Hair Spray for a Mirror Shine? Reaction Video to Questionable YouTube Advice.
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- Опубликовано: 13 окт 2024
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Preston, two observations:
1. I never knew about leather conditioners throughout a decade in the military. I was only taught to use wax, and learning about the benefits of Renovateur was a game changer. I think this is because the standard issue military boots and shoes (usually Bates brand) are rather cheap top grain, and we used what was available (shaving cream to strip and kiwi to color and shine).
2. (Also related to cheap leather) The priority is often how the shine looks in the short term, say for an inspection fifteen minutes from now. The hairspray trick would definitely work for that purpose. I’ve even seen high-gloss white spray paint (white Navy dress shoes can be tough to shine) or Mop n Glo applied right before an inspection, with no thought to the long term effect on the leather.
I already knew how to shine, but you and Kirby actually taught me how to care for my Allen Edmonds for the long haul. The military generally does a poor job in that regard. Your reaction makes sense because you would never treat nice shoes so carelessly for a short term result, and nobody viewing this channel should, either.
Top grain at best. Bates patient leather with polyurethane sole thick layers of plastic. Cheap, comfortable and shiny. It’s perfect if you are living like Michael Jordan did in his Basketball years Breaking out a new pair for every needed wear. However store it a closet or hot dry environment for more than three months and the sole falls apart. It’s not a shoe designed to last more than a year. Military forces have all kinds of bull polish tricks and methods. They work because often it’s more about a fast inspection on the cheaply made bargain basement general issue or looking good at Parade than a lasting actual care of something that you actually spent your own money on.
@@terranempire2 ha! Good point. Now they issue core frams for dress shoes and desert boots. All the above isn’t even a thing anymore. I hate those shoes and would only wear them for parades if I could help it. Plastic on your feet. Ugh.
My experience too. My dad taught me the right way to bull shoes, but back when I was in the TA in the UK, short-term shine for an inspection seemed to be the name of the game for most people. It’s one thing for combat boots that you could shine up the right way from scratch in under an hour, but our army brogues for more official situations (for us, typically Remembrance Sunday) were a different matter - they were pebble grain, thick leather, a beast to break in, and not smooth at all to polish. It would take weeks to get enough polish on in thin layers to fill the pebble pattern enough to get a mirror shine, so a lot of people looked for whatever shortcuts they could. Typically it would crack off by the time they’d marched 10m up the street. I have a bottle of renovateur on the way, as I never knew about leather conditioner before this channel - I think some of my shoes could really do with it.
@@JjrShabadoo historicity it’s kinda funny this is where they are. Back in 1910 to 1941 the Army and Marines issued brown/Burgundy dress boots. WW2 started they realize they needed tougher boots so they issued rough out boots and then started issuing brown dress shoes. The war ends the rough out are ended for black boots and shoes. Now it looks like they started reverting back to WW2 standard.
Being a veteran, I completely agree with your assessment.
I'm retired military and have shined and taught shining dress shoes and boots to my troops, I've seen some crazy ideas/methods; but not this one. I love your stuff, keep it going.
When I was doing military service some would use a polish called klear, on dress boots not work boots it shined but gave a blue tinge, if the instructor saw blue he would mash your boots up.
I genuinely appreciate you being honest about the presentation of an alternate view that was different from your own and your reaction to it. If everyone did this, just thought about what someone else is saying, even if you don't agree, work it though to try and understand their perspective, and what it teaches you (and possibly changes) about your own perspective, the world would be a better place.
its a well known hack in the military , the boots are free but your time is not, that is the reason
Apart from when its inspection time 😂😂😂
There’s no faking the real stuff. period!
Haha I definitely agree with that!
Feliz año nuevo desde Valencia Spain, soy Zapatero de 4 Generación y tengo 62 años, ademas de Profesor de Reparación de Calzado, y me gusta mucho su Técnica sobre Limpieza del Calzado, es usted un MASTER Gracias por su Maestría.
Que bien es un gusto saludarlo yo soy un limpiabotas en elos angeles california.
In Mexico boot stores I’ve seen people use hairspray applied to their exotic boots then lit up with a lighter and it actually leaves a really nice shine to them. Although, I don’t think it’s actually good for the leather, it does leave a high shine. There’s a couple vids on Instagram that show how it’s done
I've seen it done in a rush for a drill inspection (St John cadets over here in NZ), but the parade was held on a dusty tennis court, and those that used hairspray ended up with the dust sticking to the shoes, and then as it started to drizzle, the finish turned to a mess, while those that had done it "properly" for want of a better word, had the rain roll nicely off the shoes with no issues
That’s a great story! Dust and water would be a huge issue for the hairspray method.
Been loving the videos and noticed you haven't got your verification tick. You should claim it. Great video
I used to shoe shine for a living a very long time ago, there is or used to be a spray made specifically to spray to shoes to give them instant shine. I guess very similar to the hair spray composition. I don’t remember the brand, but it was by a company that produced shoe shine supplies . My experience back then was that the clear coat would crack in a a few days, I used this spray as a one day shine only. Nothing will ever replace a good hand elbow grease system.
Could have been Master Quick Shine.
Years ago I bought a can out of curiosity and used it on my backup boots
Applies and smells like hairspray, sticky like hairspray Good shine
Immediate cracks like a candy apple at the first step.
BTW, your method of shining shoes is closely aligned with my style. This is why I continue watching your delightful videos!
Semper Fi
This may have been mentioned but I'll say it from my prospective. I think maybe the sailor who made the video was giving tips on finishing touches on an inspection ready ready uniform. The thing about those is you put them on, stand in formation, get inspected and then take them off and get into working uniform. Most sailors have uniform and boots, belt, cover, ect that they use only for the purpose of uniform inspection so for that instance I believe the hair spray trick may be of value.
As an Army veteran, as soon as I heard the word Navy, I knew it would be a nope. 😉
🤣🤣🤣
Thanks for your service. 🍻
Me too, we don’t cut corners at Fort Benning!
Regarding military inspections: sometimes you just need an immediate solution even if it isn’t the long term best
I've never heard of using hair spray, but when I was in the Marines, lots of people used Future or Mop-n-Glow floor wax to finish off their boots. It hardens more than shoe wax, but it will eventually flake off. It's also very difficult to remove.
I really enjoyed this reaction! Thanks for thoroughly debunking by giving the "hack" the best possible chance to work, and then showing both results. Fantastic! 👏
I remember guys in the army using clear floor polish on their boots, looks gleaming but wasn't for me, not worth the running about if you got caught doing it 😂
Edit- it's klear floor polish 👍
A pal of mine used clear wood varnish on his boots. Looked like black glass inside but outside in natural light they had a pronounced green sheen to them. The Sargent went ballistic on him.
This was a hack used when I served in the UK Forces but we used a floor polish. Recruits tended to use the method once and would regret it when rain would turn the cap white like in your video or a keen eyed instructor caught on that something was amiss during inspection.I saw my own Drill Instructor throw a fellow recruits pair of shoes out of a second story window as a result of this ‘ miracle shine method’ 😂 . Thank you for the experiment it was fun to watch.
WWII trick, my Dad taught me. We kept our shoes cleaned and shined. Yes, we had shoe inspections before school. My Dad was a Sergeant.
Clean occasionally with saddle soap. Saddle soap returns lanolin to the leather. Then dry and buff. Then spit polish, black or brown. Then spit polish with red, yes red. It makes the black or brown just pop. Through WWII and the 1950s the shoe polish brand was Shinola. Do this several times to add depth.
Dad sounds like a party.😅
dry weather yes, wet no! also you can use pledge clear floor polish. however when it rains they will go blueish colour. your best lazy option is black morrello paint. but it it gets damaged you will need to strip it all and start over
Your Efforts and Results are also liked,That which I am very fond of, that work cannot be done even after a lot of effort, But you make it possible every time with your dedication and technique, you present an excellent example of perfection.
One thing is said in India that I have been listening for quite some time, polish such shoes so that Some one can see their face in it
I used to do this when I was in the cadets, because they were just issued boots and we didn't have knowledge about how to properly shine leather.
Lol!! My grandfather from Kentucky used hairspray years ago. It was awful build up. He then started spraypainting them when it stopped shining.
I was taught this method in the service. It works for an extremely short time, one inspection say, but then it ruins any base coat you have and creates 2-3 times the work.
Rubbing alcohol and kiwi good old days
out of all the videos of yours , this is where i get to see you !!
your work is always an art and i now have seen the artist !
That "trick" uses a 3$ - 4$ bottle of hair spray... and works very well if you have an emergency.
You should've compare it with the cheapest wax... for people that don't have 100$ - 200$ to spend on theyr boots.
Like, give alternative to a cheap shine, but in that budget, or somewhat close... not 20x budget of what she was using.
spent 15 yrs in the army & have used the Hair spray method & mop & glow, for a cheat for inspections. but you are defiantly not going to be walking around in them because it does crack & do weird things. Thing is you still have to do a traditional mirror shine to get the best results form both the hair spray & mop & glow
This sounds like a myth buster, but for shoes..
Good idea for a new video series
@@TheElegantOxford it'll be great !
Maybe you could do a video about taking care of leather shoes in the winter. Especially when there's a lot of salt on the snow outside. I'd love to see that!
I did 8 years in British army and the way you polish with water always did it for me
Your videos got me shining my shoes to a mirror level. Havent regred a minute and I get compliments from those shiny shoes.
It's an army trick often used on dress shoes. But it cracks quite quickly after and damages the leather. Seen it done loads
I wonder how clear nailpolish would do for a shine. That stuff is really hard when dry, but also a bit flexible (so won't just crack off). But it's also high gloss and repels water.
When I was in the Army after spit shining my boots, a coat of future floor polish on the toe and heel would preserve that shine for days and even survive a day in the motorpool. A scuff could be taken care of with a quick buff. I'll admit it probably isn't the best thing for the leather but, it works great for passing inspections.
While I would not have done this during my 27 years in the military, I can see why the young person might look for a short cut for preparing shoes for a military inspection. At many military schools there are shoes you wear and then shoes that are displayed under their bunk or in their locker. When time is short this method could be a quick alternative to ready some display shoes. But as you showed in your video certainly not a good option for anything to be worn.
I enjoy your videos and have been “spit shining” my shoes/boots for over 40 years. I must admit after watching your videos I have redone my shoes several times. 👍
Cheers, Tim
There are no shortcuts in life, unless an job is done properly; it'll have to be repeated at least once. Bulling one's shoes is a commitment pure and simple.
its a hell of a way to do i have did it and it works like a champ and only aussie hair spray the one that has 4 dots on the can
When I was in the Marines, there was a trick of using Mop-n-Glo on your boots to give them a mirror gloss. It looked great. But it would destroy the leather. It would crack the floor polish leaving weird flakes and dry out the leather, leaving the boot destroyed. I then learned how to spit shine my boots and never looked back. A true good spit shine is unbeatable.
So true! mop-n-glo is a popular method I’ve heard from others as well. Thank you for your service
I applaud the effort, care and attention that you bring forward and the considerations given in the comparisons made; nice work, nice video. I note the way that you ‘tie on’ your cloth. I would ask, if you haven’t done so already, could you do a quick tutorial on the potential cloth type used, the approximate shape considered and how you manage to ‘tie on’ so that it enables you to concentrate on the application technique without the cloth having to be held or slipping off!! Thank you in advance.
I've used the Hairspray method to get me out of jams a couple of times. Its great but not permanent.
Good trick to have in your back pocket
I was in the navy. Used black wax followed by parade gloss, shined with cotton, then used spandex to shine again, followed by windex and a cotton ball. Glass everytime and lasted.
My cousin who's in the Marines uses mink oil hair spray he says it makes it really shiny when they have to Wear their dress blues? But you are correct he says it doesn't last and it does scuff real easy
Hairspray is great for really shiny patient leather. It takes out scuff marks (not deep but the little lines that patent leather gets). I used it for a while when my daughter was as young and it the patent leather school shoes phase.
I’ve also used it on ‘plastic leather’ shoes to remove marks - I do buff it off with a cloth it stop it being too shiny.
I think that you’re ok on patent leather for sure. No complaints from me
@@TheElegantOxford when I was in jrotc in hi-school some kids use to use jc johnson floor wax to get that shine one there shoes an heir dryer I always use Meltonian cream as base then the wax polish my local coblar recomanded an my shoes looked just as good as there’s with out cutting corners
I know people who would use hairspray and it doesn't turn out well in the long run
I thought I was going to die inside when I watched the part where you sprayed your nice shoes
Glad to see that you cleaned it off and have done a normal shine, they deserve better than to be hairsprayed.
Haha I was so nervous as well. Don’t worry I made sure to get it all off
Back in the day, in the British Army, (1970's) a quick fire trick if you suddenly need your shoes (black oxfords) or your second pair of boots, to shine like your drill boots, there was a product made for shining linoleum floors...came out of the tin as a white liquid, but as it dried on the boots, dried to a good shine in a couple of minutes......The only problem was, if it rained the shiny toecaps would slowly turn white.....until they dried when they would shine again.
i feel like continued use of hairspray would definitely damage the leather over time. like a saying in my profession, a short cut can often end up biting you in the butt in the future.
as a navy cadet we have weekly inspections. i would strip my shoes once every three months but i would allow my lincoln (trust me use lincoln) wax to build up over that three month period and by the end all i needed to do was do a water buff for the last month. when i stripped my shoes i would put two coats of boiled linseed oil on the leather then wax them. simple and quick but works
What about the French Nails???
Not regulation at all.
Plus they're going to get trashed directly.
Don't get French Nails Justin!!!
I was in Lima, Peru about 12 years ago on business. A couple of street kids were shinning shies. There last step was to use hair spray. They didn't di any buffing. The shoes looked okay for s day but for five cents it was worth it.
It's funny how you say that "it isn't my best work" and then I look at the shoes and think "that looks amazing; what is he talking about?" ha, ha!
I have a mirror gloss toe cap on my AE First Avenue boot. Of course the pebble grain must be filled in to get the shine. Any time I need to fix the shine, I just brush the boot to clean the dust from it and hit it with a nylon. Fast polishing also removes minor scuffs. I carry extra shoes, a brush, nylon, matching belt and shoe trees in a bag in the trunk on days out, just in case.
One step I believe you forgot from what that young lady noted, she put a layer of wax (melted) on boots before hair spray. You stripped the oxfords of wax and then sprayed on the hairspray. I could be wrong in remembering but I believe not. Great videos and strong advice. We used Lincoln Polish when I was in the military applied with cotton balls and water.
I tried this in the army to shine parade boots. It doesn't work and will breakdown before the end of a parade. Drill instructors and NCOs are on to it.
I also tried linoleum polish, it was called Dri- brite. That produced a better shine but also flaked off and then the boot required re boning because the polish destroyed the original coating of the boot
When in the service l used LEATHER LUSTER. I used it on all the Tac boots when in the Prison as an Officer. Works great..quick n painless. What do you think?
I had a buddy that used floor polish on his parade boots and it made them super shiny ( Super reflective ) and they looked great until his major's inspection in Week 10 of BMQ and when he came to attention the leather on the boot cracked.
He had to get another pair from the QM and had to get his boots up to snuff in under a week ( weeks 11 and 12 are done in the field ).
I still do a burn shine method for mine for the toe cap and heel for my dress shoes and always finish it off with a spit shine , I am going to purchase some leather conditioner in the near future as well.
Great videos, love the content
takes 20 minutes to produce parade shine. cotton wool ball and ice water
Yes, we used this technique in the Marines prior to "Junk of the bunk" inspections and drills or quick muster after a night out of drinking without the time to buff. I sure with I knew about Saphir mirror polish, could have saved me hours of my life. sigh
When I was younger, I never understood the need to wear nice clothing or polish your shoes. Those things seemed superficial. Now I understand better that how you do anything, is how you do everything.
I have seen people use aftershave to substitute water when polishing (probably for the alcohol content), and even hairspray, amongst other products, to press their shirts instead of starch and/or steam (sometimes trousers as well). I have yet to join the military (Canadian), however, I am in the youth cadets and wear very similar uniforms. As for shoes/parade boots, if you can't get leather renovateur and premium shoe wax, Kiwi wax is often the most affordable and recommended. I have often managed to get a mirror shine (across the entire shoe, not just the toe and heel, as per the dress regs.) using the traditional wax and water elbow-grease rather reliably and what-not. Nothing beats the traditional method in terms of reliability.
Which reminds me, I can't wait for my shoe trees to arrive next week. I can finally get a shine my oxfords and No.1 parade boots without that extreme crease across the vamp.
“Not perfect at all” *holds up perfectly shined shoe*
Many years ago there was a product called PENNY SHINE, and it was an aerosol spray shoe shine polish. It would seem someone could produce a product that would be similar and work good.
17:51
THAT’S the kind of shine I want on my shoes. WOW!
Hair spray is basically an clear, gloss acrylic lacquer. I have used it for years in plastic modeling.
I've used bjorn axen rockhard spray in the 90is to pass inspection. It works but you walk flatfooted to inspection and as soon as possible, remove it and do it right.
Hairsprays contain PVAs that harden after a while similar to a clear coat.
Hi Preston. Excellent work as always. There is another pair of John C. Roberts up for grabs on Ebay right now. I'd snatch them up myself, but they're far too large for me at 10.5. It might be a good restoration project for you to upload here for one of your giveaways.
I used to be a member of the Royal Air Force, one of the tricks people used there was to use a product called 'Klear' or 'Clear' I cannot remember which. I personally never used it, but if it rained the leather would turn blue.
It was fun,, I tried it wow shined fast,, I am Vet I know tricks are temporary,, but they have their place.
I love that you actually used the hairspray to demonstrate! Awesome
I'm glad you challenged this shortcut to parade shine boots and shoes, this would be catastrophic during an important parade or exhibition in public for service members with milky white boots!
Two comments: If this is anything like spray painting, put two light coats on and not one large one like in the video. One large spray paint will not only run but also take a long time to dry and will crack. I wonder about adding a layer of neutral wax over the Aquamet? I agree that a stitch in time saves nine.
I seen guys in the Army use Mop and Glow on their boots......at first glance they look great, however once you walk in them they make this dust in the top creases....also if the get wet...they turn a pale blue color.
Hey... I am glad ya found some use/reason to buy hair spray😂😂
If I caught my squad using hair spray to shine their boots, they would be getting 30 lashes with the Cain.
Hairspray ingredients: www.aussie.com/en-us/mega-hair-spray
Basically solvents to bulk out the product and keep it together: (Water, Dimethyl Ether, Denatured Alcohol, Acetamide MEA)
... the alcohol will damage leather (and skin!) over time.
Acrylates to harden into the shine: (Acrylates Copolymer, Acrylates/Octylacrylamide Copolymer, Aminomethyl Propanol)
A buffer, to maintain a neutral PH (Aminomethyl Propanol)
Light silicone oils for hair to move about a bit: (Cyclopentasiloxane, PEG-8 Dimethicone)
... this is why you couldn't get it off the shoe! Silicone oils give easy shine, but are hard to remove - cheap furniture sprays are the same.
A preservative, to stop the chemicals breaking down over time: (Ammonium Benzoate)
A UVB blocker, to stop the spray breaking down in sunlight: (Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate)
Some natural softeners: (Ecklonia Radiata Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil)
Try shining a military grade leather boot...
It's completely achievable, however putting that shine on it is going to take much longer than quality leather, I learned that one the hard way. Especially that initial polish or after stripping top wax. Bought the saphir some time ago and forgot how long that initial shine takes and almost felt duped by the saphir... Until the shine started to come through.
Water can dissolve hairspray, and when it evaporates hairspray will be hard again.
Hey, she said that it's a cheat.
I've got a question, does the conditioner work on leather with factory finish?
Amway Shoe Spray....When I was in the Navy in the 70s, I sold a lot of it to the sailors. Quick and easy shine.
Went to target for hairspray, left with a kid.
That happened to me once and I am single.
Return it for something useful.
After we spit shined the cap toe on our Corcoran jump boots we used bravo floor wax to finish it off. Made it much shinier and a much deeper shine. Curious to know if anyone else might remember doing this. Army, ‘69.
On hard toe and heel boots you can use a thin coat of mop and glow to protect the shine after you get it mirror finished. Did it daily when I was in the army for a decade. Do not use it on the parts that flex though
drinking juice from a custom coffee mug. life could not be better!
To be fair, any Navy trainee that hasn't used klear floor polish isn't a proper trainee. Also there's a spray called "electrolube" that works pretty well. Jack black boat paint seems to be the go to though.
That "hairspray" trick is as old as the hills... But the gal presenting it got a bit of it wrong.
Some Old Timer in her family probably told her about it, but didn't tell her "HAIR LACQUER"... which was what hairspray was, back in the 40s, 50s and into the 60s...
Some guys in the Military would spray their boots and shoes with it if they got wind of a surprise Inspection comin'.
They'd brush/buff their shoes or boots as quickly as they could, put them down on a sheet of newspaper, then shoot 2 or 3 thin coats of Hair Lacquer on them... Lacquer dries FAST... And then, they'd hope that their Sarge wouldn't look too close.
If they wore the boots/shoes for more than a few steps, the lacquer would "check up" and be flaky... But that was easy to correct by stripping them at the next polishing.
I don't think shooting hairspray on leather will hurt it. I'm positive that shooting lacquer on finished leather won't hurt it...
But there really is no substitute for Elbow Grease!
Okay I remember seeing this video and I tried it I found myself getting lazy not doing the mirror shine I used the hairspray and for me, it worked out okay for where I had to go real quick. and then I caught myself using it again over and over and over and here's the part that's really messed up. it's so bad is that when you get to that point where you have put so much on their. That it builds it up and it starts turning white and flaking on its own without even getting wet it gets worse when it gets wet but. . IT IS HELL TAKING THAT OFF OF YOUR SHOES IT TAKES MASSIVE AMOUNT OF ELBOW GREASE, ALCOHOL, ACETONE TO GET THEM BACK WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE SO DO NOT DO IT I'M JUST SAYING IF YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR SHOES THEN GO AHEAD BUT IT TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO CLEAN THAT STUFF OFF. And I kept thinking this is a big no for someone who mere shines their shoes I should have known better. and I can picture Preston and Kirby Allison looking at me and saying why would you do that ....lol
Question, Preston: should I be conditioning the bovine lining of my Tecovas? I gave it a shot, and I think it depends on how well your hand fits inside! Fortunately, mine does, so I just get a finger full of Renovateur, and spread it around. How often should I do it? I don't think I should do it as often as I do the boots themselves. Maybe three times a year? What do you think??
When I was in the Army I knew a lot of people that used floor wax to mirror shine their boots 🤦🏼♂️. I always used the traditional method
Solvents can be strange. Since hairspray is water soluble it should come off pretty easily with water and maybe some saddle soap. Acetone or alcohol probably has a much harder time cutting it. Counter intuitive, I know.
Hi Preston.
I like your vlog about dyeing, restore and mirror shine a shoes. I have a request, Can you do the same thing to Dr Martin boots? I like to see it😁
Tq
Ikbar jack from Malaysia
Military/law enforcement boots are often made with cheap genuine leather, or with an oiled leather. I assume those Park Avenues are made of calf skin. Do you think that this method would work differently on made made pleathers or cheap genuine leather than on calfskin?
props to preston for geniunely considering this as a viable option rather than immidiately dismissing it. however i can tell you that even in the army cadet force in the uk, we show distain for anybody who uses hairspray on their boots.
Thanks Kurtis. Glad to hear that shortcuts are frowned upon!
I like the cup.
Many years ago there was a spray gloss for shoes. I don't remember, but I used it on a pair of shoes for a long time. It made a really gloss shine.
I don't think you can polish over the gloss. The best I remember it was really a good shine, but seems like after time, the flex areas would begin to flake. I never used in an anything but one pair of shoes.
There are several brands for sale on Amazon. The name Spit Shine kind of seems familiar, but that was in the early 1970s.
Living near a Navy base, I have had friends do this, but the other trick they have is they don't care how long the shine or boot lasts. I have never know anybody to trash uppers as fast as they do.
Could you please make a video on how to clean and shine any black patent leather shoes?
I am quite curious to see the result of your video. I am looking forward to hearing from you. Thank you!
You would want to make sure you didn't have a bunch of gritty dirt/mud on them... but for getting them "clean", windex will do (sparingly on a soft cloth) ok. Other than that, "Pledge" to give them a quick touch-up... it would be a good video to see how to care for them without hurting them.
I have found "Mister Sheen' or some spray on furniture polish can work. You lightly spray it on, leave it to dry and then buff. I have been advised that this can dry out the leather and isn't good for a daily routine. I would like to see 'The Elegant Oxford' take on this.
I couldn't agree with your comments more. Were hairspray an viable alternative, wouldn't the shoe polish makers, or shoe manufacturers themselves release and endorse using a "hairspray" type product. There is a good reason why they don't and as far as I'm aware have never done so.
Hairspray is made up from chemicals designed to hold hair styles in place. These chemical formulations are not designed to nourish, protect and improve the appearance of leather. And despite any temporary illusions of improving the look of the leather, the main purposes of traditional polishing, nourishing and protecting the leather, are neglected. Further to this, not only would one be neglecting the care of the leather from which their shoes are made, but by using hairspray or a similar product, the likelihood of damage to this leather would be reasonably high - particularly from prolonged use.
Products designed for the nourishment, protection and aesthetic improvement of the leather are far more likely to produce long lasting care and protection of shoes which are regularly maintained. The success of these products is why companies specialising in shoe care have lasted generations and have not only loyal customers, but endorsements from shoe makers (aka cordwainers) and repairers (aka cobblers).
Thanks for the video and your attempt to give this phoney shoe shine method a chance to prove itself. I would have liked though, in the interests of fairness (and because I know how impressive the result would have been) for you to have dropped some water on the traditionally polished shoes to show how much better that treatment will respond. Keep up the good work.
A few of my friends used hairspray when they had forgotten about an inspection, more of a temporary shine to pass inspection is all
I like your videos, as an ex-serviceman who had to mirror shine shoes & boots 35 years ago. :) I was a little surprised when you appeared on camera - in my head you were an 18 year old Englishman. :D
Three minutes into the video, I totally feel Preston's pain as he was reviewing this haha