For an extra high shine, apply another light coat of polish, sprinkle with water and buff with a soft cloth. Special notes: After working the polish in, leave it to dry and work its way into the leather. This can be anywhere from 20 minutes to even overnight to fully work its magic. Based on the research that was conducted, it was found that kiwi neutral shoe polish is best used on dark shoes. This is because the color of the polish helps to disguise any scuffs or marks that may be on the shoes. Additionally, the polish can also help to protect the shoes from water and dirt. Keeping your shoes polished to a spit shine finish doesn’t have to be difficult or labor-intensive. Keeping your leather shoes looking great for years to come with some minimal maintenance using traditional shoe polish or leather conditioner is possible. When it comes to caring for your shoes, there are two paths to take. One method is to polish the shoes, while the other is to condition the shoes.

Alexis DeSalva Kahler is a fashion, retail, and commerce analyst, expert, and writer, who has been featured in the Business of Fashion, InStyle, Glossy, The New York Times, Vogue Business, The Wall Street Journal, and WWD, among others. Read More » While waiting 10 minutes is certainly sufficient, some leather conditioners, like saddle soap, can be left overnight before buffing the polish away. This allows the polish to fully penetrate and saturate the leather, making it as smooth and protected as possible. Should I use the same brush for different colors of shoes? What Is The Best Way To Use Neutral Shoe Polish On Tan Shoes?: To use neutral shoe polish on tan shoes, first clean the shoes thoroughly. Then, apply a small amount of polish evenly across the surface of the shoes. Lastly, buff the shoes to a shine. Carnauba wax works and functions the same way as a traditional wax but is made of all-natural wax ingredients that make it a popular choice.If you want to polish your shoes by only using natural ingredients and you don't want there to be any chemicals on your leather shoes when you polish them, then this is ideal for you. This is because it is very natural and it doesn’t contain things like animal fats, which can actually turn the leather rancid. There are additional features with this product, and that's the fact that it will keep your shoes waterproof, nourished, plus they will look very brand new once you have used this type of polish, and it will also still protect them in any weather condition.

There are, of course, exceptions to this. When using oil-based products or leather conditioners, you want to leave the polish on the leather shoe until the leather has absorbed as much as possible. A recommendation service that carefully researches each product and consults with experts across many disciplines. Other products, such as shoe cream, use more pigmentation to polish the shoes. If you are using a shoe cream to polish your shoes, be sure to use a brown polish that closely matches the shoe leather color. More of the color pigmentation is transferred to the shoe when you use a cream-based polish, so it helps to choose a close color to your shoe. How long should shoe polish dry before buffing? Wax polishes contain ingredients like beeswax that will allow you to buff out marks and scuffs from your shoes, but there is a learning curve with this, so start slowly– use too little polish and you won't achieve a shine, but use too much and you may dry your shoes out and have the polish flake off. The mink oil can penetrate the leather and help lubricate the individual fibers in the leather. Not only does this make the leather smooth again, but it can help make the shoes more flexible and soft.

Most shoe cream is applied to the shoes using a horsehair brush. First, a horsehair brush called a horsehair dauber brush is used to apply the shoe cream to the shoe. Once dried, the polish is buffed to an even shine with a horsehair brush called a horsehair shoe buffing brush. Continue buffing the shoe until you have an even color and a muted shine.

Carnauba wax allows you to get more shine with less effort. Like other shoe wax, Carnauba is made with just a small amount of pigment, and many manufacturers offer a limited range of shoe wax colors. As long as you find a color close to your leather color, you will obtain the desired results. The main ingredients in Kiwi shoe polish are alkanes, paraffins, and 1-chloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)benzene. Is Kiwi Neutral Shoe Polish A Good Choice For Polishing Brown Shoes? While many wax-based polishes do not have a great deal of color pigmentation, it is possible to have some of the colors stay on the brush. That means that if you want to maintain your shoes’ color, it is best to have a different dauber brush for each shoe’s color. Though, many wax polishes have minimal pigmentation, so color transfer and discoloration will be minimal if you use the same brush.

For those who are short on time or want a no-mess application with a spit shine finish, liquid shoe polish is an excellent option. These are effective, fast, and easy to use. Plus, liquid shoe polish is readily available and can be used to help give your shoes a last-minute shine in a pinch. Popular brands for liquid shoe polish include Kiwi shoe polish and Nugget shoe polish.

Normally a shoe shining kit will include two different brushes. The first brush is a dauber brush, made of horsehair, used to apply the actual polish, either a cream or a wax, onto the shoe’s surface. The dauber brush is dipped into the shoe polish directly. As we mentioned, cream-based polishes will often contain colouringsfor various shades of shoe. This is especially useful if you think your shoes are looking particularly dull or you have some scuffs you need to cover up. There are also some things that you do need to look out for before you buy any polish, and that’s what ingredients are in the product because you don’t want it to ruin your leather instead of helping it. Plus, it’s very important that you actually use the polish the correct way and make sure the leather good is clean before you do use it; so make sure you follow the direct instructions on the polishing product before using it. Expert Tip by Alexis DeSalva Kahler Many polishes contain a whole variety of ingredients, but there are some certain ingredients that are able to provide the perfect shine to your leather. One thing that you should look out for is that the polish contains natural ingredients and no nasty chemicals; otherwise, they could ruin your leather. One thing you should make sure your polish has is wax because wax is what actually helps protect your leather and makes sure that it stays in a good condition. If keeping your leather soft and in good condition is your priority, you will probably want to turn toward leather conditioners or oil. Products like saddle soap or mink oil will be a great option for you. These products will penetrate the leather itself and soak into the pores.The leather conditioner also adds waterproofing since most conditioners are oil-based, a natural water repellent. While you will get the most shine from traditional shoe polish, adding a leather conditioner will still give you some finishing shine. When polishing brown shoes, should I use a neutral or brown polish? Although shoe cream polish is an excellent choice for most smooth leather shoes, it can damage some leather. If your shoes are made of shell cordovan leather, shoe cream will not be a good option. The grain with shell cordovan leather has a very tight, natural grain that gives the leather its shine. When applying a cream polish, the shoe cream can actually work to loosen the grain, ruining the leather. Carnauba Wax Angelus is a long-standing company that was established in 1907 and to this day, they still use the same original formula for their shoe polish. Featuring a blend of carnauba wax and beeswax as well as a selection of other first-grade waxes and oils, their polish has been tried and tested for over 100 years.