The Difference a Good ol’ Fashioned Shoe Shine Shine Can Make: Shining Only One Shoe for Comparison

Visit theelegantoxford.com for all of your shoe care needs. Get 5% off of your order when you use this discount code for all my KZbin viewers: PRESTONYT
Products Used in this video:
Saphir Reno’Mat: theelegantoxfo...
Saphir Renovator: theelegantoxfo...
Saphir Medaille d’Or Cream Polish: theelegantoxfo...
Saphir Medaille d’Or Pate de Luxe Wax Polish: theelegantoxfo...
SHELL CORDOVAN SHOES: Care and Maintenance for Shell Cordovan Allen Edmonds, Alden, & Florsheim
• SHELL CORDOVAN SHOES: ...
Need help with a mirror shine? Here’s my in depth tutorial: A COMPLETE, DETAILED, & UNCUT GUIDE TO A MIRROR SHINE: A GUARANTEED SHINE
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A guide to sole savers:
• MY LOCAL COBBLER INSTA...
My Experience at the Allen Edmonds Trunk Show:
• I GOT MY DREAM SHOE AT...
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Music used
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Light
• "Light" - Beautiful Ci...

[@sonnieoj]

Hi all, those are my shoes and I can't recommend Preston enough. It was pretty cool to open up KZbin and find a surprise video too! Excellent experience all around! Edit: Just got these back in the mail today. Absolutely stunning work!

[@janhuraj8576]

Hi, beautiful shoes.. I am just going to buy them as well.. Is it dark chili color?

[@sonnieoj]

@@janhuraj8576 Just regular chili.

[@up3371]

That’s cool to see your answer. I was a bit surprised to see that he repainted the shoes with the same color. Normally you redye darker, what I personally try to avoid. But he brought in a freshness into the color that works better than shoe cream alone.

[@bobcantstandzyobitz9778]

Those are the exact same shoes and same color as mine. I just wish it had a little more red and less brown. My first quality pair of dress shoes. Then I got a pair in black.

[@mach5jeep]

Some people get excited over new shoes but I honestly love the look of some well worn, well patinaed, well cared for shoes. They look enjoyed like a vintage guitar.

[@huguesdupuis8725]

I love the sound of that shoe tree when you put it in the shoe!😱

[@2Ten1Ryu]

Also, you can sometimes hear when the leather is touched. To me it sounds ...kinda deep or rich, I don't know how to describe it, but leather makes pleasant sounds when worked with. Definetely ASMR-worthy.

[@komaboi19]

It was great hearing you crack up during the video, showing you don't take things too seriously. It was good to hear you were having fun. 😂

[@blinkinbaboonbiskit]

OMG!!!! Those are the EXACT same shoe trees that I have, and they belonged to my Father and Grandfather!! I've never seen them anywhere else except in my hand (or my shoes)!!!! And I ain't no kid. I'm an OG shoe officionado. Excellent, excellent!

[@joaquin-jacknava2696]

Great video Preston. Sometimes when you laugh at yourself, those are the most funniest moments. I love the out come. Awesome shine. Thanks Preston. Be safe.

[@TheHunterKiller99]

Hi Preston the notification is a whole KZbin issue right now a few of my other channels have said so. Just happy learning from you! Thank you for sharing your wisdom and experiences with all of us. Take care and be safe!

[@RatdogDRB]

Nice shine. Feeding that leather is just so important in the process.

[@r21167]

I laughed right along with you, that part made my morning haha I've been watching a bunch of your videos lately and I was so shocked to see that you can just redye leather, I never knew that. And how a shoe tree and some water or acetone can take so many wrinkles out! For some reason I always thought I had to keep water away from my leather shoes, maybe something I was told as a kid... Now I know better I grabbed my boots, cleaned them with a cloth and water and rubbed in some product. They look absolutely lovely now! :)

[@brunonjezic6208]

Creases on this shoes seem to be really mild like from waring and having shoe trees in when not waring them. Nice Seiko and really informative video

[@annab3182]

Great job Preston! I’m glad to see you selling products you use, it was truly a service and a wonderful source of revenue for your sweet family. I’m so glad to see things take off for you guys, what a blessing.

[@mbshoedoc]

So much better. Always an impressive turnaround 👍

[@2Ten1Ryu]

There is something to classy about these shoes when they're polished and the colours as well. It makes me think of a violin. The polished wood often has the same colour. And some way it's the same, because the violin as well as the shoe is fashioned with much love and care by a professional, both have a glow around them that says: "I'm not an ordinary every-day item. I'm special." Yeah, this is what I think about these shoes. And I don't even get to wear them, because they're men's shoes and I'm a woman :D

[@sonnieoj]

These are mine and that is the kindest thing anyone has ever said about any of my shoes. Thank you!

[@Slacking02]

Can you mirror shine then wear for a week and do a vid on a maintenance shine?

[@TheElegantOxford]

Hey, Slacking02. If your mirror shine is looking dull or has cracked, you can use a hair dryer to melt the wax and reshine it.

[@wojtekimbier]

If I do a mirror shine on a pair of black boots, I can see a scuff after every slightest time the toebox has touched anything, and even dust settling on it after hours of standing still. I love to do a mirror shine but a "near-mirror" shine looks better after a day because it doesn't highlight those tiny marks so clearly.

[@eyeheartsushi2212]

wojtekimbier I agree although I mirror shine every now and then.

[@gianca60]

Saturday morning 11 am. Watching this video and relaxing myself.

[@gracecollins8415]

Where I live, we would refer to that colour as ''London Tan''. Beautiful job.

[@staciecade7387]

Watching your videos are therapeutic.

[@KniFe16]

Hello, I'm new to your channel and I am so glad I found it. Was just thumbing through the other day and watched how you mirror-shined a pair of shoes and that was it for me. I have subscribed and will continue to watch your videos for tips, helps, and all around fun. I am ex-military so I'm quite familiar with spit-shining. Your choreography is great. Thank you sir.

[@drzaius844]

I”m always happy with my shines until I see yours.

[@TheBusinessOfHealthcare]

That’s an amazing shine. Great job.

[@anthonytorres2557]

What a Beautiful shoe love it 😍

[@RussellChapman99]

You have great technique Preston. I'm a bit maverick and put several coats of Saphir mirror shine wax, then a few layers of normal Saphir wax, then spray a fine water mist on the toe caps before adding the next layer. From there, the shine is developed by feel, experience and art.

[@TheElegantOxford]

Hey, Russell. I think there are a lot of methods to get a mirror shine so do what works best for you. There isn’t one perfect method.

[@RussellChapman99]

@@TheElegantOxford Did you see the picture I sent you via Instagram of the shoes I dyed and patinated, - To patina, is a difficult verb to conjugate in a way that sounds natural.

[@charlesmiller242]

Preston, will you explain the shoe tree sizes you use in your various videos in relation to the shoe sizes? I have heard you say you use a larger one to help with the vamp creases, but what sizes are they in comparison to the shoe sizes you're working on? As always, thank you for the time to put in to produce these quality videos! #AEE

[@TheElegantOxford]

Hey, Charles. I try my best to follow the chart for woodlore shoe trees on their website for the right size on a shoe but the rest of the time I need to eyeball it and feel it out since many trees I have are unmarked with a size. You can maybe go one side up but not always. If the tree doesn’t fit, don’t try to force it.

[@varunmerchant2281]

The Beauty shots were beautiful

[@saulramirez370]

Omg I've been waiting for a video foreverrrrrr. Thank you!!

[@TheElegantOxford]

Hope you like it!

[@1guitarlover]

Nice technique!

[@richardteevan4480]

whoa. great comparison...

[@roberthoffhines5419]

Maybe it works to use acetone for really gunked up restorations, but if you're cleaning or stripping shoes you've already worked on (with Saphir products from EO, ahem) the reno mat for low impact. I gotta pair of mid 80s Park Aves in oxblood coming from ebay tomorrow. So I'll be doing this, hopefully with presentable results. Can't wait!!

[@Juanasoto33]

Great intro honey!! 😉🥳 and great video as always!! 💯

[@joechan4477]

Hey Preston sir, hope you and your family are well. Thank you for your videos. Q what watch do you wear? Ty J

[@TheElegantOxford]

Hey, Joe! It’s a vintage Seiko Divers watch that belonged to my uncle.

[@davidchavez4594]

How are you doing brother be safe thank you for sharing 🤙✌️💯

[@darrenwalgate7411]

Fantastic as always x

[@markoduvall]

Hey Preston, quick question: Do you ever use saddle soap? I know the Saphir Reno is a cleaner, but it's an expensive cleaner. I'm thinking that it's quicker, and your time is worth the cost.

[@TheElegantOxford]

Hey, Mark. Saddle soap is great for mud and heavy dirt but Reno’Mat is better for safely stripping old polish and wax. Saddle soap does it as well but it seems to be an unintended side effect and isn’t always consistent.

[@dannyturner7967]

Darth vader scrubbing shoes lol. I didn't really notice until you pointed it out

[@tedhart7708]

I'd love to own that pair of shoes! They turned out great!

[@sonnieoj]

those are mine :) I highly recommend sending your shoes to Preston

[@tedhart7708]

@@sonnieoj Congrats, Paul. Very nice pair of shoes. They really speak to me!

[@sonnieoj]

@@tedhart7708 Allen Edmonds is having their annual sale right now. You can get a pair of these Fifth Avenues for very cheap.

[@tedhart7708]

@@sonnieoj Thanks!👍

[@lullemans72]

9:56 why are you applying renovateur onto the heel as well?

[@EdouardvanDievoetEdTheGeek]

Is it a good idea to use turpentine instead of reno'mat or acetone?

[@ronaldhowell5831]

Nice to see you back! Congratulations on your website. 👍👍What type of black gloves do you where, and where do you get them? 😊

[@TheElegantOxford]

Hey, Ronald. I use black nitrile gloves. You can buy them anywhere like Home Depot.

[@ronaldhowell5831]

@@TheElegantOxford Thanks

[@creolemac211]

Amazing!

[@soulchorea]

1:14 - "revamp".....is that where that term comes from???

[@TheElegantOxford]

I’m not sure to be honest. I just used it to mean restore.

[@soulchorea]

@@TheElegantOxford oh I know, that just got me thinking - I'll have to google that one

[@e.a.sullivan4930]

I actually looked up the etymology after hearing Preston use it in a video, and it does come from actually revamping shoes! Fun coincidence :)

[@soulchorea]

@@e.a.sullivan4930 that's awesome 😄

[@e.a.sullivan4930]

@@soulchorea Agreed!

[@drlessismore]

hey Preston. Thoroughly enjoying your channel. Just picked up a safir cream. Not having much luck with it though. Following your instructions. Wipe. Brush. Apply. Buff. Reapply. Buff. However, my shoe remains so dull. I know I can use that other product in the tin to shine it. However, after watching 10+ of your videos you seem to achieve a shine with just the cream. not sure what I'm doing wrong :(

[@keovoh]

How do you not get scratch marks from the brush?? I have a soft horsehair brush and it always leaves scratch marks no matter how soft or slow I do it!

[@DragonnSlayerr]

But what about those wrinkles, though? How do you get rid of those kind of wrinkles?

[@josephconrod9164]

DragonnSlayerr He has a video on it. I did the Swedish bath method and then used acetone, which resulted in the creases being almost gone. They certainly looked a whole lot better. If you use acetone on any pair that’s not black, you could remove the color and need to re-dye them. I did a black pair with the color remaining. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gl7EgWd6qpZ9isU

[@MegaRizm]

They say acetone destroys leather irreversibly? Is it true?

[@phantom12321800]

Is there a dry time needed between sessions to get to the mirror shine? I felt like I was adding wax and then immediately removing it.

[@ARobichaud]

For sapphire dyes, what would you recommend for a cognac color shoe?

[@claywhitenack]

Great video. Do those creases come back after the shoe trees are removed?

[@naphaneal]

what about dishsoap and lukewarm water to clean the shoe?

[@alx252]

looks like we are close to reach the point where we have more shops for shoeshine stuff than shoe owners... yet another business taken away from your local cobbler. and than people ask why there is no more cobble when they need one... Preston you need to start an online cobbler service attached to your online shop... this could be beneficial.

[@djtaylorutube]

I understand what you're saying but what prevents the local cobbler from offering their services online? They're not mutually exclusive sales channels. Any business has to adapt.

[@alx252]

djtaylorutube ... unhappily, most cobblers are older, simple (not stupid) people who don't look like supermodels like trenton and heath... some of them are also a bit brittle and rougher in manner and language but still great craftsman... at KZbin everything is about 4k and "bam swoosh bling..." quality in the editing is much more important than quality in work...

[@djtaylorutube]

@@alx252 Wait, since when did selling a service online only become restricted to a KZbin channel? I can search for "online shoe cobbler" and get lots of results, none of which have a KZbin channel nor even pictures of the cobbler or their families. I'm happy to see pictures of their work, that's what I am paying for.

[@ddsb74]

Always a pleasure watching your videos, I am also in love with your diver time wear, if I am not mistaken, is it a Seiko?

[@TheElegantOxford]

Hey, Davinder. Yes it is! Good eye. It’s a vintage watch my uncle bought 40 years ago.

[@tyronepetrie]

Sub’d! Great video

[@joseknight1522]

Good morning, could you tell me what are the things I need to restore shoes? Thank you

[@glenncoco4893]

Newbie here. What's the difference between (colored) cream polish and leather dye? They both add color but what's the real difference? Thanks

[@claytonberg721]

Looks great as always. I have a question if you don't mind Mr Soto. I'm considering a pair of iron rangers and right now I have saphir creme universelle. Can I use it on oil tanned leather or should I just get a bottle of mink oil?

[@ihatefosters]

Always like to stay on top of shining shoes but I'm happy to admit I've never had to strip away old polish... usually using a brush, wet cloth, conditioner/renovator then polish sequence. How often do you use the reno mat? Always happy to keep learning 🙏

[@perrymalcolm3802]

What’s ur opinion about those who 🔥 their wax to apply it? Any benefit?

[@10MinutestoRouletteFortune]

@ Preston..... Hey bud, what Saphir leather dye color did you use? Anyone know? I love that shade!!

[@TheElegantOxford]

I used 04 Medium Brown 05 dark brown is just too dark and 04 has reddish tones.

[@lullemans72]

i just went down in the description to check out your mirror shine video but it says the video is not available.

[@Autofac]

Can I ask when you know whether it's a good thing to use acetone? I inherited two pairs of shoes from a dear friend and former professor. The better of the two are Ducker & Sons and while they're in fair shape, they need resoling and I'd like to work on the shine. I know you say that acetone is hardcore, but is it a last resort? The leather is by no means destroyed, but it's obviously had years of polish on it and I am wondering if it's just better to start fresh? Just not sure if something like Reno-Mat or going right to acetone is my best bet?

[@TheElegantOxford]

Acetone is a last resort. Try saddle soap, a heat gun, or Reno Matt first.

[@ethanhoang1070]

Hey Preston, I'm a new subscriber here and a polishing noob. I was wondering if the Saphir Reno'mat removes any of the factory dye. I noticed that a bit of brown got taken off of the shoe toward the beginning of the video and wasn't sure if this was from a previous colored polish or the factory finish. Thanks!

[@GreetersThru-Hike]

Love it!

[@nikhilsrl]

Hello Preston, the mirror shine video seems to be unavailable.

[@santossuarez]

Where can I get that dye color? Send me the link I couldn’t find it at your site. Thank you for your vids!

[@adamman8874]

Nice ending music.

[@ksajak]

What to use if you have everything except shoe polish? I see people using olive oil and petroleum jelly..sorry but I'm not using them products on my shoes/boots

[@rafaelmendez8588]

How should the finish look on your belt with this much shine to the shoe? I like to match my leathers.

[@frankmcghee9079]

What color are the shoes?

[@bernhardlist9359]

Dear Preston, where can I get the leather dye before I start to use Reno ymat or Aceton? Greetings, Bernhard

[@MGiordano]

I wish I could bring my shoes to you.

[@HighGrade_FireBlade]

Hey man. Every time I use Reno-Mat on my newer Allen Edmonds it looks like it pulls off factory finish. But if I use it on older model Allen Edmonds, the leather looks fine. What could cause this?

[@caeruleumintro6126]

I've recently bought some shoe trees (after watching a few of your tutorials) and they seem to have worked wonders getting the nastier looking creases out of my oxfords. However I've had a few sticking points. Some seem to have what look like cracks rather than creases that wont go away. I've used renomat, saddle soap and renovateur on them and the cracks seem to be quite resistant. Is the leather wrecked at this point? I'm also curious about routine. I now use renovateur at least once a month on all my oxfords. I just apply it straight over the layers of wax. Should I be scrubbing them back to the bone before using it with renomat/saddle soap? or will the renovateur soak through the existing wax and do its job?

[@CarlosPerez-yu3dj]

Great!!!

[@johnathantran2888]

Would you recommend using Havana brown or dark brown polish to darken a pair of dark chili AEs?

[@TheElegantOxford]

Dark brown is the darkest so I’d recommend doing that.

[@zer8845]

Hey Preston long time subscriber, kind of a dumb question, but what type of gloves are those? Mainly interested in like what material? Some of the disposable ones I've tried have like a dry baby powder like residue it leaves on my shoes and my hands.

[@TheElegantOxford]

Hey, Zer! These are nitrile black gloves!

[@germanbarrionuevo7196]

Hola saludos desde Argentina 🇦🇷 podrían poner subtítulo en español?

[@chris61981]

Is there anything that can be done about the creases where the shoes have been walked in? 🤔

[@frankxu4795]

No. Creases are just part of the deal for having a pair of leather shoes. No matter how expensive the shoes are, it ALWAYS creases (except for shell cordovan which ripples instead). If you take care of your shoes properly, creases aren't ugly at all

[@chris61981]

@@frankxu4795 OK I actually saw a video of someone removing the creases using a roller with the shoes in a shoe tree. Are you sure there's no way to get rid of them

[@frankxu4795]

@@chris61981 That will temporarily hide the creases. As soon as that guy starts wearing the shoes, the same creases will re-appear real soon. For shell cordovan, you can try to smooth out the riddles once in a while but it is impossible for calf skin.

[@diogeneslantern18]

Did you intentionally use the expression "revamp"? :)

[@BW-kv9wj]

What kind of dive watch is that? Citizen???

[@TheElegantOxford]

It’s a seiko turtle

[@BW-kv9wj]

@@TheElegantOxford Oh ok. I have one of those.

[@lohengrinknight]

I have found that Allen Edmonds leather are dyed so deeply that it would take around 5-8 hours to remove all the color properly. If you're thinking about a drastic change of color, buy a different brand.

[@LeavesAbove]

“You have two options- saphir or saphir.”

[@TheElegantOxford]

The easy way or the really easy way

[@bradle4162]

Speaking of salt damage, I've never had that problem. It's illegal for people to salt our roads due to environmental reasons but I might move in a few years. Would you consider making a prevention guide for salt damage?

[@TheElegantOxford]

Hey, Brad! That’s a great idea.

[@geoffjohnston1531]

delicious

[@TheBoomsonic]

I have rarely seen you use a saddle soap. Would that be equally effective as a Renomat to get old polish and wax off?

[@nsatoday]

Jasmeet S Bhogal, not really. If used regularly it can keep a build up from forming but for formative work like this it’s best to use renomat or acetone. Saddle soap is also good for removing dirt, dust, mud, grime.

[@aliyavisuals_]

WOAH

[@abhiboy1877]

Before version has no shoe tree, after version with shoe tree. How can we see that creases has been gone from after version. Kindly do not 🚫 try to fool everybody make fair comparison

[@TheElegantOxford]

I have PLENTY of videos where I show the shoe without a shoe tree when it’s done and it’s completely stiff. Check out my video called “I restored a shoe for a you man’s first job”

[@nicolasmorillo5328]

Couldn't you just use colored shoe cream alone?

[@mauriziobrombin3809]

Nintendo dire I video inherent or caricature.

[@mikegutierrez2621]

The breathing heavy part is probably the over weight

[@runonripple9172]

My god talk about dramatising a basic job all about selling the products 🤦🏽‍♂️😂

[@TheElegantOxford]

Take 5% off with code JULYFRIENDS21 at checkout 😂

[@kkhounlo]

I don’t believe it, it’s video.

[@Pshen2p]

Should lace them up for the final presentation. Looks more finished.

[@frankcicero4444]

So what if the guy is breathing hard , just pay attention and enjoy the video

[@khannapranav11]

How long does a mirror shine usually last before it needs to be shined again?

[@MrPacproductions]

It's hard wax so it's not going anywhere. If the shoes you shine are in regular circulation I'd mirror shine once every 2 or 3 wears to mask any weathering and also to make sure the previous waxes don't crack. If you have cotton shoe bags put those on the shoes when you're not wearing them that will keep the dust off. A more general tip is make sure you have other shoes for different days so as not to stress the leather.

[@ThriftedGent]

Bro i know how you feel. I lost like 5 lbs scrubbing my thrifted shoes with acetone! Lol

[@Banzai431]

I find the buffing stage is kind of where the "magic" happens and the shine really starts to come out. Before that I tend to have a bit of a cloudy shine... Reflections still clear and visible, but kind of clouded. Only after I start buffing really fast, do I see the actual mirror shine start to emerge. It's really satisfying. :)

[@dannydiehm2692]

"Shining Only One Shoe for Comparison" Perfect - the side by side shots, at the end, of one shined shoe and one not shined are much better than doing a before/after shots. Thanks for listening to those suggestions. You do excellent work and I've learned a lot from you.

[@sitbone3]

I'm not a fan of mirror toes. Mirror finish on formal "tux" shoes is fine but looks pretentious on everyday shoes. I had to spit shine my dress shoes to a mirror finish when I was in the Marines so I know the effort it takes. Just overkill and looks silly on dress shoes.

[@NuclearWizard69]

Is it pretentious? Im fairly young. As well as incredibly poor. (I get my shoes from thrift stores and Goodwill) but I find a joy in the effort I put into the pair of shoes and boots I've managed to find. Sure I enjoy a compliment when someone does notice but 90% of it is for my own enjoyment. Making my dusty cowboy boots or dress shoes shine like mirrors kinda just fires of the "oo oo shiny" dopamine receptors in my stupid monkey brain hahaa

[@wilsongoalie1]

Do you use any saphir mirror gloss wax or just the pat de lux? Also when do you switch to a high shine cloth? Great videos as always

[@TheElegantOxford]

I just used pate de luxe for this pair. Mirror gloss is great for a quick shine but to get the glass, I found pate de lux works vest personally.

[@wilsongoalie1]

@@TheElegantOxford Thanks for the reply. Been loving watching your channel and learning your techniques. Thanks!

[@alexthompson5238]

Hi Preston, I’m bringing back to life an old pair of Loake capped toe semi brogue oxford. The vamp is a beautiful tan with a great patina but the heel, toe cap and laces are a shiny chocolate brown. I cleaned it up the camp with renomat, went over a few times to get the ground it dirt out, and a lot of scrubbing but after conditioning and tan shoe cream it’s amazing. However the capped toe, had a scuff on it. The lightest touch wiped the brown clean off. Leaving a very smooth closed pore leather, compared to the vamp which looks like full grain open pore. How easy would it be to dye the close grain, any tips, I’ve got some feibings chocolate brown on order as I’ve seen you use that before. I’m happy to email you pictures of before and after, I’m in the uk so mailing over a shoe I got for £30 seems excessive but I’m guessing you’d like to see the results? Any advise would be appreciated.

[@RestoreTesting]

Thanks for the discussion on acetone and Reno. You just saved me from getting into a potential dye situation I'd rather avoid. You've taught me ton. Many thanks!