There’s no better way to ruin your overall look than by wearing dirty, unpolished shoes. Nor of telling the world that you don’t care about details. Do not be that man. Keep your shoes shined to elevate your look, boost your confidence, and extend their life.
This post isn’t about express shoe shine sponges or liquid polishes sold in tubes for easy application, as convenient as these may be. It’s about the sort of “spit and polish” shoe maintenance I learned as a kid during my somewhat military-style upbringing.
It was a job that had to be done every evening after school, regardless of whether the shoes were caked in mud or still perfectly shined.
Of course, I’m not as strict with my adult self. I shine my dress shoes about once a year since this is about as often as I wear them, and my Hush Puppies once a week.
I almost never sport sneakers, but I wear my extremely comfortable Hush Puppies every day. Even to worship with my suit—not ideal, but they don’t look completely out of place. My current pair (see photos) are over four years-old; that’s the effect of regular polishing.
Polishing preserves the leather, safeguarding it from dirt, dust, damp, and heat. If unprotected, it will eventually dry out and crack.
What You Need to Shine Your Shoes
You don’t need a fancy shoe shine kit to get started. It takes only a few key items.
- A horsehair application brush; you can also use a cloth or rag for this.
- A horsehair brush for buffing.
- A soft cloth to increase shine.
- Shoe polish in the same color as your shoes (mine is by Kiwi in black).
- Leather conditioner if necessary—more on that below.
- You may need extra rags and paper towels, depending on how dirty your shoes are.
Source: The Neat and Tidy ManHow to Shine Shoes Step by Step
1. Prepare Your Shoes for Polishing
Before polishing, I always go over my shoes with my horsehair buffing brush to free them of dust and minor debris. You could use a cloth or rag for this, but a brush gets into every seam and cleft, and there’s no need to remove the laces—I only occasionally polish beneath them.
If dry brushing isn’t enough due to marks from spilled drinks, etc., remove these with a barely damp cloth or rag and allow to dry.
How to Dry Wet Shoes
If you’ve been out in the rain or snow and your shoes are saturated, stuff them with newspaper to draw out the moisture. This will also help retain their shape.
Change the newspaper after an hour, then leave to dry slowly; in other words, do not use direct heat, since this will parch the leather.
According to my experience, the drying process could take up to two days.
By the way, you can stuff shoes you rarely wear with newspaper in order that the leather retains its correct moisture content. The shoes will then remain in good shape for the next time you want to wear them.
How to Remove Caked Mud From Leather Shoes
If the mud is still wet, you’ll be able to remove it with paper towels and a rag.
If it’s dry, scrape as much as you can from the sole and welt with the blunt side of a knife or a special shoe knife. But try not to bring it into contact with the upper part of the shoe; if you do, be very, very gentle.
Remove any remaining mud with a damp rag and allow to dry thoroughly.
For traces of mud still evident, scrub with a dry brush—never attempt to shine shoes that are not perfectly clean.
2. Condition Your Shoes
If your shoes are brand new or have been exposed to moisture or direct heat, you’ll need to condition them. This will add protection as well as preventing the leather from becoming brittle, which will cause it to crack.
Other than that, condition once every three to 12 months to keep the leather supple.
I use a high-quality leather conditioner that I bought about 10 years ago; that’s how long it will last if you never own more than two pairs of shoes.
In case you have nothing else at hand for the time being, petroleum jelly is said to be a reasonable alternative.
How to Apply Shoe Conditioner
- Use a soft cloth to apply leather conditioner, rubbing in a minimal amount with circular motions.
- Allow to absorb for at least 15 minutes. I usually leave overnight.
Source: The Neat and Tidy Man3. Apply Shoe Polish
Cream or Wax Polish?
Cream shoe polish nourishes leather but adds practically no shine, while wax provides a higher gloss finish.
I use wax. It allows me to buff my dress shoes to an almost mirror finish or give my less formal Hush Puppies a more subtle shine with minimal buffing.
The color of your polish should match your shoes exactly, so be careful with tan and brown. Because I like to keep things simple, I only ever buy black shoes.
How to Apply Shoe Polish
I apply polish with a brush, dabbing it onto the toe, the sides, and the back before working it into the entire shoe, including the welt and heel.
Important is that you distribute evenly, paying attention to areas that show more wear, particularly scuffs and creases. Be careful not to use too much, or you’ll never get a shine.
As previously mentioned, I prefer brushes because they get into every nook and cranny, but you can apply polish with a cloth.
Wait for the polish to dry, which should take about 15 to 20 minutes.
Source: The Neat and Tidy Man4. Shine Your Shoes
Shine With Regular Buffing
The most important piece of equipment needed to properly shine shoes is a horsehair buffing brush.
I’ve been using one since I was about five, so it’s second nature to me, but you have to buff with feeling: move the brush back and forth in quick, light strokes, willing the shine to appear before your eyes. I guarantee it will work.
That’s all the shine I need for my Hush Puppies, but my dress shoes need more.
Adding a Mirror Shine
This is where you need a bit of “spit.”
To achieve a high gloss shine, sprinkle the polished shoe with a little water using your fingertips. Then take a very soft cloth and buff vigorously.
Applying a further layer of “spit and polish” will achieve even more shine. To do this, pick up the tiniest amount of polish with a dampened rag and buff vigorously one more time.
I always finish with a brush.
Maintaining Shine
I keep my shoes shining between polishes by dry brushing every evening.
I also keep an express shoe shine sponge at home and in the office just in case.
© 2024, J. Richardson. All rights reserved.
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