How to Shine Shoes

Tired of having your shoes look worn-out a few hours after you've bought them? Want to keep your shoes looking as good as new? Fear not-- with a few handy supplies, and by following these steps, you can learn the easy way to shine them like a pro.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Old Cotton Children's T-shirts
• Shoe Shining/cleaning Kits
• Shokeepers
• Leather Cleaning Kits
• Leather Conditioners
• Leather Protection Sprays

1. 
    

   Clean dust and dirt from the surface of your shoes or boots with a shoeshine brush or damp cloth.

2. Select a can of wax or creme shoe polish that matches the leather you want to polish.

3. 
    

   Use a shoe polish brush to apply a conservative amount of polish to the surface of the leather. Brush in circular motions until the leather has a dull coating. Get into tight spots using an old toothbrush.

4. Wait 15 minutes while the polish dries.

5. 
    

   Brush shoes or boots with a shoeshine brush.

6. 
    

   Buff to a gleaming shine with a clean cotton cloth, such as an old sweat sock or T-shirt.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're in doubt about how to do the best job for your shoes, talk to a shoemaker, who will usually explain the process for no charge.
• Don't polish suede, roughout or patent leather.
• "Instant" or "EZ" shoe polishes generally do not last and can harm shoe leather.
• Don't try to use black polish to change the color of brown leather. If you want to do this, hire a professional shoemaker to dye the shoes.

[howtoman13]

on 1/27/2010 Do yourself a favor and toss a couple of disposable latex gloves in there. I wear one on the hand that does the polishing. Since I'm usually polishing shoes just before a night out this saves me from trying to get the last of that black polish out of my fingernail cuticles so the ladies don't think I forgot to bathe.

[sneilsen]

on 1/20/2010 Nice Job! 5* and recommended.

[f0ru0l0rd]

on 1/16/2010 There are 4 general methods to shoe shining.
The first is volume. You can use this method w/ a very clean finger. Every 15 minutes, put another heaping layer of polish on your shoe. Finally, at the end, buff lightly with cotton ball, t-shirt, or polishing cloth.
The second, is pressure. Each layer gets scrubbed into the layer as much as possible, leaving no inch left untouched.
The third, is the heat method. Pressure and heat go side by side. Heat is generally applied by taking a lighter, turning the shoe upside down, and lightly burning an even layer of polish on the shoe.
The fourth, is chemical. This is more of a cheat, and should very rarely ever be used if at all. One pair of Leather Lusters may suffice, for need of rotation, but do not ever use mop and glo, pledge, or any other similar material on your leather. Leather is just skin. If you wouldn't shove mop an glo into your po...

[sweetlady2009]

on 9/15/2009 The first thing you should always have on hand is a shoe shining kit. Now, this does not need to be an expensive kit that you purchase all together. You can purchase each piece and throw them all into an empty shoe box if you wish. It really doesn’t matter either way, but keeping everything together will cut down on time. Make sure that you have liquid polish with an applicator built-in, paste polish, a horsehair applicator, a horsehair brush, and buffing cloths. If you are rushed for time you will only need the liquid polish, the brush, and a buffing cloth. However it is great to take the time every now and then to try the paste polish.

for more tips about how to polish the shoe please visit:

http://www.pier55.com/beauty-fashion/fashion-accessories/essential-tips-for-shining-shoes/

[cleon123]

on 8/3/2009 well i will impliment this method,good stuff