﻿Shoe polish

# The Importance of Shoe Polish Products

Leather care is an essential step if you want to extend the lifespan of a pair of shoes. Indeed, even a pair of high-quality leather shoes will not age properly without adequate maintenance. We have therefore made sure to offer you the best shoe polish products.

Saphir, the benchmark for shoe polish products

Since its creation in 1920, Saphir has continuously invented innovative products of impeccable quality for leather care. It notably stood out in 1925 by winning the gold medal at the Paris Universal Exposition for its products, including the luxury cream, still recognized as the best high-end shoe polish. The French brand remains the world leader in care products today and is a reference among enthusiasts. It is often found under the “Beauté du cuir” range.

The Médaille d'Or range is the quintessence of Saphir’s extensive shoe polish line. It brings together the most advanced care products. We offer you the essential products from this range: you will thus be able to extend the life of your shoes and bags while ensuring their beautification and the development of a beautiful patina.

# The Qualities of Shoe Polish Products

The word “shoe polish” is itself a misnomer. It encompasses products that allow you to care for shoes, but also other products with a “cosmetic” purpose. Discover the different benefits of each shoe polish product.

Using shoe polish to extend the lifespan of shoes

Whether you own an entry-level or luxury pair of shoes, none will age properly without good maintenance. For this, Saphir’s shoe polish lotions and cream jars are globally recognized and approved. They are especially known for their nourishing properties, and their use revives colors. Thus, the nourishing lotion, the colorless renovator, and the pomade creams allow you to penetrate oils and deeply nourish the leather of your shoes. This prevents the appearance of cracks on the flex points, which often signal the end of life for a pair. Moreover, focusing on the flex points with polish products during maintenance (that is, not applying too much but going over them again) helps to reduce them.

Use the products at varying frequencies depending on wear so that your shoes stay like new for a long time.

Shoe polish for unmatched shine

Historically, authentic shoe polish is a wax paste made of hard waxes. It is an iconic product because of the exceptional shine it provides.

A shoe polish wax paste does not nourish and remains on the surface, which means it must be removed before maintenance. Saphir Médaille d’Or luxury wax polish stands out for its high concentration of natural waxes (notably beeswax). By applying it to shoes, you waterproof them, protecting the leather from external aggressions. Once applied, warm it up with a horsehair brush. You will quickly achieve a very high shine.

This product can also be applied in thin layers on the edges of shoes, heels, and soles to protect and restore their matte appearance. Brown and black shoe polishes are the most common, as they apply to the majority of shoes.

Finally, the wax polish is ideal for performing your glazing. This technique, popular among shoe enthusiasts, allows you to achieve a shine with a more or less pronounced “mirror” effect.

Shoe polish guarantees your elegance

Shoe polish is a very popular product and has been for centuries, for a simple reason: properly polishing your shoes is an essential rule of elegance. This rule is even stricter in the military, and failing to respect it can earn you long chores!

So, before a meeting, an event, an interview, or a parade, apply a bit of shoe polish and shine it with a brush or cloth. You will significantly improve the appearance of your shoes, which reflects your good taste and attention to elegance.

# The steps for shoe care

Shoe care is not complicated, but it varies depending on the type of leather. There are shoe polish products for suede, smooth leather, grained leather, and more. Here are the main guidelines for smooth leathers, the most common type.

You should always start care by cleaning the leather. Use a slightly damp cloth, or ideally a brush with natural stiff bristles to dust off the shoe and partially remove old polish. Then, apply a cleaning milk like Saphir lotions for a deep clean.

Next, you will need to nourish the leather with an appropriate shoe polish product. Among those mentioned earlier, choose one based on the desired level of hydration (low, moderate, or strong), the renovator being the strongest. You can also add a bit of grease or cream to nourish the waxed thread to preserve it. Apply the products with a chamois cloth, a palot brush, or a pommadier brush.

Shoe care is complete at this stage, but if you want to go further and polish your shoes, apply a shoe polish paste to your pair and shine them.