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Getting Started

How to Shine New Shoes

You just received a highly-anticipated new pair of shoes. As you take them out of the box for the first time, you can smell the craftsmanship and brand-new leather. Few things are more gratifying for a shoe aficionado than pulling a new pair of shoes out of their box for the first time. Fresh from the factory, the finish is perfect – BUT not quite ready for its first trip outside. Aside from the absolute most expensive shoes, few shoes actually receive any polishing at the factory. The reason behind this is that there simply isn’t any way to 'industrialize' the polishing process. Polishing has to be done by hand, and few shoemakers are prepared to spend the time required to properly shine shoes before they leave the factory.

Products used in this video:

Saphir Pommadier Cream Polish
Saphir Pate de Luxe Wax Polish
Cotton Chamois Cloth
Medium Horsehair Brush

STEP 1 [01:30]

Apply Saphir Pommadier Cream Polish

First step is to shine the shoes using a cream polish. Use the Saphir Medaille d'Or Pommadier Cream Polish to allow a wax finish to begin building up while also providing some nourishment. Apply some cream polish on a cotton chamois and massage it into the leather using small circular motions.

STEP 2 [02:08]

Buff Off Pommadier Cream Polish

While the other shoe is drying, buff off the first application of the Pommadier Cream Polish from your shoe. You can use our Hanger Project horse hair shoe shine brush and buff the shoe with brisk side to side motions. The purpose of this is to remove any of the kind of surface waxes and to help bring those to nice soft shine. Then you may add a second coat of the Pommadier Cream Polish and repeat this step.

STEP 3 [03:26]

Apply Saphir Pate de Luxe Wax Polish

The next step is going to be to apply a traditional wax polish. You can use the Saphir Medaille d'Or Pate de Luxe Wax Polish, which is a fantastic polish with really high concentration of hard waxes. The purpose of this step is to begin to introduce some of those hard waxes that are going to protect the leather against light water damage and then provide a higher gloss shine. Apply the wax polish with a cotton chamois in small circular motions.

STEP 4 [04:28]

Buff Off Pate De Luxe Wax Polish

While that shoe's drying go ahead and buff the polish on the first one using a Hanger Project Horse Hair Shoeshine Brush. After one application of the Pate de Luxe Wax Polish there should be a nice shine developing. Apply one more application to really create that finish. Use the same cotton chamois and repeat that same process, applying a second application to finish up the shine.