Whether it’s an upcoming wedding, graduation, or simply another day at the office, a pair of shiny shoes can set you apart as a man who cares about the details. Not only does shining your shoes look 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 the lifespan of your shoes. And the buffing and shining ensure a clean, pulled-together look no matter the occasion. This article provides the complete multimedia guide to shining your shoes. There are a number of methods for shining your shoes.
1.
Gather Your Supplies & Prep
Supplies needed:
- tin of shoe polish
- horsehair shine brush (the large one in the image above)
- shoe polish brush (the smaller applicator brush)
- cotton balls
- shine cloth
Find an old towel or newspaper to spread over the area you will be working on. Shoe polish has an uncanny ability to get smeared everywhere, even when you’re being extremely careful. And it’s really hard to get out of 
the carpet.
2. Clean Your Shoes
Clean the dust and dirt off your boots with a horsehair shine brush or damp rag. If you must get your boots a little wet to clean them off, allow them time to dry before applying the polish.
3. Apply Polish
Cover the entire shoe with a generous amount of polish, using your shoe polish brush. The polish I’m using is black Kiwi Shoe Polish, but 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 attempt to cover evenly with polish. Allow 15 minutes for the polish to dry.
4.
Brush the Shoes
Brush the entire shoe vigorously using the horsehair shine brush.
The point of this is to basically brush off all the excess polish, leaving only a small film on the outside of the shoe.
5. Give Some Extra Love to the Toe and Heel
Once you feel comfortable that the entire shoe has been covered and brushed it is time to focus on the toe and heel for extra shine. Dip a cotton ball or 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 to the toe and heel of the shoe using small circular motions. Sit back, this is going to take a while.
How To Shine Your Shoes | Video Explanation
6. Repeat Until the Shoe is Shiny Like a Mirror
Repeat Step 5 until you are satisfied with the level of shine. Remember to use a new piece of cotton each time and to remove all excess polish before applying a new coating. Also, the initial shine is the hardest.
Hi, I am Brian, Lives in Mooresville, North Carolina, and Went to The University of Texas at Austin, I am a shoe lover & know the inside out of shoes. I am well aware of the qualities of top-quality boots. That’s what I’m sharing with the reader of About Shoes/boots/footwear. Read More Here
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