Comments on: Shoe Care 101: An Illustrated Guide

By: John

John — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 21:18:17 +0000

Parade Gloss is a Kiwi product and is truly fantastic if you want a true mirror shine. Apply it with a soft cloth (a yellow duster is fine), wetting the cloth and rubbing lightly in small circles with very small wipes of polish. Add more polish when the smears start to go and keep the cloth damp. Spit works well if you haven’t eaten anything greasy for an hour or two. About 1/2 hour on each shoe will look like patent leather and then takes about 10 minutes to keep looking good.

By: Dann Anthony

Dann Anthony — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 15:21:31 +0000

So true – if you really love a pair of shoes, it’s worth it to buy two pairs, three if you can manage it.

Has anyone tried something called “Parade Gloss?” I can only get it in an Army/Navy store near me, a black polish with dimethicone.

Also – anyone tried the old military trick of pouring lighter fluid into the wax, melting the wax, then using the softened wax on the shoes? An incredible shine.

By: Ash

Ash — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 16:31:49 +0000

Guys,
What happens if you put oil based shine on your tan shoes which causes an uneven darker look? What can be done about that?

By: Darren A

Darren A — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 22:07:34 +0000

This is some of the BEST advice collectively compiled in ‘one place’ for reference regarding shoe care that I have seen in looong time! Thanks for taking the time to make this succinct (OH – And BIG THANKS for the diagrams!!) and easily understandable.

By: Darren A

Darren A — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 22:05:44 +0000

This is some of the BEST advice complied in one place for shoe care that I have seen in looong time! Thanks for taking the time to make this succinct (OH – And BIG THANKS for the diagrams!!)

By: R Kelly Johnson

R Kelly Johnson — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 13:35:34 +0000

A good polish is far better than petroleum jelly. Kiwi makes a fine product and has for years, and in many colors. No other conditioning products are necessary. And be careful with that shoe tree. If you put it in too tight, you can stretch out the leather and damage the stitching in the shoe. Invest in a nice horse hair buffing brush to shine the shoe after the polish has set. To remove scuffs, use an old, wet tee shirt, a dab of polish, and a circular polishing motion. Once the scuff is gone, and the polish is set, buff with the horse hair. Toothpaste is for teeth; any other application is for housewives…

By: Gary V

Gary V — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 06:34:07 +0000

I’ll second the notion of having more than one pair of shoes. For one, it allows me to change things up by switching from black to brown. Another is that by having four or five different dress shoes, and rotating them along with some sneakers for run around, I’ve eliminated athletes foot problems without the use of sprays or creams…. and of course foot odor has improved too. In addition, the shoes just last longer because you wear them less. I’ve bought used, and then try to bring in new shoes to replace the old ones when I can afford it.

By: krag

krag — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 23:11:51 +0000

I agree with Ian. NO mink oil. NO petroleum jelly. I only use Obenauf’s leather products on all of my leather. It’s a beeswax based product so it doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals that can damage leather. It can darken leather so just be aware of that.

By: tradedate

tradedate — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:14:46 +0000

Another tip on taking care of your shoes is to buy more than one pair. You can’t wear the same pair of shoes to work every day and expect them to last. A man should have a few different pairs that he can rotate. This will allow your shoes to rest, and last much longer.

By: Ted Slampyak

Ted Slampyak — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:33:33 +0000

I had a pair of Stacy Adams shoe boots for years and years. I’m on my second pair now. I resoled my old pair a couple of times at a local shoe & boot shop, since they were worn through on the soles but were still pretty good on the uppers. The local repair shop did a great job. But I’m a stickler, and the new soles didn’t have exactly the same look as the originals. (No one could tell but me, of course.)

When it comes time to get my current pair resoled, I’ll definitely call Stacy Adams to see if they refurbish their footwear. Thanks for the tip, Brett & Kate!