How to Use Saphir Reno'Mat | Remove Old Shoe Wax & Polish 

hey guys you should really use a glove when working with solvents like acetone or turpentine. it basically breaks down oil and fats and such. it penetrates your skin and is now in your body where it will eventually attack the myelin sheath around your nerves. this is why you see so many painters and older cobblers with shaky hands. some have attributed parkinson's to this type of damage. love your channel thanks for the great content.

Please cut to some closeups on before and after videos. I’m really enjoying your tutorial vids. Pls keep them coming. 👍

Adding cream or wax to the edges is a step often missed on other tutorials. Good tip.

What I learned from this video is ... what I don't know is a lot. Keep them coming guys.

One of your best! I bet I’m not the ONLY one who didn’t know the proper way to remove built-up shoe wax. Great tutorial-as always!

Really great demo and tutorial. I learnt so much about how to care for my leather shoes 🙂 Big thank you 🙏

Soap after Reno Mat is a good idea. Will do that now. Thks

Having retired from the Marine Corps, I can say that while I am no 'expert cobbler', I am pretty experienced in 'cleaning, conditioning and taking care of' boots. That said, and you won't believe this, but the BEST PRODUCT on ANY market, bar-NONE, is Edge Gel shaving cream! Wet your overly-waxed shoes slightly (tap water), then PACK a 'hog hair wax applicator brush' with Edge Gel...and START SCRUBBING! It will strip Quartermaster, paint, wax, you name it, from your shoes (old combat boots, it could strip base Quartermaster down to 'gray leather'). Once you have COMPLETELY stripped your boots (or shoes), begin by conditioning the leather, then wax...LIGHTLY...the traditional 'Kiwi Boot Black' will return black color, while the leather is now conditioned and again healthy. NEVER wax a shoe more than three times, before you strip it and start again...I've had ABUSE VICTIM boots that lasted 10-years (and 4-6 resoles) by doing this! (Now...ask yourself...if both work equally well, would you shave your face with Reno'mat, or Edge Gel?)

About to use some Renomat for the first time on a 30 year old pair of brogues. Thanks for your advice.

Great video. Helps a lot with my understanding. And thanks also for answering my question i asked previously. You guys should have way more subscribers. Keep going and you will take off.

Great video, and it answered my question on how to strip wax buildup from shoes.

You guys are the best, great info!

Just did this a couple of days ago. Reno Mat works great.

Useful demo! Thank you.

Another great video Trenton, thank you.

I came back to the comment cession just to say that Saaohir Reno'Mat is the product for its job. Thank you so much.

One of the things I do once a month with my welted shoes is use an old toothbrush and rub in along the welt some shoe conditioner. I like to use obenauf which contains all natural beeswax and propolis. Just a little goes a long way and it really helps keep the welt and stitching in excellent condition. I use it also on waxy or non shiny leather finishes but not on coated or high shine finish leather as it dulls it and does not sink into the open pores of leathers such as natural calf, deer or ostrich. You can tell that the gentleman who owns these likes to keep them looking nice it’s just the balance of products to also keep the leather in good condition is needed in his shoe cleaning regime. Excellent advice you have given, it will put years of life on a shoe.

hello to all, another great video, very helpful, thanks

👍🙏Thank you for the demo. I know you were probably filming this solo...I just wanted to say, it would have also been helpful (as a point of reference) to see a close up of the cracks in the shoe(s) that you mentioned. 🤗

Love your videos! Keep them coming! Random question, how do you get the polish of your shammies after using heavily pigmented cream polishes? Does it stain your towels and shammies?

Hey Trenton & Heath, great tutorial. Thank you! Do you have a video on how you are supposed to care for Terracotta-style leather boots? (Wax, products, etc?).

thank you very much for an excellent educational video. for future vids could you do some close-ups on the progress so that we may see it more clearly. cheers!

I have found that a code of Saphir's navy blue cream polish as a part of the restoration really makes the shoe pop! Thanks for the video!

Good video, thank you. I've seen many tutorials where they tell to not apply anything on the side of the sole (or on te sole directly) because the leather used for the sole has specific treatments and you may apply a product that causes bad interactions. Any clue on this ? Tank you, also apply a bit of cream on the pitched thread is a good key to durability because it avoids it to dry and break.

So that’s why my shoes cracked. Had no clue. Thanks!

Thank you!

Thank you. Would love to see more resole videos.

I never knew about any of this! Wax is the only thing I had been aware of for shoe care.

Thank you.

I wish you guys would do a video on how to get rid of Creases!

Having been in the army for 15 years and all the polishing I put into my parade boots, I actually just used hto water and a brush as no one had mentioned the proper way to clean shoes. but yes there was a lot of cracking and dryness

What would you recommend to strip Corcoran jump boots?

I really like those shoes where can I get a pair like those? Nice Job on the shoe treatment.

Thanks much

Greetings, fellow Nashvillians! I’ll be visiting you guys soon! When would you recommend using the Saphir Dubbin Graisse?

Hello, Thank you for the video it was very useful. I had one question in my mind that I am seeking for an answer. Say I condition and wax my leather shoes. The next time that I have to polish them (say in a week or two), should I once again condition on the previous wax layer and apply the wax again or do I have strip the previous wax from the leather and then condition them and apply a new coating of wax? It is also not advisable to shampoo / clean the shoe every week or month right. Looking forward for your reply.

Would be nice to have some close ups through the video. Thanks

You could do with a clip-on mic to remove the hard room ambience that spoils the audio of this presentation. There is nothing wrong with the content. Love it.

I just received some dark brown Gucci Loafers and thought I'd treat them with some bees wax. Unfortunately some of it accumulated particularly in one spot, thus I now have this dark stain on my new shoes... Could this help to remove the wax without damaging the factory painting underneath?

Do you have to strip the wax each time you are going to add cream polishes?

Hi Trenton & Heath! I recently bought a pair of second hand nubuck Timberland boots which I realised have been polished with normal shoe polish. I’ve managed to scrape a lot of it off with a stiff suede brush but there are still patches, I want to try acetone but not sure about it on nubuck? Any advice welcome!

Cream seems to be better than using wax is what I gather. Will be buying it instead. Thanks for the information and great demo!

Thank you best way to remove without harsh products?

What would u recommend for stripping wax from a low quality dress shoe like a Florsheim that are factory treated with a glossy finish?

Is there a way to save patina finishes and also remove the wax? Or can I re-create the patina finish with regular shoe cream? Like, if I put darkbrown shoe cream on the toe cap(and the heel) and try to fade it back by making it thinner as I work my way inwards the shoe(but first use a neutral product in the middle section of course). Would this work or is there a better way? I am also going to put wax on the toe cap and on the heel afterwards.

Do you have any videos removing scratches and scuffs please?

Hey guys, what would you use to strip off the polish from the mid level neutral coloured sole on the redwing 8111? I've just got a pair 2nd hand and the are dark brown all over. Many thanks

You can use various grades of sand paper and file those cracks completely away . I’ve done it on old Italian leather which you all know is notoriously thin, and I approached it with caution, as I did not want to cut through the leather. Which you most certainly won’t if you are watching and feeling what you are doing as you go and not going Willy nilly. You get beyond that fear and the reward is a renewed shoe with zero cracks 😁 You’d want to use the same grit that you would for fingernails emery board nothing heavier and work your way to lighter grit from there. The shoes will have a second chance but last chance as there isn’t much material left to file away if you develop more cracks again so going forward properly condition your leather and they will last you the rest of your life. That’s a guarantee..

Love your videos! Unrelated question though: How do you feel about manufacturer's refurbishment. They often include rewelting while cobblers would use the existing welt, as far as I understand. So what are the pro/cons of refurbishment vs resole?

I bought a pair of 70s florsheim imperials that look like they were worn like twice but it has this factory sheen to it that looks kinda cheap, I was wondering if using Renomat would be a good idea in this case because I actually dont see any polish on them or should I just use Renovateur? It doesnt look like the kind of leather I usually use Renovateur on although I dont know much about leather

What products do you recommend for cleaning leather shoes and boots that are not abrasive like the Reno Mat?

I use a hair drier first to get most of the wax off. Then saddle soap, then conditioner. Then cream polish and light coat of paste wax.

How do you know when you are done removing wax and now removing pigment?

Sir Please tell me what I can put on the toe cap to reduced wear Thank you.

So how often should you strip it all down and start over again?

so if you want to condition a highly polished pair of shoes... let's say once every 6 months... do you need to strip off the wax? will conditioner ever go thru wax? or is it a matter of zeroing out the finish, reapply conditioner and then wax it back up to a shine?

Would I be able to remove WAX from the toe cap with just the Saphir leather cleaner and dauber? Assuming i use enough elbow grease of course.

How do I best care for my Nubuck boots? I am not sure which products to use to keep the leather happy yet not stained...

Would this work on exotic cowboy boots that have a shine spray added to them? I can’t seem to be able to remove the shining spray and it won’t let me condition the leather

Question: I accidentally used a chestnut color Meltonian cream over a beautiful pair of Johnston and Murphy Italian shoes with a lighter, more natural color leather. Could you please tell me how do I get the extra color from that Meltonian cream off to restore the natural color and grain of the shoe?

Would acetone also help one a shoe cream polish? I just purchased my first pair of shoes and I created a spot of polish since I didn’t spread it out fast enough.. HELP!!!

Is there a difference between using the leather soap and the saddle soap from saphir on dress shoes?

Just curious, is there any particular reason to use universal cream instead of renovateur?

What about the cracks on the side? Are they still visible or filled in with wax?

How do you clean wax on shoes, with patina finish?

Hey guys, can you share how to remove bloom or spew that has accumulated on my uppers? It’s seems to be spreading from across the top over to outer side of the shoes.

IMO, cotton balls saturated with the solvent is the best means to completely remove the built up wax. You're fighting evaporation, capillary action and wax buildup when you use a large rag. The cotton ball is better at concentrating the solvent which allows the liquidated wax to move inside the cotton ball which allows it to continue to wet and cut at the old wax much longer per application. The final wipe-down with a solvent dipped rag should only reveal the slightest haze of the old wax color. Then you're ready to do the rest.

How to strip wax from shoes with patina? Thank you.

If I have patine in shoes what can I use to remove the regular wax that I used to brush in it?

What brand saddle soap do you recommend or are using here

Do you recommend using a coat of wax to protect and waterproof dress shoes and dressy boots or do you prefer Saphir Super Invulner? Are there waxes that don’t darken the leather? Which wax do you recommend?

How does the leather conditioner pass thru even a normal layer or wax? What allows it to penetrate thru wax so that it can condition leather, without stripping the wax off?

You showed the cracks on the side of the shoe at the beginning. What happened to these? Were they remedied by removing all the caked on polish? Do you treat a crack in a different manner?

what would you use to strip the wax off of a shoe that has a patina finish on it?

What should you use if you are trying to take wax of a patina shoe?

I really enjoy you videos. I have slowly findings good used quality shoes. However, one of the shoes I bought needed new soles. I brought them to a local cobbler (in Mexico). They guy put varnish on them!!! What would you recommend?

if I just put cream polish do I still need to strip it

So , I take it saddle soap doesn't remove the old wax??? Ruh ro! Lol! I honestly thought it did. I have several pairs of boots that I routinely saddle soap about once a year to what I thought was removing the old wax. I also routinely" lightly" wax my boots about every other week. With daily brushing only before wearing. Would you recommend that I use this product to remove all the wax considering all I've ever done is use saddle soap?? All my boots are solid color and are made from calf skin. Thank you!!

I got a tiny bit of black wax polish on my brown Allen Edmonds, how can i solve this problem, i tried to wipe it off and put a water stain on them :( i think there was very minimal black wax polish that mixed in with my brown cream polis, and the water stain is no good now

can you use the Reno'Mat on Redwing Iron Rangers?

This is an interesting channel. are you guys trying to be half a Bedos Leatherworks and half a Kirby Allison hangar project? I follow all 3!

I want to treat with Saphir water repellent spray and then SaphirCreme UNIVERSELLE Baolzam and then brush it. Whether it is possible to stop on it or this and to not put or render a cream?

I use turpentine. It is less aggressive than acetone and works quicker than Reno mat.

Is renomat safe for cordovan shoes?

Would this strip the color too?

It’s a beautiful shoe, can you tell me which make/ brand it is please ? Thanks

What kind of soap can I use after using Reno Mat? Is there one specific or could be anyone? I really enjoy these videos, so nice to learn this. Thanks

Great video Trenton & Heath. I have the Saphir Medaille Dor Renovateur and Pate De Luxe for a new pair of Crockett & Jones. I am unsure how to use them in combination and whether I should just stick to a creme as opposed to the wax polish. What advice do you have for beginners like myself in terms how frequently I should be applying the Renovateur and Pate De Luxe. Should I be taking the wax off every time I intend to apply creme or conditioner to the shoe?

If you advise against using renomat on patina/colored shoes, what is a good way to remove wax layers on those shoes (thinking especially about spit shine toes/heels).

I never wax shoes !!! I prefer to use a waterproofing agent/spray to a) take off a too much of the shoe cream I put on and b) to impregnate the leather from any type of rain it has to cope with ... I also prefer to use the term "moisturizing" or "fattening" the leather instead of "conditioning" it. I find it to be more to the point ... I wonder however if the waterproofing agent will also take of wax ... any ideas to that ??

What are the milder methods to removing wax?

How do you remove the wax on patina shoes?

Creme universalle also removes old waxes. So you dont need to use both 2 products. (renomat and unoversalle).

is there any risk of removing the shoe color besides the wax? Great video as always

More close ups please!

Would you recommend using the heatgun/blow dryer to remove the wax? I'd imagine using no harsh chemicals and not overheating the shoe would work great.

Will the saddle soap remove the wax? I use saddle soap occasionally to remove grime. I don’t have Reno Mat or Acetone.

Can you use Renomat to remove Saphir cream polish from shoes?? I see a lot of discussion about it being useful for removing WAX or SILICONE based polishes from shoes, but what do you use to remove Saphir’s CREAM polish??

Do you know the name of the shoe on the thumbnail of this video?

How would you advise on cleaning chomexcel leather? I applied some wax on it before and thinking of stripping it off.