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!
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! 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!
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.
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!
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.
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!!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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?
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 !!!!
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.
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.
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
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 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.
great video, but I wanted to say, I'm a woman and I have shoes and bags that need to be kept clean and looking great. So please, don't leave us women out. Believe me, people judge us by our shoes and bags.
Renovateur is great for pretty much anything leather. I use it for shoes, gloves, bag, etc. On the other hand, some pleople complain about it discolouring certain leathers, so test first on areas thar are hidden ( putthison.com/the-problem-with-saphir-renovateur/ ). On the other hand, you can just get the transparent creme pommadier and it does the job. For shoes: 1. Cedar shoe trees (they are different for women shoes: secure.img1-fg.wfcdn.com/im/78765604/compr-r85/1182/11826460/womens-cedar-shoe-tree.jpg ) Don't know how well they work, haven't used them. 2. For polishing and care, use youtube men shoes tutorials: wash > renovateur (optional, with caution!!!; see above) > pommadier > pate de luxe > mirror gloss (this one, you can definitely live without) 3. Enjoy people's reactions when they see the mirror shine
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.
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 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?
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.
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?
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
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.
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
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.
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.
why do i need cream when i have wac to polish? you're talking about the conditioning properties of the cream but as the conditioner already conditions, and the wax already polishes, why the cream?
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?
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.
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 😃👍👞
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.
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!
How do I clean work boots with rough side out so it’s not smooth. Shoes with rough side out last much longer. For work boots they look good when they are new but when they get dirty, “oh well”
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 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.
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?
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)
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.“
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.
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.
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.
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?
