Shoe Polish Color Matching: Tips & Tricks - Q&A 28 | Kirby Allison

[@austinhayes2348]

Kirby - Your videos are fantastic. Thank you for being a trusted resource for the well dressed man.

[@McSnacks930]

The samples are incredible thank you soo much!

[@alexroll746]

Mr. Allison: Thank you for taking time to address my question, both in writing and in this video. I ordered and used the #34, and I’m extremely happy with the color complement. Thanks again.

[@ValkyrieMagnus]

I’m new here. I used to go to my local shoe shiner/repair guy to take care of my shoe needs but with the pandemic I have had to learn to do this myself. I’ve learned a lot from your channel. My father was an old military guy so he used the Kiwi brand shoe shine but I am now buying saphir shoe polish. I have a pair of tan Allen Edmonds wing tips which seemed difficult to match but I was advised by the staff on your website to use light brown after I submitted a photo of my shoes. This is a great service and purchased the saphir light brown and can’t wait to get my shoes shiny again.

[@kirbyallison]

Great! Thank you!!

[@23spf]

Kirby, I wanted to take a moment and thank you for all of the fantastic, in depth content that you have provided through you're channel. I have watched a number of the shoe shining videos. I then purchased 4 different colors of the Saphir cream and wax polish from you after watching you work with them and listening to you speak so highly of them throughout the videos. I could not be more pleased with the results I have had following the directions and using the products you have shown. What was once a somewhat cumbersome, worrisome chore, has now become a relaxing, incredibly rewarding project that I look forward to completing every time I start. Every time I polish my shoes, my confidence grows and the outcome shows! I am so grateful for this channel and the information you have provided us with!!

[@kirbyallison]

sean frith Thanks for sharing, Sean!

[@kirbyallison]

sean frith That is awesome! Thank you for sharing! This is what it is all about. Your story is the story of all of us. I, too, begun just like this and now, as you can see, take great pleasure and pride in shining my shoes.

[@mikejessable]

Awesome questions, thanks for breaking down in detail the polish use and the point of transparency. Thanks again Kirby.

[@josefsbeach]

Thanks Kirby for featuring and answering my inquiry with great detail. Definitely cleared things up! Looking forward to those beautiful shoelaces!

[@kirbyallison]

Josef Tolentino Please email customer service and we’ll send them to you! (Need address)

[@benjaminschell2062]

I like seeing the variations of color develop over time.

[@kirbyallison]

Benjamin Schell Absolutely. It’s beautiful!

[@LivingWithDragon]

I love these Q & A videos. Great job.

[@kirbyallison]

Living with Dragon Thank you!

[@kyraellzysmith8822]

Hey Kirby great video. Thanks for the knowledge.

[@kirbyallison]

Kyra Ellzy Thank you!!!

[@courtneyswaby3178]

I do appreciate your channel I've learned a great deal in a very short time great stuff

[@roberthoffhines5419]

One thing you might try on darker oxblood is Navy blue creme. I had used Bordeaux and then hermes red which looked great, but they looked very close to my brown 5th aves that I have been using dark brown creme. Almost to the point of I could mix up the shoes in low light! So I tried the navy, and it really made them purple-ier and delineated from the browns/ warm tones. I'd recommend trying it...but have your Renomat handy!

[@CreamJockey]

Thanks for a great video! I recently ordered some items of your website and can’t wait to use them!

[@kirbyallison]

Harrison Lausch Thank you for supporting the channel!!

[@massivefollower7131]

Great Q&A Thanks for all the info.

[@bencaswell8045]

Hi Kirby, I have been enjoying your videos and plan to do quite a bit of work on all my shoes once I receive my products. The question I have is about a custom pair of genuine elephant cowboy boots. I need advice on how to care for the elephant. I've just been using Lexol cleaner and conditioner since they are pH neutral and recommend by the bookmakers. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[@fergytheprop]

Hi Kirby Can you advise the best course to take where an area of the shoe on the toe does not seem to take polish and remains dull about the size of a dime. Many Thanks and keep up the great work love the channel.

[@kirbyallison]

fergytheprop The wax largely sits on the surface, so this shouldn’t necessarily be the problem. Try using less water and ensuring that you buff the fogging out with each layer of polish you apply.

[@peterpiper8972]

Hi Kirby. Could you do a video on gentleman's button braces (formal, business appropriate & casual - e.g. under a linen jacket, or in cooler weather under a flannel or tweed day jacket).

[@lancelan1079]

Thank you for another great video. I have a question about so-called Museum Calf. I was told this leather is suitable for formal shoes yet water resistant in some degree. Have you heard about it? You know, for a person living in a rainy country, it just sounds too good to be true.

[@kirbyallison]

Lance Lan I’ve never heard of that. Normally museum calf refers to a level of antiquing. I didn’t know of it being tanned or treated differently. You can always apply the Saphir Super Invulner to waterproof your shoes.

[@williamowens5542]

I have several tan leather portfolios, fountain pen holders and notebook, checkbook and passport covers. After leaving the fountain pen holders packed away for several years following my retirement to the beach, I recently decided to nourish and restore them. I intended to use Renovateur, but inadvertently applied neutral Saphir cream polish instead (containers look alike and I wasn't reading). After buffing, they came out with a slightly harder waxed feel, appear more burnished and better protected and, surprisingly, ever so slightly darker. I like the results so much so that I now polish my leather flip flops with neutral cream instead of applying leather conditioner. So now I'm wondering, since cream polish has more pigment than paste wax, what does neutral cream have more of than neutral paste?

[@kirbyallison]

William Owens The neural cream polish will have softer waxes (less shine - no cracking) and offer more nourishment. It does still contain waxes, so just be careful with these rubbing off on clothing.

[@tonythaiger85]

I have a pair of Crown Northampton sneakers in chromexcel no 8. I want to get the Saphir oiled leather cream that you recommended in your other video for Horween chromexcel, but I don't think they have a matching color for it. Should I just do neutral?

[@majch]

Hey Kirby! Any tips on how to clean your shoes that you use in rainy weather/snowy weather?

[@kirbyallison]

majch Need to allow them to dry slowly and then brush them. I will wipe down asap with a rag to remove as much excess water as possible. In general, though, I avoid wearing my nice shoes in water at all costs.

[@micheljeanlitetdit994]

Very usefull. Thanks.

[@nunsandcanssailingadventur9951]

Hi Mr Allison:First, thank you for your dedication to providing a wealth of information through your KZbin Channel, BLOG, Hanger Project website etc. I have learned much about artisans, craftsmen, products and approaches to shoe and wardrobe care from you. My question is specific to the Saphir product line. I've seen the Cream Polish is packaged and labeled slightly differently, and your website is the only place where I've found any indications about the best application for each of the various cream products. I think you have a Saphir video that I'll try to find and rewatch.If you think it would help your customers/viewers, i might suggest a video or a moment in a Q&A that explains the differences and use cases for the Medialle D'Or, Pommadier, and Beaute de Cuir. I.E. Medialle on boots, Pommadier on whole grain, and Beaute on corrected grain - I think? I have a vintage pair of Stuart McGuier Ortho-Vent captoes oxfords, and a pair of J&M Passports split-toe derbys that both look like corrected grain (smooth and a bit shiny, and lower quality than full grain) so I was wondering what the best polish would be for them. I am thinking the Beaute may be it, but was curious about your experienced recommendation.Thank again,James

[@timothylua5885]

do i apply saphir renovateur and then saphir cream on my shoes or either one is ok?

[@COMPNOR-97]

Question - so I know you're supposed to have two brushes, one for your browns and one for black. But what about a color like oxblood? Should you have a third brush?

[@kirbyallison]

COMPNOR-97 I’d use my brown brush

[@frankrizzo7185]

Thanks to Mr. Allison’s techniques I shine my brown Allen Edmonds and Becket Simonin cap toe oxfords with a diferrent color saphir cream polish every time, which adds a nice depth to the shoes. Purchsing from hangerproject.com was great too.

[@JohnDotBomb]

Still waiting to try red on black shoes- he mentioned it in the shoe polish video with the caviar guy

[@kirbyallison]

Great! Make sure you share your shine with us on Instagram using #hangerproject #kirbyallison

[@kfung4]

Hi Kirby, is there any leather conditioning product that does not darken the leather?

[@ralphmarkasher]

Kirby, can you go through each of the polish and cream types to explain the differences and the purpose of each?

[@kirbyallison]

Mark Asher I think we have this video somewhere... certainly comparing wax vs cream and the various conditioners.

[@jamesvatani8863]

Hi Kirby I have a pair of tan shoes the tone is dark and light, some of the original colour has come off what cream and wax to you recommend.

[@mnj8311]

Kirby, what are your thoughts on not having a mirror shine on dress shoes? I only use the Saphir Pommadier because I prefer less waxes on my shoes and prefer a more subdued shine. Is this in bad taste? Is a mirror shine always preferred/desired for dress shoes?

[@kirbyallison]

Nick Mariano Completely personal preference. However, on a pair of black captoes, the mirror shine without question adds to the look of the shoe. Even if it is an elevated shine and not a full mirror shine, you’re better off.

[@aaronwrittenberry4834]

I was wondering if you can get the midnight navy allen Edmonds a little lighter and not so dark.

[@JohnDotBomb]

Still hoping that a white cream polish comes out some day for us Navy guys with white uniform shoes. Only white polish I know of is Kiwi, and it takes several layers to cover any scuff.

[@kirbyallison]

John Jennings We have a product called White Novelis. Look for it on the site. Not a traditional polish. More designed for tennis and golf shoes. But would certainly work!

[@JohnDotBomb]

@@kirbyallison found my default stocking stuffer for Navy friends

[@tayloraustin8020]

Hi Kirby! I have a question regarding polishing with a colored polish vs a neutral-- I have a pair of cowboy boots that are a really lovely vibrant red that I'd like to keep polished, at least to help preserve the leather, but I'm concerned about using a colored polish on something like a cowboy boot that has a lot of lighter colored stitching. Would you recommend using a neutral polish to avoid staining the stitching or do you think a red-toned polish would be better for preserving the color of the leather itself?

[@kirbyallison]

Taylor Austin Sounds like beautiful boots! Yes - you will get the threads stained if you use a pigmented polish. I would certainly recommend just a neutral conditioner, especially for the decorative boot shaft. Something like the Saphir Leather Lotion is really good for this area of the boot.

[@yonathangomez5916]

Mr. Allison: In Amazon.com there’s a cream polish color: Parisian Brown. Is this color something between Havana Brown and Dark Brown? I would really appreciate your answer

[@alt5494]

Can you consider doing a video on premium sweaters? Personally while I understand that sweater and Blazer is a less formal look. In my opinion it is also one of worse styles in men wear. Plus I think we are all tired of someone trying to sell us a blazer. Because it goes well with jeans.

[@cableitoh01]

Hi Kerby, my mirror shine has cracked into little pieces. Can I melt them with a heat gun & reuse it?

[@kirbyallison]

mickie wong You can try that! I’d soften the wax and then reptilian.

[@kirbyallison]

*repolish

[@spdygonzalez79]

What’s the difference between Medaille D’or and Beauté du Cuir Pate de luxe?

[@chingizirnazarov]

Hi from Russia!

[@vladislav2471]

Hi Kirby, after i gave my info to customer support about 3 weeks ago so they could send me your "special token" is there some problem with shipment because I haven't received it yet.

[@kirbyallison]

Darth Vader I think we’re out of stock of what I wanted to send...should be receiving it soon. 😉

[@vladislav2471]

@@kirbyallison Thank you for your answer I was a little confused for waiting so long:)

[@aaronsung6208]

I thought Darth Vader only wear black!