Mark it once you can do it without this page open.

How to do it

  1. Remove the laces and put a shoe tree or scrunched paper inside to hold the shape.
  2. Brush off dust and dried mud, paying attention to the welt where the upper meets the sole.
  3. Wipe the leather with a barely damp cloth and let it dry fully.
  4. Wrap a soft cotton cloth around two fingers, pick up a small amount of polish in a matching color, and rub it in with small circles.
  5. Cover the whole shoe in a thin, even layer and leave it to haze for about ten minutes.
  6. Buff briskly with a horsehair brush, then with a clean cloth, until it shines.
  7. For a higher shine on the toe, add a very thin layer of wax polish with a drop of water and buff with light circles.
  8. Relace the shoes and store them with shoe trees.

Common mistakes

  • Polishing over dirt, which grinds it into the leather.
  • Using thick layers of polish that crack and cake.
  • Drying wet shoes next to a heater, which cracks the leather.
  • Wearing the same pair every day with no rest.

Quick self-check

Three questions. Your last score is kept in this browser.

1. What comes before any polish?
2. How much polish should you use?
3. How should you dry soaked leather shoes?

Teach this to someone

A one-page sheet for showing a friend, a roommate or a kid: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.

Last reviewed . First published .