for my leather handbags.
I also use Collonil Carbon pro spry for rain to protection. i living in the netherlands where it rains a lot
Rmd Rmd We both used to live in the Netherlands as well. We went to school in Brunssum.
Any chance these boxes are going to be back in stock? Soon?
I have four pair of brown shoes that I don't know which color shoe creams I should use on them. What should I do? Thanks.
How would you polish a pair of Luchesse Caiman cowboy boots? What products would you use?
How many brushes do I need for black, brown, red, and neutral creams? One for each?
i dont see the cedar box on the site. maybe sold out
Hello guys, my name is miguel angel im watching your videos from Dominican Republic. So here in my country is very difficult to find some things like care shoe starter kit like this one and also some separately stoffs like the wax and those things so my cuestion is how can i get one of this kit from you guys inclouding the shoe tree u have on stock, do you do shippings over my country and how much will that be ?
Thanks alot and cheers from: Dominican Republic.
Is there a brand of brushes that you would recommend?
What about saddle soap?
True Craftsmanship… 🇺🇸🗽
Subscribed 👍🏽
Is neatsfoot oil a valid shoe conditioner? Or is that gonna be not what my leather shoes really need? I have some work shoes and some work boots but the leather is not as mirror smooth like you know dress shoes are. Is it OK to apply shoeshining to these kinds of shoes because they’re not like mirror polish type shoes?
Trailer park kit:
Kiwi shoe polish
Kiwi cloth
Toothbrush
Mink oil
What is the difference between the conditioner and cream besides color?
Very informative - good video 👌
Need sneaker care. Great vid
Awesome video! Question: if I’m using a cream on them already, is it still important to use a leather conditioner (since the creams already do some of that), and if so, why?
Chris Garner Much of it depends upon the brands of creams that your using. We’ve played around with many different creams in our shop, and some just don’t have as many conditioning properties as others. If you have a good shoe cream, that is what I use most of the time; however, every now and then, I’ll throw a deep, nourishing conditioner on there before I put on my cream. You just can’t go wrong making sure your uppers are always well moisturized and supple.
On a side note: it also depends upon the leathers on your uppers. If they’re a higher end leather, open pores leather, I would do both. Condition every once in a while and always use cream. If they’re a closed pored leather (those with a factory shine put on them), a cream is all you really need.
How about using a shoe pomade cream instead of wax? Is that a good alternative or just a quick fix up? I have some from Burgol and their marketing spiel is: „The mixed emulsion cream is the ideal supplement for deep-acting care of smooth leather shoes. The finest natural colour pigments and moisturising oils in Burgol Shoe Pomade Cream protect the leather structure from drying out and preserve its natural silky shine.“
Hey guys, how do obenaufs heavy duty LP conditioner + Bickmore leather deep cleaner stack up to the saphir products? Am I missing something for the complete shoe care spectrum? Looking for use on leather boots (thursday captains; meermin chelseas)
I put Axe deodorant black polish mink oil and saddle soap in my
In my shoe shining kit do you so much shoes
is cleaning the shoes considered a different thing than polishing? i would have thought a saddle soap would be the #1 item
Great videos - thank you guys!
Thank you!
Hi! New subscriber here. Can I use a used bamboo toothbrush as a shoe polish applicator?