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How to Polish Leather Shoes

Updated on August 5, 2015

Polishing Shoes Video

Polishing shoes in three easy steps

It takes less than ten minutes to polish up a pair of shoes. I learned how to do it by a shoe shine professional on the streets of San Francisco.

A shoe shine kit to polish shoes should include the following

  • a shoe shine brush (made from horsehair)
  • a soft rag (a sock will work)
  • a shoe shine cloth
  • shoe cleaner
  • shoe conditioner
  • shoe polish

How to clean leather shoes, step one to a great polish

I had water spots and stains on my leather shoes and was hoping to get them out, plus the dirt needs to come off the shoe before polish is applied. With an old sock, and a little shoe cleaner for leather shoes I was able to do it. Just dab a little shoe cleaner on to the cloth and wipe the shoe a bit. Don't worry if it doesn't come out completely. When the shoe is buffed at the end of the polishing process, the stains will be gone. The video above details this at the very beginning.

After the shoe cleaner has been dabbed on the shoe, take a shoe brush and give the shoe a few quick strokes.

How to Condition Leather Shoes, Step two to a great polish

After the shoe cleaner has been applied and brushed, now using the same cloth apply shoe conditioner to the shoe. Shoe conditioner softens the leather and helps restore the shoe. Just wipe it on with a cloth. Make sure to get the top of the shoe well because that is where a lot of cracks form. After the conditioner has been applied, give the shoe a few more quick strokes with the shoe brush. See the video to see how the conditioner is applied.

How to Apply Shoe Polish, Step three to a great shoe polish

With a soft rag, dip it into the polish and apply it to the shoe in even amounts. Be careful to not overdue how much polish is used. If the shoe is in OK shape, it will require even less polish. Just wipe it on with a cloth.

After the polish has been applied to the shoe, take a shoe shine brush and buff the shoe with several quick strokes. This evens out the polish and the shoe should start looking good. It should take about 25 to 30 strokes per shoe with a shoe shine brush.

After the shoe has been brushed, take a shoe shine cloth and complete the polishing of the shoes. The shoe shine cloth should be used in quick strokes. The purpose of this step is to heat up the polish and leather to fuse them together. Doing a good job with the shoe shine rag will give your shoes that glossy polished look.

These steps to great looking polished shoes takes about ten minutes to complete. By polishing your shoes, the shoes will last longer and look much better.

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