In these days of synthetic materials, shining shoes may not be at the top of your to-do list, but if you own good leather shoes, then you must know the best way to make them look great. You probably know this already, but a really pretty pair of shiny shoes will highlight your look and send a message too. Either this guy is successful enough that he can afford someone to professionally clean his shoes, or this guy really cares about his appearance and the time he spends polishing his shoes shows it.
Think about that for a moment. Do you remember the last time you saw someone in really nice, polished shoes? Didn’t you sneak a peek at yours to see how they were piling up? Well-polished shoes are the exception today, which means they’re a great way to make a statement and get noticed.
So how can you get that shine you want?
The first thing you need are leather shoes. Everything that follows only applies to uppers that are made of leather and not a material similar to synthetic leather.
Second, prepare a shoe shine kit. You will need paste wax the color of your shoes, an old toothbrush, a shoe brush (preferably horsehair), a soft polishing cloth, black liquid shoe polish with a built-in applicator, cotton balls (if you want a shine saliva) some polishing rags, latex gloves and a piece of pantyhose. Yes, that is pantyhose.
Step 1
Clean your shoes. We live in a dirty world and your shoes are always in contact with it. Wipe off the dust and then use a little water and then clean and dry again immediately. Use the toothbrush to get into the seams between the top and the sole. Make sure to rinse the toothbrush when you’re done.
Step 2
Put on the gloves. If you’re like most guys, you’re shining your shoes right before you go out. If you don’t wear gloves, polish will stick under your nails and that’s a bad thing. Apply the wax to the shoes and rub it in a circular motion. If you want a hard shiny finish on your toes, use a cigarette lighter and apply heat to the tips. This opens the spills onto the leather and will allow the wax to penetrate deeper into the leather. Let the top dry for 15 minutes.
Step 3
While the upper part is drying, use the liquid black wax to treat the sole and heel. Apply and let dry. You may need to use your toothbrush to reach the threads that attach the sole to the upper.
Step 4
Brush the shoe. When you’re done brushing, use the pad to bring out the shine. Now for glitter freaks, take a wet cotton ball and dab just a little bit of wax on it and dab it on your toe in short circular motions. You do this over and over again until you get a really brilliant shine. The good news is, this will last a while if you take care of it. Then you take the pantyhose and, holding the shoe between your knees, you use both hands to polish the shoe. The fabric in the pantyhose will bring out an even brighter shine than the polishing cloth.
That is all. You are ready and you will look fantastic!
