The Hanger Project I never understood the purpose of a mirror shine. Why not just get patent leather toes or shoes if you want that? Seems like a lot of trouble for nothing.
Great vid. As a long-serving British soldier, I heartily agree with all the above. The best tip you gave was to step back and put the shoes on the floor. I personally will make a tea/coffee then walk back into the room, even better in the sunlight!
Kirby thanks so much for all the videos and advice on shining shoes. I am OBSESSED with polishing my shoes now. I combined your advice from your adding patina video and the video on mirror shine to make my shoes perfect for a wedding last night. I have never in my life received so many comments on my shoes. And mind you these were on a pair of shoes of middling price and quality ($500) relative to the higher ends of shoes you profile. Can’t wait to apply more of advice to another pair of shoes for another wedding next weekend. Btw wore a bow tie last night and able put that sucker on in no time with your video on said topic. Please consider me a converted loyal disciple.
I was in the cadets and we also used water and wax, but also matches. We would polish the shoe and pass the match close to the wax to melt it and penetrate the leather while continuing the polishing. The result was stunning. The only problem is sealing the leather...the boot no longer breathes and our feet are colder during winter. Thx for this instructive video !!
Wow, that's amazing, especially done in four layers! Who needs a mirror with that shine, if you can see yourself looking down? Great job and excellent video.
I love these videos. I would love to see some videos on polishing / caring for more rugged country boots such as Trickers stow / Bourton / Keswick etc.
I can't stop laughing...….Amen!!! This guy needs a REAL girlfriend. However, he just may just have a hint of mint in him...lol He treat a shoe like a piece of ass..lololol
I started using Kiwi Parade Gloss in basic training on my boots. Me and a roommate had a competition on who could spit shine our boots the best with Kiwi. I still use it on my office shoes (and it does a good job) but am thinking about venturing out to something new.
This is a great video. I tried this on my shoes, but didn’t use the pate deluxe and got a mirror shine but it took me 8 layers of just mirror shine. I wish I watched this before I tried. I have a decent shine, but not as mirrored as yours.
Great shine demo Kirby, excellent tips. I will receive my order of shoe shinning products from the hanger project tomorrow and cant wait to start shinning.
In the army we used to set fire to some Kiwi wax, and use spit to get the boots mirror shiny. I learnt this from a guy in His Majesty the King's Guard of Norway. But yeah, it sure took some time, and you'd have to re-apply every other day. Which was fine in the army. They had an infinite supply of Kiwi wax lol!
I love all of your videos. I always run into a similar issue with shining my shoes. I always get a ring of wax around the toe box at the bottom. How can I prevent this? Thank you
Back in military service we all used KIWI Parade Gloss. Remember ‘Spit Shine ‘ ? We constantly did layer over layer over layer of Parade glass using spit to lubricate the polish as it dried. Millions of very small circles, lots of time creates a brilliant gloss, ignite a small amount of metho / denatured alcohol to invigorate old polish in the tin. It takes a while but it waterproofs the leather and looks amazing.
I had a relatively okay mirror gloss finish on my cap-toe oxfords and then watched your tutorial and started adding more coats and now I got one of those hard to get rid of dry spots right dead center on the top
The mirror shine is indeed an outstanding polish finish and seeing you accomplish such a feat being impeccably well dress make this a very fine video to watch I will definitely try to apply a mirror shine to my cap toe shoes and I'm certainly interested in try the Saphir shoe care products again thanks for sharing this video with your youtube subscribers!
Hello Kirby, that is a great mirror shine, I live in Calgary, Canada. Where can I buy your products. Have you ever tried using a mini buffer for mirror shine, it works amazing but take a few times to get the hang of it. With your products it would rate at TOP SHELF. Thanks
I'm really loving these videos. I can't afford the Saphir products, but I'm trying out this technique using Kiwi's range on a pair of second hand boots that I got from a charity shop. It's my first time shining, but I've achieved a result that looks about half as good as yours so far. That's just using Renew and Protect, Parade Gloss Prestige, Kiwi's standard polishing brush and an all purpose cleaning rag.
Excellent shine you have achieved there. I have a lovely black leather belt that is showing some wear. Maybe I should re-moisturise it and shine it too.
Hello Kirby. Just watched your Ultimate Mirror Shine for Dress Shoes, again. Still find it fascinating how wonderful the shoes turn out. This brings me to a question about brand new, out of the box shoes - even bespoke: Have you ever had a pair of brand new shoes that you found difficult to mirror shine? If so, what did you end up doing? I'm sure that not all leather can be deemed to be perfect. Thank you and keep the videos coming.
Hello Kirby, Your passion for shoes is contagious. I staryed investing in fine shoes. I got allen edmonds chili randolph loafers recently. My question to you is - Can these be mirror shined?
Greetings I wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your videos the knowledge you share about helping the well dress take care of their clothes has really deepen my appreciation for giving more attention to my wardrobe shoes and accessory items recently I purchase a pair of vintage stacy adam captoe dress shoes, shoes I remember seeing my grandfather uncles and father wear whenever these fine gentlemen would dressup for church a wedding etc. In honor to them I would like to do a mirror polish shine to these shoes I will forward pictures for your recommendations.
The old AUS Army Boots AB used to have a heavy dimple pattern it was easy to flatten and remove with the tip of a hot Iron, before going for a High gloss finish.
I think its really great on cap toes toe boxBut yes even on wingtips or whole are also greatAnd yes i always re watch the recent videos while shining my own shoes.. :)
top tip when shining your shoes , get an ice cube out of your freezer and put it into the lid of your saphir polish , let it melt for 5 minutes and shine your shoes using ice cold water ,. it really does help get a perfect mirror finish
Hello Kirby, I really have to thank you. Your help is essential for my shoe care. Could you make a video on the different types of leather and how to recognize them?
Great video. I wish more people would care as much with the detail you put in. Ignore the naysayers. P.S. The word pate is pronounced with an "eh" at the end as in pateh: the a is soft as you said it. Pate is the French word for paste. It is pronounced the same in English. I'm Canadian eh!
I’m using all the products described, including the high-shine chamois, but I’m getting a sort of swirling effect. Almost like you can see the “brush strokes” of my polishing. Any ideas? I may just strip it down and start over.
A Trick I learn, was to take extra fine sand paper and even out the top layer of leather before appling the dressing. You do it with any type shoe polish
I have fallen victim to get the perfect mirror shine. Lost track of time when I started polishing around 8pm. Then realized it was 3am and had to wake up in 2 hours for morning PT at the time 😅
Kirby, I see you used black mirror gloss, but I think I’ve seen you use the neutral on dark shoes also. Since you are using the black softer wax in conjunction, does it matter? Thanks
Kirby, could you do another video where you demonstrate a mirror shine on shoes of a different color besides black? A mid brown for example would be nice.
Great question, I wanted to ask this. And this goes with the question about neutral wax, are there real drawbacks to using neutral wax/MG on a lighter shoe such as chestnut/mid-brown (i.e. not very dark like black/dark brown)? Looking fw to a video on that
I have done a few light browns and mid browns and you can do them the same way. Depending on the color of the shoe I would used Saphir's light brown, tobacco, mid brown or even neutral. I like to use a slightly darker polish than the shoe to add some contrast. It wont change the color much at all. Here is a good video, go to 3:05 of the video and he starts talking about brown shoes. ruclips.net/video/WpVxJoUeDmE/видео.html
Looking forward to it! By the way, I just spent some time in Madrid and visited the Carmina Shoemaker boutiques. What do you think about Carmina? Do you own anything by them?
I'm a cadet and I have a mirror shine with £2 black polish and a cloth. You don't need all this fancy polish, ya just need a lot of time! Also add a layer of tan every now and again for a more wholesome deeper gloss finish!
I love my Berwick 1707 Oxfords and really needed to shine them. I only had solitaire cream, kiwi wax and two tissues I had lying around. I simply took my time and actually understood how the leather works, how the wax and water works on the leather and got the same results as you did. No need for expensive Saphir shit. Just a little bit patience and elbow grease.
Excellent video Kirby! Have you ever done a mirror shine on a pair of cordovan leather shoes? Would they take a mirror shine as well as calf leather shoes?
I enjoy watching the vlogs, but I have 65 pairs of shoes, not including sneakers and casuals. This why I need valet just to handle my shoe maintenance.
Question: First og all, love your channel and you really got me interested in bespoke shoes and shoes in general. I’ve read and watched alot now, but can’t find anything specific about why you mirrorshine. Is it purely looks, some kind of dresscode or what? Best regards A.J.
Great question. It is fundamentally because it looks great and is a sign of one having taken time to care for their shoes. Nothing says business like a proper mirror shine.
Hi, you should be able to, e.g using Kiwi Black Parade Gloss or basic Kiwi Black or other colours, the technique Kirby shows I found is the main thing, leather conditioners, polishes and creams are a personal choice, etc.
Great Video Kirby! I have a question, as I am slowly collecting higher end shoes and I do not have a proper shoeshine kit yet, could I just use the renovatuer and the mirror gloss skipping the pommadier cream polish since I am low on budget?
Do you have a technique of stripping the wax on the toe when it begins to crack? I use a hairdryer on my boots when the toe becomes too scuffed or the built up layers of polish begin to crack. I just am not sure if this is the best way to do so on high end dress shoes. Thanks
Why am I watching someone shine shoes at 3am? What has my life become
Dustin Platt haha.
Dustin Platt You are not the only one...
Nothing worse than dirty shoes, so no waste of time. Al Bundy approves
haha, I love it.
The Hanger Project
I never understood the purpose of a mirror shine. Why not just get patent leather toes or shoes if you want that? Seems like a lot of trouble for nothing.
I don't know why I find this so inspiring but I feel compelled to shine my Magnanni, Keds, and flip flops. Thanks for putting it up.
I love the warning for getting lost chasing the shine. Sounds so familiar. =D
Legend has it that he is still applying that Pate De Lux high gloss mirror shine wax on those shoes to build up the layers.
🔥😂😂
His toe caps are now level with his Waist
E.S. L hahahahaha 😂😂😂😂
I love this guy. He's like Mr. Rogers for adult gentlemen that want to be more sophisticated men.
Perfect analogy. His earnestness seems genuine.
Great vid. As a long-serving British soldier, I heartily agree with all the above. The best tip you gave was to step back and put the shoes on the floor. I personally will make a tea/coffee then walk back into the room, even better in the sunlight!
The hecklers will say what they want, but a great vid and you really brought out a great mirror shine on those shoes!!
Kirby thanks so much for all the videos and advice on shining shoes. I am OBSESSED with polishing my shoes now. I combined your advice from your adding patina video and the video on mirror shine to make my shoes perfect for a wedding last night. I have never in my life received so many comments on my shoes. And mind you these were on a pair of shoes of middling price and quality ($500) relative to the higher ends of shoes you profile. Can’t wait to apply more of advice to another pair of shoes for another wedding next weekend. Btw wore a bow tie last night and able put that sucker on in no time with your video on said topic. Please consider me a converted loyal disciple.
I was in the cadets and we also used water and wax, but also matches. We would polish the shoe and pass the match close to the wax to melt it and penetrate the leather while continuing the polishing. The result was stunning. The only problem is sealing the leather...the boot no longer breathes and our feet are colder during winter. Thx for this instructive video !!
Hat’s off to you Mr. Allison. The high shine you produced is just incredible. It is truly a pleasure and an inspiration to see a master at work!
Wow, that's amazing, especially done in four layers! Who needs a mirror with that shine, if you can see yourself looking down? Great job and excellent video.
I love these videos. I would love to see some videos on polishing / caring for more rugged country boots such as Trickers stow / Bourton / Keswick etc.
I always wear a suit and necktie when I shine shoes. Perhaps a dinner jacket for those special occasions!
James Coughlin Google the “Swans Club”
I can't stop laughing...….Amen!!! This guy needs a REAL girlfriend. However, he just may just have a hint of mint in him...lol He treat a shoe like a piece of ass..lololol
Stroke that shoe- Stroke it, stroke it...…..
Jon W You obviously never seen a proper pair of shoes.
Mr. Allison has something called "style". What can I tell you? You either have it or you don't.
Kiwi polish has never seen me wrong, my ammo boots shine like a jewel. Great video regardless.
This guy is brave to shine shoes with black wax in a grey suit. Damn.
No one knows how many men have been lost searching for the perfect shine
This video is the best example on how to make demo videos....
Best...thumbs up👍
Sir, the British army would be proud of you (even though they are still stuck using Kiwi Parade Gloss)
Yeah when your nco's haven't pinched it.
Maybe talk them into Saphir?
Nothing wrong with Kiwi! One polish to do the whole shoe and my toe caps are definitely more shiny than this
@@scotthornsey You can have mirror shine with Kiwi but it is another kind of shine. Kiwi shine is not so reflective as Saphir shine.
I started using Kiwi Parade Gloss in basic training on my boots. Me and a roommate had a competition on who could spit shine our boots the best with Kiwi. I still use it on my office shoes (and it does a good job) but am thinking about venturing out to something new.
I wish I knew this before I went to the Academy, as opposed to 8+ years after.
This is a great video. I tried this on my shoes, but didn’t use the pate deluxe and got a mirror shine but it took me 8 layers of just mirror shine. I wish I watched this before I tried. I have a decent shine, but not as mirrored as yours.
thank you again i can do the mirror shine because of your tutorial!
You know someone is an expert shoe shiner when they're willing to shine their shoes while wearing an expensive suit and shirt
And when they help develop a new, never-existed-before wax product with a premier company, Avel of Saphir fame, just to get a spectacular shine!
Didn’t think Lieutenant Dan wore shoes
Outstanding
That was a fantastic job, thank you , going to pick up some of the materials..
Great shine demo Kirby, excellent tips. I will receive my order of shoe shinning products from the hanger project tomorrow and cant wait to start shinning.
Very informative as always Kirby. Looking forward to trying for a mirror shine on my black wholecuts before my first black tie event mid April!
best dressed shoe-shine person I've ever seen
In the army we used to set fire to some Kiwi wax, and use spit to get the boots mirror shiny. I learnt this from a guy in His Majesty the King's Guard of Norway. But yeah, it sure took some time, and you'd have to re-apply every other day. Which was fine in the army. They had an infinite supply of Kiwi wax lol!
I love all of your videos. I always run into a similar issue with shining my shoes. I always get a ring of wax around the toe box at the bottom. How can I prevent this? Thank you
Thanks for the advice, coaching/ demo.
Back in military service we all used KIWI Parade Gloss. Remember ‘Spit Shine ‘ ? We constantly did layer over layer over layer of Parade glass using spit to lubricate the polish as it dried. Millions of very small circles, lots of time creates a brilliant gloss, ignite a small amount of metho / denatured alcohol to invigorate old polish in the tin. It takes a while but it waterproofs the leather and looks amazing.
In your country the mirror shine may last long but in our country just after i foot out of my house they will get all dusty 😂😂
I had a relatively okay mirror gloss finish on my cap-toe oxfords and then watched your tutorial and started adding more coats and now I got one of those hard to get rid of dry spots right dead center on the top
I have a question? When do you add the patte de lux while using the mirrow shine? Thank you
Thanks my shoes ultimate right now
When I was in the service in the mid 70's we melted Kiwi, applied the hot liquid polish then buffed the shit out of them.
Now you're "out of service", like a broken washing machine?
The mirror shine is indeed an outstanding polish finish and seeing you accomplish such a feat being impeccably well dress make this a very fine video to watch I will definitely try to apply a mirror shine to my cap toe shoes and I'm certainly interested in try the Saphir shoe care products again thanks for sharing this video with your youtube subscribers!
You're a brave man for handling shoe polish while wearing an expensive suit.
Hello Kirby, that is a great mirror shine, I live in Calgary, Canada. Where can I buy your products.
Have you ever tried using a mini buffer for mirror shine, it works amazing but take a few times to get the hang of it.
With your products it would rate at TOP SHELF.
Thanks
I'm really loving these videos. I can't afford the Saphir products, but I'm trying out this technique using Kiwi's range on a pair of second hand boots that I got from a charity shop. It's my first time shining, but I've achieved a result that looks about half as good as yours so far. That's just using Renew and Protect, Parade Gloss Prestige, Kiwi's standard polishing brush and an all purpose cleaning rag.
Excellent shine you have achieved there. I have a lovely black leather belt that is showing some wear. Maybe I should re-moisturise it and shine it too.
You are awfully brave using polish with that crispy white shirt and gray suit.... 🙂
I love bootblack, but I miss the FullHD shine I used to do... This video makes me want to do it again.
Fam i LOVE how excited he got about his own shine xDDDDDD
This was a joy to watch
wow. that room is like from the 1900s.
Kirby, those look stunning. Just curious how long does a mirror shine usually last?
Thanks for the demonstration.
Hello Kirby. Just watched your Ultimate Mirror Shine for Dress Shoes, again. Still find it fascinating how wonderful the shoes turn out. This brings me to a question about brand new, out of the box shoes - even bespoke: Have you ever had a pair of brand new shoes that you found difficult to mirror shine? If so, what did you end up doing? I'm sure that not all leather can be deemed to be perfect. Thank you and keep the videos coming.
Hello Kirby, Your passion for shoes is contagious. I staryed investing in fine shoes. I got allen edmonds chili randolph loafers recently. My question to you is - Can these be mirror shined?
Greetings I wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your videos the knowledge you share about helping the well dress take care of their clothes has really deepen my appreciation for giving more attention to my wardrobe shoes and accessory items recently I purchase a pair of vintage stacy adam captoe dress shoes, shoes I remember seeing my grandfather uncles and father wear whenever these fine gentlemen would dressup for church a wedding etc. In honor to them I would like to do a mirror polish shine to these shoes I will forward pictures for your recommendations.
The old AUS Army Boots AB used to have a heavy dimple pattern it was easy to flatten and remove with the tip of a hot Iron, before going for a High gloss finish.
I think its really great on cap toes toe boxBut yes even on wingtips or whole are also greatAnd yes i always re watch the recent videos while shining my own shoes.. :)
What Do You Think Of The European Ecco Shoes? Please Replay.. A Excellent Video.. Highly Recommended.. Thank You Very Much For Sharing..
Great shine and information my friend
That's a damn fine shine!
nhutchins Thank you!
All joking aside i love the video
Thanks and great video. Do you think you could make a video using kiwi polish to create the mirror shine
top tip when shining your shoes , get an ice cube out of your freezer and put it into the lid of your saphir polish , let it melt for 5 minutes and shine your shoes using ice cold water ,. it really does help get a perfect mirror finish
Thanks for the tip. I will try
Wow and i thought i liked kirby before
For anyone who has never done a mirror shine on their shoes,
Yes, you can get lost in the shining process
For sure!
Hello Kirby,
I really have to thank you. Your help is essential for my shoe care. Could you make a video on the different types of leather and how to recognize them?
You’ll stand out all right with this kind of shoe shine - the partners at Davis-Polk will think you’re a weirdo.
amazing video! Thanks
Amazing
Wow. It takes me 25 layers of Kiwi and 3 hours to get to that level. 😲🤯
quality vs quantity
Informative and relaxing. Nice.
Now go home and get your shinebox
Maybe you didn't hear i don't polish shoes anymore..
Winner
Great video. I wish more people would care as much with the detail you put in. Ignore the naysayers.
P.S. The word pate is pronounced with an "eh" at the end as in pateh: the a is soft as you said it. Pate is the French word for paste. It is pronounced the same in English. I'm Canadian eh!
I’m using all the products described, including the high-shine chamois, but I’m getting a sort of swirling effect. Almost like you can see the “brush strokes” of my polishing. Any ideas? I may just strip it down and start over.
A Trick I learn, was to take extra fine sand paper and even out the top layer of leather before appling the dressing. You do it with any type shoe polish
Those are a very beautiful pair of shoes Mr Allison, what are they and where would I find them?
Just did my first glass toe shoe shine ever while playing this in the background lol. Thanks for the tips; now my tips are glossin! #glasstoesonly
Just started the police academy, this is going to save me during uniform inspections.
Yo that suit is beautiful. Instant subscribe
I have fallen victim to get the perfect mirror shine. Lost track of time when I started polishing around 8pm. Then realized it was 3am and had to wake up in 2 hours for morning PT at the time 😅
Kirby, I see you used black mirror gloss, but I think I’ve seen you use the neutral on dark shoes also. Since you are using the black softer wax in conjunction, does it matter? Thanks
Mit Ollitsac i use neutral and have no problem at all. However i don't know if the black one brings a better result.
Kirby, could you do another video where you demonstrate a mirror shine on shoes of a different color besides black? A mid brown for example would be nice.
Great question, I wanted to ask this. And this goes with the question about neutral wax, are there real drawbacks to using neutral wax/MG on a lighter shoe such as chestnut/mid-brown (i.e. not very dark like black/dark brown)? Looking fw to a video on that
Peter Maag I used neutral wax and cream and renovateur on my brown shoes. Would like to know. Does it streak?
I have done a few light browns and mid browns and you can do them the same way. Depending on the color of the shoe I would used Saphir's light brown, tobacco, mid brown or even neutral. I like to use a slightly darker polish than the shoe to add some contrast. It wont change the color much at all. Here is a good video, go to 3:05 of the video and he starts talking about brown shoes. ruclips.net/video/WpVxJoUeDmE/видео.html
I’ll put that up next!
Looking forward to it! By the way, I just spent some time in Madrid and visited the Carmina Shoemaker boutiques. What do you think about Carmina? Do you own anything by them?
Hello. I would appreciate if you could please put the link to buy the product that allows us to obtain such shoe shine.
I'm a cadet and I have a mirror shine with £2 black polish and a cloth. You don't need all this fancy polish, ya just need a lot of time! Also add a layer of tan every now and again for a more wholesome deeper gloss finish!
Any chance you can demonstrate how to mirror shine a derby or whole-cut where there isn’t a cap toe please?
Can you do the mirror shine with just pate de luxe or is the mirror shine gloss essential
Hi Kirby, does the color choice of mirror gloss make much of a difference or should neutral be fine for all kinds?
cheers
felix
How do you polish the rest of the shoe?
hi great video evry informative, so my question is can you do a Brogue shoe..??
When I was a kid I shined shoes in Long Beach, California early 60's when the Navy was there, I could really make that rag sing, " pop. pop" 😃😃😃
Oh, yeah. The "pop" is really the sign of an expert chair shine.
I love my Berwick 1707 Oxfords and really needed to shine them. I only had solitaire cream, kiwi wax and two tissues I had lying around. I simply took my time and actually understood how the leather works, how the wax and water works on the leather and got the same results as you did. No need for expensive Saphir shit. Just a little bit patience and elbow grease.
Thats as close to a military shine in the civilian world. You've got the goods Kirby.
Excellent video Kirby! Have you ever done a mirror shine on a pair of cordovan leather shoes? Would they take a mirror shine as well as calf leather shoes?
Well done.
This took 20 freaking minutes!
Amazing!
this is great and informative ty so much
Thanks, Jo-Anne!
As an ex Royal Air Force airman we used spit and polish. Of course it took weeks, but was it worth it? Was it hell as like!
I enjoy watching the vlogs, but I have 65 pairs of shoes, not including sneakers and casuals. This why I need valet just to handle my shoe maintenance.
@Eduardo Ramirez Jr - I’d like to see your closet!
@jrh1125 In the closet, under the bed and behind the door. 😓
Question: First og all, love your channel and you really got me interested in bespoke shoes and shoes in general. I’ve read and watched alot now, but can’t find anything specific about why you mirrorshine. Is it purely looks, some kind of dresscode or what? Best regards A.J.
Great question. It is fundamentally because it looks great and is a sign of one having taken time to care for their shoes. Nothing says business like a proper mirror shine.
I can't afford the polish you use. Can I get this with normal wax polish?
yes. Just be patient and look search for japanese shoe shine world champion.
Hi, you should be able to, e.g using Kiwi Black Parade Gloss or basic Kiwi Black or other colours, the technique Kirby shows I found is the main thing, leather conditioners, polishes and creams are a personal choice, etc.
Great Video Kirby! I have a question, as I am slowly collecting higher end shoes and I do not have a proper shoeshine kit yet, could I just use the renovatuer and the mirror gloss skipping the pommadier cream polish since I am low on budget?
Do you have a technique of stripping the wax on the toe when it begins to crack? I use a hairdryer on my boots when the toe becomes too scuffed or the built up layers of polish begin to crack. I just am not sure if this is the best way to do so on high end dress shoes.
Thanks
Will the wax hurt the leather by preventing the pore to 'breathe'?
Wongheichi nope. It’s a leather protectant.