Shoe care guide (advanced)

If you are an avid shoe shiner we recommend cleaning your leather shoes fully once every year. Shoe polish tends to build up over time, and trap dirt and stains in between layers which can cause the shoes to shine up less easily and look less good.

Begin by removing any dirt, dust and sand from the shoes with a brush. Afterwards apply a little Saphir Renomat to a cotton cloth and apply on a discrete part of the shoe to test whether the Renomat has the desired effect. (We have used Renomat on thousands of shoes and never really had issues, but it is better to be safe than sorry). After the test rub the shoes with Renomat to remove all old shoe polish. Usually around two full passess with the Renomat is sufficient to remove any dried up waxes and creams.

Apply some Saphir Médaille d'Or Pommadier shoe cream by using an applicator cloth or brush to evenly distribute the cream over the shoes. Allow the cream to be absorbed by the leather for about five minutes. Saphir Médaille d'Or Pommadier cream will nourish, recolour, protect and give a soft shine to your leather shoes. Brush your shoes with a horsehair brush to create a nice shine.

Tip:Depending on the damages or fading of the colour of your shoes you can apply+shine Pommadier cream up to three times to get better coverage. To pick the best matching colour cream for your shoes be sure to read our Saphir colour guide.

After finishing with this step your shoes will be recoloured and have a nice matte shine. At the 4th step we will discuss how you can waterproof your shoes and give them a high shine finish.

Last, but not least you can mirror shine your shoes using a combination of Saphir Médaille d'Or Pate de Luxe and Saphir Médaille d'Or Mirror Gloss. This way you create a mirror like finish on the surface on the leather. The smoother your wax layers the more shine you get. A good rule to follow is to only mirror shine the toe cap and heels of your shoes. This way you prevent the wax from cracking while wearing them.

Layers 1-3: Start building up a foundation with Mirror Gloss. This hard wax will more easily fill up the pores and structure of the leather creating a smooth surface.

Layers 3-6: The next 3 layers will be Pate de Luxe. Apply a extremely small amount each time and buff using a drop of water or our high shine water.