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Shoe care guide (advanced)

Polishing time:

25-30 minutes

Difficulty

Advanced

Introduction

Do you have a passion for leather dress shoes and want to give them the best care possible? Then this advanced guide will help you on the way. In 5 easy to understand we will explain to you how to fully take care of your leather shoes. Eventhough, this is a more advanced version of our beginner guide, it is still very doable if you do not have any experience shining shoes.

Step 1.

Deep cleaning & Removing old shoe polish

If you are an avid shoe shiner we recommend cleaning your leather shoes fully once every year. Shoe polish tends to build up over time, and trap dirt and stains in between layers which can cause the shoes to shine up less easily and look less good.

Begin by removing any dirt, dust and sand from the shoes with a brush. Afterwards apply a little Saphir Renomat to a cotton cloth and apply on a discrete part of the shoe to test whether the Renomat has the desired effect. (We have used Renomat on thousands of shoes and never really had issues, but it is better to be safe than sorry). After the test rub the shoes with Renomat to remove all old shoe polish. Usually around two full passess with the Renomat is sufficient to remove any dried up waxes and creams.

Step 2.

Conditioning & Mild cleaning

Apply Saphir Médaille d'Or Renovateur by using an applicator cloth or brush. Make sure to distribute the cream evenly over the entirety of the shoe (except the soles). Allow the cream to soak into the leather for at least 5 minutes before brushing/buffing off any excell Renovateur cream. Renovateur will nourish the leather deeply. Let dry for five minutes and brush out using a horsehair brush. Saphir Médaille d'Or is a great leather conditioner, but also doubles as a fantastic mild cleaner which can be used on a weekly basis.

Your shoes are now clean and nourished. At step 3 we will explain how to shine, recolour and give the basic level protection to your shoes.

Step 3.

Shining and recolouring

Apply some Saphir Médaille d'Or Pommadier shoe cream by using an applicator cloth or brush to evenly distribute the cream over the shoes. Allow the cream to be absorbed by the leather for about five minutes. Saphir Médaille d'Or Pommadier cream will nourish, recolour, protect and give a soft shine to your leather shoes. Brush your shoes with a horsehair brush to create a nice shine.

Tip:Depending on the damages or fading of the colour of your shoes you can apply+shine Pommadier cream up to three times to get better coverage. To pick the best matching colour cream for your shoes be sure to read our Saphir colour guide.

After finishing with this step your shoes will be recoloured and have a nice matte shine. At the 4th step we will discuss how you can waterproof your shoes and give them a high shine finish.

Step 4.

Waterproofing & high gloss finish

use Saphir Médaille d'Or Pate de Luxe to create a waterproofing high gloss finish on your shoes. Begin by applying a very thin layer of Saphir Medaille d'Or Pate de Luxe shoe wax. Be sure to spread the wax over the shoes as thin as possible. Afterwards, shine your shoes with preferrably a cotton cloth (or a brush) to shine up the wax polish on the shoes. For new shoes or shoes that haven't been shined recently it can be beneficial to repeat this step once more after you are done.

Are your shoes fitted with leather soles? Then also give your sole edges a shine using Saphir Médaille d'Or Pate de Luxe.

Step 5. (optional)

Mirror shine

Last, but not least you can mirror shine your shoes using a combination of Saphir Médaille d'Or Pate de Luxe and Saphir Médaille d'Or Mirror Gloss. This way you create a mirror like finish on the surface on the leather. The smoother your wax layers the more shine you get. A good rule to follow is to only mirror shine the toe cap and heels of your shoes. This way you prevent the wax from cracking while wearing them.

Layers 1-3: Start building up a foundation with Mirror Gloss. This hard wax will more easily fill up the pores and structure of the leather creating a smooth surface.

Layers 3-6: The next 3 layers will be Pate de Luxe. Apply a extremely small amount each time and buff using a drop of water or our high shine water.

Which colour shoe cream/wax should I pick?

Shoe polish will almost never exactly match the colour of your shoes. Even though your shoes are made and branded the colour ‘Cognac’ there are still many interpretations of what the colour needs to look like. To pick the right colour product for your shoes be sure to check out our Saphir Colour guide. We also give recommendations on when you should go for a neutral/colourless cream and when you might need a pigmented shoe cream.

Advanced shoe shine guide

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