Leather shoes should ideally be thoroughly cleaned and stripped of old shoe polish once a year. Old shoe polish dries out over time and therefore appears dull. Additionally, dirt is often trapped between layers of shoe polish, preventing the shoes from shining as they once did. If your shoes are fairly new, you can skip this step in most cases.

Start by removing dirt and sand by giving the shoes a quick brush. Then apply Saphir Renomat to a cotton cloth and test on an inconspicuous area to ensure that the Renomat will give the desired result. For a slightly milder cleaning product you can use Saphir Médaille d'Or Reno Cleaner instead. Then rub the entire shoe. You'll immediately see that the shoe polish releases and adheres to the cloth. When finished, remove all remaining Renomat from the shoes with a dry cotton cloth or brush. Preferably, let the shoes sit for approximately 30 minutes after cleaning so that all Renomat evaporates. We recommend using Renomat once a year or for stains.

Your shoes are now completely rid of old (synthetic) layers of shoe polish. Now it's time to properly nourish the leather.

Apply Saphir Médaille d'Or Renovateur with a soft cloth, spreading the conditioner evenly over the shoe (avoid the soles). Let the Renovateur soak into the leather for about five minutes, then lightly brush off the excess with a horsehair brush. This brushing is only to remove leftover product, so there’s no need to polish just yet.

Since Renovateur offers little protection on its own, it should always be followed up by a layer of Saphir Médaille d'Or Pommadier cream, and ideally also Pâte de Luxe shoe wax (see steps 3 and 4).

At this stage, your shoes have been gently cleaned and nourished. In step 2 we’ll go into more detail on shining, recolouring, and giving your shoes a basic level of protection.

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. Check our Saphir colour guide to pick the best matching colour cream/wax for your shoes.

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

Use Saphir Médaille d'Or Pate de Luxe to create a waterproofing high gloss finish on your shoes. Begin by applying a very thin layer of Saphir Medaille d'Or Pate de Luxe shoe wax using a cloth. Be sure to spread the wax over the shoes as thin as possible. Afterwards, shine your shoes with preferably a cotton cloth (or a brush) to shine up the wax polish on the shoes. For new shoes or shoes that haven't been shined recently it can be beneficial to repeat this step once more after you are done.

If your shoes have leather soles, treat the edges with Pâte de Luxe wax in the sole colour to cover scuffs and add shine. For extra waterproofing, apply Saphir Médaille d'Or Sole Guard directly to the bottom of the soles. It protects the leather against moisture, keeps it flexible, and helps prevent the soles from wearing out too quickly.

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 of 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 an extremely small amount each time and buff using a drop of water or our high shine water.