Polished shoes last longer, shrug off rain and look cared for, and the whole job takes about half an hour. You need shoe trees, two horsehair brushes, a soft cotton cloth, a cream polish matched to the leather, a tin of wax polish in the same shade and a little water.
brush the shoes clean
Remove the laces and slip shoe trees inside so the leather sits taut. Brush the whole shoe with a horsehair brush, working into the welt where dust collects. Wipe away any mud with a barely damp cloth, then leave the shoes to dry for 15 minutes at room temperature, away from a radiator.
work cream into the leather
Wrap the cotton cloth around two fingers and pick up a pea-sized amount of cream. Work it into the leather in small circles, one section at a time, covering toe, sides and heel. Add a little more only when the cloth runs dry. Let the cream absorb for ten minutes.
build thin layers of wax
Dab the cloth in water, then lightly into the wax. Polish the toe cap and heel in tight circles, using as little wax as possible. Let each layer dry for two minutes before adding the next. Three to five thin layers give depth; one thick layer only clouds. Keep wax off the creases, where it cracks.
buff to a shine
Brush the whole shoe with the clean horsehair brush, using quick, light strokes. Then fold a dry part of the cloth and buff the toe and heel in small circles until the haze lifts and the leather reflects light. Relace the shoes and leave the trees in overnight.
The most common mistake is too much polish: the shine comes from thin layers and patience, not pressure.
