Whether it’s an upcoming wedding, graduation, or simply another day at the office, a pair of shiny shoes can set you apart as a man who cares about the details.
Not only does shining your shoes look good, it is a necessary part of properly caring for and maintaining a nice pair of leather shoes or boots. The polish itself helps moisturize and waterproof the leather, lengthening the lifespan of your shoes. And the buffing and shining ensures a clean, pulled-together look no matter the occasion.
This article provides the complete multimedia guide to shining your shoes. There are a number of methods for shining — the pictorial guide below is former AoM contributor Cameron Schaefer’s preferred method which he learned in the military; the video and illustrated guide show Brett’s favored method. Experiment and see what works for you. And at the very end, you’ll find a bonus project for injecting even more masculine vibes into this satisfying footwear ritual.
1. Gather Your Supplies & Prep
Supplies needed:
- tin of shoe polish
- horsehair shine brush (the large one in the image above)
- shoe polish brush (the smaller applicator brush)
- cotton balls
- shine cloth
Find an old towel or newspaper to spread over the area you will be working on. Shoe polish has an uncanny ability to get smeared everywhere, even when you’re being extremely careful. And it’s really hard to get out of the carpet.
2. Clean Your Shoes
Clean the dust and dirt off your boots with a horsehair shine brush or damp rag. If you must get your boots a little wet to clean them off, allow them time to dry before applying the polish.
3. Apply Polish
Cover the entire shoe with a generous amount of polish, using your shoe polish brush. The polish I’m using is black Kiwi Shoe Polish, but be sure to match the color of the polish to your shoe as closely as possible. Make sure you get down in the seams of the shoe and attempt to cover evenly with polish. Allow 15 minutes for the polish to dry.
