How to shine your shoes and boots & why it is important

Whether it’s an upcoming job interview, your friend’s wedding, a graduation or another day of work, a pair of shiny shoes or boots can set you apart from the rest.  Why?

Taking care of your shoes or boots shows that you take good care of yourself.  Shined shoes or boots looks good but it is also a necessary part of properly caring for and maintaining a nice pair of leather shoes or boots. The polish itself helps moisturize and waterproof the leather, lengthening a shoes lifespan.

Estimated time to complete: 15-45 minutes

Requirments:
Tin of wax polish
Horsehair shine brush
Shoe polish brush to apply polish
Cotton ball or cotton pad
A shine cloth

Steps to shine your shoes or boots

Step 1: Find an old towel or newspaper to spread over the area you will be working on.  Shoe polish can get everywhere even when you’re being extremely careful.  It is difficult to get out of your carpet and clothes.

Step 2: Clean the dust and dirt off your boots with a horsehair shine brush or a damp towel or rag.  If your boots get a little wet, allow them time to dry before applying the polish.

Step 3: Cover the entire shoe with a generous amount of polish, using your shoe polish brush.  Be sure to match the color of the polish to your shoe as closely as possible.  Make sure you get down in the seams of the shoe and  cover evenly with polish.  An old toothbrush works well to get into tight spots and seams.  Wait 15 minutes for the polish to dry before proceeding to the next step.

Step 4: Brush the entire shoe using the horsehair shine brush.  You want to remove all of the excess polish.  At this point you want to see a small film on the shoes or boots.

Step 5: Dip a cotton ball or cotton pad into some water and squeeze out any excess moisture so it is damp, not dripping.  Then get a little polish on the damp cotton.  Next, apply the polish on the toe and heel of the shoe or boot using small circular motions.  This will take a little bit of time but is well worth it!

Step 6: Repeat Step 5 until you are satisfied with the level of shine.  Use a new piece of cotton each time and to remove all excess polish before applying a new coating.  The initial shine is the hardest.

Step 7: Buff to a gleaming shine with a clean cotton cloth, such as an old sweat sock or  T-shirt.

Additional info and tips:
Don’t polish suede, roughout or patent leather.
‘Instant’ shoe polishes typically do not last and can damage the shoe or boot leather.
Don’t try to use black polish to change the color of brown leather. If you want  to do this, hire a professional shoemaker to dye the shoes.

A shoe/boot shine kit can be purchased today to get you started.  Click here to purchase