Shoe care doesn’t have to be intense or take a long time. More often than not, like any kind of routine, if we simply start a regular schedule of upkeep it can take you less than 10 minutes per session. And that is because not every single time do you have to give the shoes a deep clean and/or strip down and rebuild. Often you can simply give it a little brush down and top up the shine with a little wax and water (or even spit if you fancy).
Here I show you a quick video of how simple shoe care can be. And I was not trying to make the best shoe shine in the world or the deepest shoe care regimen but literally a 10-minute spruce up to be presentable that day. And 10 quick minutes is all it really takes.
Most people might perceive the shine being the only thing that needs real focusing but to me, the most important is tidying the sole edging. Nothing screams unkempt like a chewed and faded sole edge. Even skipping the wax altogether and just doing the cream brushing on the welt edge and shoe would be sufficient as the base for proper presentation. But a little wax shine never hurts 😉
I hope that you enjoy this quick tutorial and stay tuned for more.
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Boots by J.FitzPatrick Footwear
A very interesting article. It’s a shame you don’t respond to previous reply’s.
My item about second hand quality shoes
Is a must. And your recycling shoes and helping the planet.
replied to email, only last as I am only one man with more emails than you can imagine
I remember watching your shoe shining instructional video years ago – the one that was more comprehensive. Then I made the effort to clean up and shine a few pairs of my shoes following your methods (as well as I could), and the results we excellent. I also learned just how different the results could be, which I am sure speaks to the quality (or poor quality) of the leather. I got the best result on my black Alden wingtips – and was quite proud of how they looked when I was finished. My black Allen Edmonds whole cuts turned out nicely, but just not quite as well as the Alden shoes. My brown Bally Norwegian split toe shoes turned out surprisingly well. They’re not Goodyear welted, and I know Bally offers shoes at different price/quality points. I got mine at a discount store that mostly sold factory seconds. My worst result was with a pair of black Brooks Brothers cap-toe derbies. They’re Goodyear welted, but I got them at a BB outlet store. The salesman at the outlet store was quick to be honest about the origin of the shoes – he said they were made in China and were not of the same quality of shoes found at regular, full-price Brooks Brothers stores. I’ve tried twice to get those shoes properly shined, but have not managed to get them to look nearly as good as the other shoes I mentioned.
Happy holidays to you and your family.
Thank you for sharing Steve, I do appreciate all of your support over the years and am glad that my tutorials helped
I also wish you and your family a very Happy New Year!