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

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@Sola_Scriptura_1.618]

Agreed!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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. 😂

[@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!

[@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. :)

[@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!

[@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.

[@Rose01bloom]

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! :)

[@RatdogDRB]

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

[@keithmayhew2161]

Excellent job on the shoes & a great job explaining how to get that mirror shine..

[@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.

[@carlosc3768]

Preston thank you for taking the time to do these great videos of yours. As always great job. Have a great week and we'll see you on Wed!

[@markvincent5241]

Beautiful work as always Preston.

[@gracecollins8415]

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

[@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.

[@mbshoedoc]

So much better. Always an impressive turnaround 👍

[@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

[@gregkent4066]

I enjoy your videos, and the background music is very soothing.

[@staciecade7387]

Watching your videos are therapeutic.

[@MrKevinJermaine]

That’s an amazing shine. Great job.

[@gianca60]

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

[@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!

[@fredrickmacharia6397]

In my opinion,this is by far the best video you've ever done. Of course the video is as good as ever, but it's about the audio; the tonality of your voice is subtly different with the pauses at just the right time. It's easy to tell this is a professional with a website and you should listen to what he's saying.😃 Inspiring as always.

[@anthonytorres2557]

What a Beautiful shoe love it 😍

[@AlejandroSthandier]

Hi Preston, you improved a lot the audio, now this is a perfect video, cheers!

[@Sola_Scriptura_1.618]

Great job! Gorgeous!

[@Pshen2p]

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

[@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.

[@KEITHZEALEY]

Great content Preston my order is in. Keep it up. Thank you

[@ThriftedGent]

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

[@MNpicker]

Awesome job Preston!! Love that color👍🏼

[@varunmerchant2281]

The Beauty shots were beautiful

[@saulramirez370]

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

[@TheElegantOxford]

Hope you like it!

[@ron7202]

Awesome outcome, as usual.

[@richardteevan4480]

whoa. great comparison...

[@1guitarlover]

Nice technique!

[@johnrodriguez5133]

A master at his craft, te saludo👌🏼

[@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.

[@drzaius844]

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

[@darrenwalgate7411]

Fantastic as always x

[@michaelhuynh4093]

Hi Preston, enjoy your videos. What is the dye colour used?

[@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.

[@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!

[@davidchavez4594]

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

[@lullemans72]

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

[@paulbradford8240]

Nice job, but I'm surprised that you didn't use a cotton bud to get the polish and creams into the welt, having removed the old polish in that way. Having polished my boots for the Army and the Police service, I remember how much work it can take. Nice to know about Reno Mat.

[@Juanasoto33]

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

[@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.

[@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

[@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!👍

[@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!!

[@EdouardvanDievoetEdTheGeek]

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

[@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?

[@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.

[@benwharton4181]

Love the video. Is it ever ok to use saddle soap on grimey shoes? I’ve used it on heavy duty leather boots, but never on my more delicate shoes

[@claywhitenack]

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

[@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.

[@eliporter3980]

I just got started dressing better and shined for my first pair of shoes. I still haven't gotten a mirror shine yet but I'm gonna shine them all day on Thanksgiving. Thanks for sharing this technique

[@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!

[@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 :(

[@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.

[@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.

[@rolan1846]

Mr. Soto, you did a great job, but I have a question. Isn’t alcohol removing part of wax and drying the leather?

[@Mr-R.R.]

im guessing only if you add too much. it's also rubbing alcohol which isn't horrible for even human skin if you apply a very little amount. I've never heard/seen him use this technique before, but i'll be giving it a try on some old pairs. definitely add way less alcohol than you think.

[@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!

[@drunkinpiper]

Hi Ash, I would be grateful for your advice. I am thinking about buy a pair of Loake Fearnley Burgundy brogues but I read that as they are "painted" and you can't use any solvent based creams or polishes. You can only use Loake's neutral cream then add some unspecified colouring if the colour fades. The bottom line is you can't give these shoes a mirror shine as Saphir creams and polishes may not be suitable. Loake are not sure if Saphir creams and polishes can be used without causing damage to the shoe. They have their own version of a Saphir cream. Would you buy these shoes?

[@342435245]

Hey Preston, excellent video. I notice that sides of the shoes before your shine had significant loose grain/numerous micro creases. What part of your process best addressed that issue?

[@zeegh5867]

I got exited. My shoes you better hide 🤣

[@joseknight1522]

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

[@frankferraro5082]

Dam this guy is awesome!!!

[@GreetersThru-Hike]

Love it!

[@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!

[@1339LARS]

Amazing !

[@si49]

Can I ask what watch you are wearing in the video brother?

[@perrymalcolm3802]

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

[@codygrimes9072]

Hello Elegant Oxford, I was wondering if there is any way to bring a leather to a lighter color?

[@bernhardlist9359]

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

[@JoeBlow-mw5oo]

I add the wax then melt it carefully with a lighter. You can mirror polish anything like this in 10-15 minutes

[@ARobichaud]

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

[@Jodez23]

Is it always necessary to use dye in a situation like this or can colored cream alone be used to add color back? Lastly, for maintenance re-shine do I need to remove existing wax first before applying conditioner/cream?

[@drewr.194]

Preston - I notice your brown colored shoes always have smooth shiny edges around the soles. Is it supposed to be the same for black shoes? I just bought a black pair of Fifth Ave and the sole edges appear rough and grainy. Is this normal or should they be returned? They were not sold as factory seconds. Thanks for your advice!

[@dannyturner7967]

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

[@ycplum7062]

Are you using the Reno Mat to emove all the wax or just the oxidized and dirty upper layer and buildup?

[@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

[@Robotack1]

What's the purpose of the creme between the leather conditioner and that wax polish? Is it a stage that can be skipped?

[@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.

[@ApparitionRune]

Would love to see you put a museum calf finish on a pair of shoes

[@TheElegantOxford]

Hey, Nicholas. As soon as a get an order for that, I’ll film it

[@ApparitionRune]

@@TheElegantOxford Im half tempted to send you that order just for the video, only I already have a pair of Carmina chelsea boots with a museum calf...

[@Commoncourtesy12]

Hey Preston, I had a little shoe kit going, but this month I just opened my Griffin-brand saddle soap and discovered an absolute Petri dish of mold! 🤢. I’m immunocompromised to molds (moved out of a mold-compromised house) afterwards, our shoes “look” fine but I get sniffily being near the shoe rack still. So I’d imagine it was likely transferred FROM our shoes during cleaning to the saddle soap canister? I was hoping our cleaning would have saved our shoes but obviously the soap isn’t immune itself…any tips to save our footwear? Can we dunk them in some sort of water vinegar or hydrogen peroxide mixture or will that horribly stain things? Are there more mold-resistant saddle soaps and cremes? I always thought saddle soap was effective so this was a bit of a whack. I really thought we could salvage the leather boots at least…

[@jaimegarcia2218]

I tried to mirror shine my shoes but my fingers and forearm were getting numb, looks easy but it takes time!

[@lullemans72]

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

[@JOGAMIGMOG]

Haha. Preston's a heavy breather! 😁

[@TheElegantOxford]

Hahahahah only when I am shining shoes.

[@TheAlihusain]

What is the dye color you used on this video? Also what brand?

[@TTTT-rc4fv]

Hi I picked up a pair of AE monks on eBay. Any more affordable option for a condition and polisher, I'm not looking for perfection just yet lol.

[@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

[@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!

[@geofschwer1625]

Kirby, after an initial conditioning and polish, should I reapply conditioner every time aI polish or does the polish have enough conditioning things in? I use all Saphir products. Thank you.

[@TheElegantOxford]

You don’t have to condition every time. Just once in a while.

[@armandorivas4331]

What color are those Allen Edmonds? Dark Chili?