The Ultimate Mirror Shine For Dress Shoes | Kirby Allison

[@slm5292]

I don't know why I find this so inspiring but I feel compelled to shine my Magnanni, Keds, and flip flops. Thanks for putting it up.

[@007KURGAN]

Great vid. As a long-serving British soldier, I heartily agree with all the above. The best tip you gave was to step back and put the shoes on the floor. I personally will make a tea/coffee then walk back into the room, even better in the sunlight!

[@tomlee3765]

Legend has it that he is still applying that Pate De Lux high gloss mirror shine wax on those shoes to build up the layers.

[@awaisbaig540]

🔥😂😂

[@e.s.l5861]

His toe caps are now level with his Waist

[@christopheranton13]

E.S. L hahahahaha 😂😂😂😂

[@AfroFM]

I love the warning for getting lost chasing the shine. Sounds so familiar. =D

[@DustinPlatt]

Why am I watching someone shine shoes at 3am? What has my life become

[@kirbyallison]

Dustin Platt haha.

[@Arkaitse]

Dustin Platt You are not the only one...

[@fischputza]

Nothing worse than dirty shoes, so no waste of time. Al Bundy approves

[@34672rr]

haha, I love it.

[@34672rr]

The Hanger Project I never understood the purpose of a mirror shine. Why not just get patent leather toes or shoes if you want that? Seems like a lot of trouble for nothing.

[@spicecrop]

I love this guy. He's like Mr. Rogers for adult gentlemen that want to be more sophisticated men.

[@scottwallace1]

Perfect analogy. His earnestness seems genuine.

[@abdulazeezalshareef]

Hat’s off to you Mr. Allison. The high shine you produced is just incredible. It is truly a pleasure and an inspiration to see a master at work!

[@halibut1249]

The hecklers will say what they want, but a great vid and you really brought out a great mirror shine on those shoes!!

[@AlainLafleche1]

I was in the cadets and we also used water and wax, but also matches. We would polish the shoe and pass the match close to the wax to melt it and penetrate the leather while continuing the polishing. The result was stunning. The only problem is sealing the leather...the boot no longer breathes and our feet are colder during winter. Thx for this instructive video !!

[@jthwang4841]

Wow, that's amazing, especially done in four layers! Who needs a mirror with that shine, if you can see yourself looking down? Great job and excellent video.

[@paddy_118]

Kiwi polish has never seen me wrong, my ammo boots shine like a jewel. Great video regardless.

[@jaiparashuram8682]

This video is the best example on how to make demo videos.... Best...thumbs up👍

[@kletts42]

This is a great video. I tried this on my shoes, but didn’t use the pate deluxe and got a mirror shine but it took me 8 layers of just mirror shine. I wish I watched this before I tried. I have a decent shine, but not as mirrored as yours.

[@cessna1511]

I love these videos. I would love to see some videos on polishing / caring for more rugged country boots such as Trickers stow / Bourton / Keswick etc.

[@AK-jt5bm]

Kirby thanks so much for all the videos and advice on shining shoes. I am OBSESSED with polishing my shoes now. I combined your advice from your adding patina video and the video on mirror shine to make my shoes perfect for a wedding last night. I have never in my life received so many comments on my shoes. And mind you these were on a pair of shoes of middling price and quality ($500) relative to the higher ends of shoes you profile. Can’t wait to apply more of advice to another pair of shoes for another wedding next weekend. Btw wore a bow tie last night and able put that sucker on in no time with your video on said topic. Please consider me a converted loyal disciple.

[@jamescoughlin6911]

I always wear a suit and necktie when I shine shoes. Perhaps a dinner jacket for those special occasions!

[@kirbyallison]

James Coughlin Google the “Swans Club”

[@jwesboy]

I can't stop laughing...….Amen!!! This guy needs a REAL girlfriend. However, he just may just have a hint of mint in him...lol He treat a shoe like a piece of ass..lololol

[@jwesboy]

Stroke that shoe- Stroke it, stroke it...…..

[@msato8650]

Jon W You obviously never seen a proper pair of shoes.

[@Falconlibrary]

Mr. Allison has something called "style". What can I tell you? You either have it or you don't.

[@russ9921]

Sir, the British army would be proud of you (even though they are still stuck using Kiwi Parade Gloss)

[@smedleybelkin19]

Yeah when your nco's haven't pinched it.

[@brandonbentley8532]

Maybe talk them into Saphir?

[@scottmh96]

Nothing wrong with Kiwi! One polish to do the whole shoe and my toe caps are definitely more shiny than this

[@kapitanXbomber1989]

@@scottmh96 You can have mirror shine with Kiwi but it is another kind of shine. Kiwi shine is not so reflective as Saphir shine.

[@Beerzy]

I started using Kiwi Parade Gloss in basic training on my boots. Me and a roommate had a competition on who could spit shine our boots the best with Kiwi. I still use it on my office shoes (and it does a good job) but am thinking about venturing out to something new.

[@michaelmullane1285]

No one knows how many men have been lost searching for the perfect shine

[@bobf354]

best dressed shoe-shine person I've ever seen

[@brettm.s.1169]

Back in military service we all used KIWI Parade Gloss. Remember ‘Spit Shine ‘ ? We constantly did layer over layer over layer of Parade glass using spit to lubricate the polish as it dried. Millions of very small circles, lots of time creates a brilliant gloss, ignite a small amount of metho / denatured alcohol to invigorate old polish in the tin. It takes a while but it waterproofs the leather and looks amazing.

[@JS-fb6ww]

I had a relatively okay mirror gloss finish on my cap-toe oxfords and then watched your tutorial and started adding more coats and now I got one of those hard to get rid of dry spots right dead center on the top

[@mikejessable]

Great shine demo Kirby, excellent tips. I will receive my order of shoe shinning products from the hanger project tomorrow and cant wait to start shinning.

[@fapfap321]

I love all of your videos. I always run into a similar issue with shining my shoes. I always get a ring of wax around the toe box at the bottom. How can I prevent this? Thank you

[@stylishoversixty9459]

The mirror shine is indeed an outstanding polish finish and seeing you accomplish such a feat being impeccably well dress make this a very fine video to watch I will definitely try to apply a mirror shine to my cap toe shoes and I'm certainly interested in try the Saphir shoe care products again thanks for sharing this video with your youtube subscribers!

[@gingermatchstick]

Very informative as always Kirby. Looking forward to trying for a mirror shine on my black wholecuts before my first black tie event mid April!

[@EddyWoon]

Excellent shine you have achieved there. I have a lovely black leather belt that is showing some wear. Maybe I should re-moisturise it and shine it too.

[@CHIBA280CRV]

That was a fantastic job, thank you , going to pick up some of the materials..

[@terminator9099]

I love bootblack, but I miss the FullHD shine I used to do... This video makes me want to do it again.

[@winvee290]

thank you again i can do the mirror shine because of your tutorial!

[@tss81exon]

Hello Kirby, Your passion for shoes is contagious. I staryed investing in fine shoes. I got allen edmonds chili randolph loafers recently. My question to you is - Can these be mirror shined?

[@JM-jb1bh]

I have a question? When do you add the patte de lux while using the mirrow shine? Thank you

[@kevinbeverlyjr1864]

Great shine and information my friend

[@thewoosh31]

This was a joy to watch

[@alexlambert2454]

I'm really loving these videos. I can't afford the Saphir products, but I'm trying out this technique using Kiwi's range on a pair of second hand boots that I got from a charity shop. It's my first time shining, but I've achieved a result that looks about half as good as yours so far. That's just using Renew and Protect, Parade Gloss Prestige, Kiwi's standard polishing brush and an all purpose cleaning rag.

[@chrisa5203]

This guy is brave to shine shoes with black wax in a grey suit. Damn.

[@ydhalla25]

Hello Kirby, that is a great mirror shine, I live in Calgary, Canada. Where can I buy your products. Have you ever tried using a mini buffer for mirror shine, it works amazing but take a few times to get the hang of it. With your products it would rate at TOP SHELF. Thanks

[@seventyfive1]

You know someone is an expert shoe shiner when they're willing to shine their shoes while wearing an expensive suit and shirt

[@LoudCitizen]

And when they help develop a new, never-existed-before wax product with a premier company, Avel of Saphir fame, just to get a spectacular shine!

[@nhutchins]

That's a damn fine shine!

[@kirbyallison]

nhutchins Thank you!

[@jerrymouchian5926]

Hello Kirby. Just watched your Ultimate Mirror Shine for Dress Shoes, again. Still find it fascinating how wonderful the shoes turn out. This brings me to a question about brand new, out of the box shoes - even bespoke: Have you ever had a pair of brand new shoes that you found difficult to mirror shine? If so, what did you end up doing? I'm sure that not all leather can be deemed to be perfect. Thank you and keep the videos coming.

[@suleimanshaik]

Thanks for the advice, coaching/ demo.

[@DC430]

Kirby, could you do another video where you demonstrate a mirror shine on shoes of a different color besides black? A mid brown for example would be nice.

[@petermaag9622]

Great question, I wanted to ask this. And this goes with the question about neutral wax, are there real drawbacks to using neutral wax/MG on a lighter shoe such as chestnut/mid-brown (i.e. not very dark like black/dark brown)? Looking fw to a video on that

[@crisyorke1328]

Peter Maag I used neutral wax and cream and renovateur on my brown shoes. Would like to know. Does it streak?

[@dylanbailey1944]

I have done a few light browns and mid browns and you can do them the same way. Depending on the color of the shoe I would used Saphir's light brown, tobacco, mid brown or even neutral. I like to use a slightly darker polish than the shoe to add some contrast. It wont change the color much at all. Here is a good video, go to 3:05 of the video and he starts talking about brown shoes. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jaG5qX2lisp3o6c

[@kirbyallison]

I’ll put that up next!

[@DC430]

Looking forward to it! By the way, I just spent some time in Madrid and visited the Carmina Shoemaker boutiques. What do you think about Carmina? Do you own anything by them?

[@caetanoalmeidaebrito6306]

Hello Kirby, I really have to thank you. Your help is essential for my shoe care. Could you make a video on the different types of leather and how to recognize them?

[@kebman]

In the army we used to set fire to some Kiwi wax, and use spit to get the boots mirror shiny. I learnt this from a guy in His Majesty the King's Guard of Norway. But yeah, it sure took some time, and you'd have to re-apply every other day. Which was fine in the army. They had an infinite supply of Kiwi wax lol!

[@ImperatorTheodosius]

I wish I knew this before I went to the Academy, as opposed to 8+ years after.

[@paulmunro3175]

Great video. I wish more people would care as much with the detail you put in. Ignore the naysayers. P.S. The word pate is pronounced with an "eh" at the end as in pateh: the a is soft as you said it. Pate is the French word for paste. It is pronounced the same in English. I'm Canadian eh!

[@yfelwulf]

The old AUS Army Boots AB used to have a heavy dimple pattern it was easy to flatten and remove with the tip of a hot Iron, before going for a High gloss finish.

[@stylishoversixty9459]

Greetings I wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your videos the knowledge you share about helping the well dress take care of their clothes has really deepen my appreciation for giving more attention to my wardrobe shoes and accessory items recently I purchase a pair of vintage stacy adam captoe dress shoes, shoes I remember seeing my grandfather uncles and father wear whenever these fine gentlemen would dressup for church a wedding etc. In honor to them I would like to do a mirror polish shine to these shoes I will forward pictures for your recommendations.

[@gan102]

I love my Berwick 1707 Oxfords and really needed to shine them. I only had solitaire cream, kiwi wax and two tissues I had lying around. I simply took my time and actually understood how the leather works, how the wax and water works on the leather and got the same results as you did. No need for expensive Saphir shit. Just a little bit patience and elbow grease.

[@staaswolter641]

Kirby, those look stunning. Just curious how long does a mirror shine usually last?

[@RobertOrgRobert]

Didn’t think Lieutenant Dan wore shoes

[@arnoldberk7686]

Outstanding

[@andrewcoates4952]

Yo that suit is beautiful. Instant subscribe

[@moisesbachez3039]

Thanks my shoes ultimate right now

[@alexfoote7475]

Thanks and great video. Do you think you could make a video using kiwi polish to create the mirror shine

[@reddsaxxmike2865]

A Trick I learn, was to take extra fine sand paper and even out the top layer of leather before appling the dressing. You do it with any type shoe polish

[@karimelzein9115]

Fam i LOVE how excited he got about his own shine xDDDDDD

[@KMaybach1]

amazing video! Thanks

[@arthurc1971]

Informative and relaxing. Nice.

[@mgtowp.l.7756]

What Do You Think Of The European Ecco Shoes? Please Replay.. A Excellent Video.. Highly Recommended.. Thank You Very Much For Sharing..

[@mitchellmilliner1585]

All joking aside i love the video

[@thomasgilbert9347]

Thanks for the demonstration.

[@kcwhat]

You are awfully brave using polish with that crispy white shirt and gray suit.... 🙂

[@mitollitsac4304]

Kirby, I see you used black mirror gloss, but I think I’ve seen you use the neutral on dark shoes also. Since you are using the black softer wax in conjunction, does it matter? Thanks

[@ducanhtran9325]

Mit Ollitsac i use neutral and have no problem at all. However i don't know if the black one brings a better result.

[@greglemon7285]

Those are a very beautiful pair of shoes Mr Allison, what are they and where would I find them?

[@pete-mz9vr]

How do you polish the rest of the shoe?

[@kfung4]

Any chance you can demonstrate how to mirror shine a derby or whole-cut where there isn’t a cap toe please?

[@Wongheichi]

Will the wax hurt the leather by preventing the pore to 'breathe'?

[@Whatuptee]

Wongheichi nope. It’s a leather protectant.

[@gregorysmith111]

top tip when shining your shoes , get an ice cube out of your freezer and put it into the lid of your saphir polish , let it melt for 5 minutes and shine your shoes using ice cold water ,. it really does help get a perfect mirror finish

[@luminairist]

Thanks for the tip. I will try

[@blue47er]

As an ex Royal Air Force airman we used spit and polish. Of course it took weeks, but was it worth it? Was it hell as like!

[@mharmaansheikh6388]

In your country the mirror shine may last long but in our country just after i foot out of my house they will get all dusty 😂😂

[@angelvillarreal3648]

Just did my first glass toe shoe shine ever while playing this in the background lol. Thanks for the tips; now my tips are glossin! #glasstoesonly

[@edwindebnath1385]

I can't afford the polish you use. Can I get this with normal wax polish?

[@gan102]

yes. Just be patient and look search for japanese shoe shine world champion.

[@MrSlitskirts]

Hi, you should be able to, e.g using Kiwi Black Parade Gloss or basic Kiwi Black or other colours, the technique Kirby shows I found is the main thing, leather conditioners, polishes and creams are a personal choice, etc.

[@AntonioGastelumInc]

Excellent video Kirby! Have you ever done a mirror shine on a pair of cordovan leather shoes? Would they take a mirror shine as well as calf leather shoes?

[@CK-vc4lq]

I'm a cadet and I have a mirror shine with £2 black polish and a cloth. You don't need all this fancy polish, ya just need a lot of time! Also add a layer of tan every now and again for a more wholesome deeper gloss finish!

[@vidster7]

I think its really great on cap toes toe boxBut yes even on wingtips or whole are also greatAnd yes i always re watch the recent videos while shining my own shoes.. :)

[@alanmckay2384]

hi great video evry informative, so my question is can you do a Brogue shoe..??

[@enocestrada2244]

For the mirror gloss polish, do I need to buy the one with the color of my shoe or can I buy the neutral? Will using the neutral affect the outcome? Another question: How many layers average does a Mirror Shine need?

[@omarhasan2083]

You can buy either, I have used both Saphir neutral and color specific polishes and waxes and there is no difference with regards to the shine they produce.

[@MrSakker]

Now go home and get your shinebox

[@ivecodaddy4817]

Maybe you didn't hear i don't polish shoes anymore..

[@moomtaz1]

Winner

[@joecochran7797]

Do you have a video on threading your laces for your dress shoes? Would like to get this tip from you please.

[@lohengrinknight]

Hi, Kirby. I just spent one hour trying to mirror shine my shoes with a cotton chamois, leather beeswax protector, and water; but yet no luck. My shoes look the same as with just shoe polish. I buffed with light pressure and circular motions with a drop of water every twenty seconds approximately. What did I do wrong?

[@Obsidiank]

Hi Kirby, great video!. Can you please speak to or maybe do a video on using neutral wax vs pigmented? In this case, with mirror gloss is there really a benefit to pigmented? I am trying to plan out my polish strategy and it seems overkill to have a polish and wax in the same color for everything. Does using a neutral wax not produce the same effect?

[@waynedrummond6583]

You need to make sure your choice is of the correct orientation. Toes must remain pointed at 32 degrees off North for the entire process. That's why I have my little shoe shine boy.

[@felixschimpf8068]

Hi Kirby, does the color choice of mirror gloss make much of a difference or should neutral be fine for all kinds? cheers felix

[@zapantalambda]

wow. that room is like from the 1900s.

[@davidmvermillion]

Wow. It takes me 25 layers of Kiwi and 3 hours to get to that level. 😲🤯

[@omarhasan2083]

quality vs quantity

[@cgirl111]

When I was in the service in the mid 70's we melted Kiwi, applied the hot liquid polish then buffed the shit out of them.

[@usernamemykel]

Now you're "out of service", like a broken washing machine?

[@ann_teator]

Wow and i thought i liked kirby before

[@kojiarakawa6831]

Can you do the mirror shine with just pate de luxe or is the mirror shine gloss essential

[@ArpitSharma-ib5dg]

Hello sir, I'm really Very impressed with your work.i want to ask that can i use neutral mirror glass and wax to get a very good mirror shine?or there will be difference with same colour and neutral products.because i have 2 shoes with different colours and i want to save some money 😜

[@andrejensen9002]

Question: First og all, love your channel and you really got me interested in bespoke shoes and shoes in general. I’ve read and watched alot now, but can’t find anything specific about why you mirrorshine. Is it purely looks, some kind of dresscode or what? Best regards A.J.

[@kirbyallison]

Great question. It is fundamentally because it looks great and is a sign of one having taken time to care for their shoes. Nothing says business like a proper mirror shine.

[@DanielMartinez316]

Hello. I would appreciate if you could please put the link to buy the product that allows us to obtain such shoe shine.

[@jamesojackson1]

Kirby, Can you do a video on creating a mirror shine on a cap toe that has a medallion? Much appreciated

[@kirbyallison]

The process is really no different. You can't avoid polishing getting into the medaillion.

[@BTbeam27]

Hi Kirby, great video, tell me what type of mirror gloss shud i buy, neitral or black?

[@markoduvall]

Hi Kirby, I have a few things. I usually experience cracking more frequently with the mirror gloss rather than the high gloss with more coats. What do you think the reason behind that is? Also, I've never heard you talk about using pantyhose as a tool to create the heat for the high shine. What are your thoughts on that? And the last thing, it took me a while to figure out the proper pressure. You talk about pressure, but it's subjective. I found, for me, a lighter touch gives better results. I don't know if there's a way for you to really demonstrate pressure, but I think it would be helpful for people. With too much pressure, you could ruin a shine that took you forever to build. That would turn some people off.

[@markoduvall]

Toecap only when using mirror gloss. The mirror gloss is much more rigid than the high gloss due to the higher wax content. I walk about 1.5-2 miles during a normal workday, twice a week for those shoes. For me, the rigidity of the mirror gloss usually gets minute spider cracks through the toecap each week; whereas, the high gloss can make it through most weeks without the cracks unless they're jarred or stepped on. I polish my shoes every weekend to some degree.

[@davidtrinks6141]

How do I care for/ maintain AE natural waxy leather shoes, like older Strandmok, Buckstrand, or McTavish?

[@dylantran2319]

Great Video Kirby! I have a question, as I am slowly collecting higher end shoes and I do not have a proper shoeshine kit yet, could I just use the renovatuer and the mirror gloss skipping the pommadier cream polish since I am low on budget?

[@brandonbentley8532]

Kirby, I'm working with Leeds Blucher Oxfords which have no toe cap. I can clearly see where the bending area is but any recommendations on mirror glossing noncaptoe shoes?

[@shearonj58]

What shoe modle are those?? Thank you, and awesome work!!

[@berkcancinar]

Thanks a lot for the tips Kirby! One question: how do you polish the rest of the shoe so that the mirror shine strikes more balanced?

[@tylerw2531]

Hi Kirby, love the video. My first mirror shine attempt on a pair of AEs was a half-success... one came out beautifully, and the other had the dark chili color of the leather wipe right out! Have you ever had a bad reaction to Saphir products on your shoes? My other hunch is that perhaps I used a little too much water or too much pressure? I took them to a cobbler to re-dye the toe cap and I'll try again next week. Cheers!

[@terryanderson5848]

Once you have the mirror shine. How do you maintain the rest of the shoe with out messing up the toe cap or the rear quarters? Thanks,

[@nickleonardi8071]

I’m using all the products described, including the high-shine chamois, but I’m getting a sort of swirling effect. Almost like you can see the “brush strokes” of my polishing. Any ideas? I may just strip it down and start over.