How Do I Shine My Dress Shoes So They Look Amazing?

If you're searching for the best ways to clean, shine, and polish dress shoes, then you've come to the right place! 

What You Need to Shine Your Dress Shoes

To start, gather everything you need. Finally, you will require the following:

• Shoes (including shoe trees)

• Horsehair Brush

• Conditioner

• Cotton Cloth

The items above will help you follow the fourth step in this guide, leaving you with a lovely, soft shine with very little trouble and maintenance. And for an added pop and fuller regime that would take you all the way to step ten, you'll need:

• Pigmented Cream Polish

• Pigmented Wax Polish

Prep Your Shoes Before Getting Started

You should always have shoe trees in your dress shoes, but especially when cleaning them. 

Shoe trees are also great for next-day cleaning, as they help straighten creases and wrinkles in the leather so that you can clean and shine any shoe.

You can see that the laces are on in these photos below, when the shoes were being shined. These oxfords were in pretty good shape, but if you need to do a more serious shine or clean, take the laces out.

Basic Steps to Shining Your Dress Shoes So They Look Amazing

With all our supplies in hand and our shoes prepped, we are ready to SHINE and POLISH!

Step 1 - Brush

Brush the shoe with a horsehair brush to remove loose surface dirt.

Step 2 - Apply Conditioner

Brush well, then rub the conditioner in small circles using a cotton cloth. By making a circular motion as you apply the conditioner, it spreads with, and against the grain of the leather so that you can get in all those tight spots. The conditioner will hydrate the leather and provide some light cleaning.

Step 3 - Let Dry

After applying the conditioner, allow your shoes to dry for at least 3-5 minutes, or until dry to the touch. 

Letting the conditioner dry is important because it allows the product to soak into the leather properly and offers adequate moisture.

Step 4 - Brush

Then use a horsehair brush to polish the shoes to a soft finish. 

If you start brushing too soon before the leather is fully dry, it won't be as dull. Wait till everything is perfectly dry, then give it a good polish for that lustrous shine.

If you are short on time or just into a basic leather care routine, go no further. If you want to step up your shine and polish, read on.

Step 5 - Apply Cream Polish

Then use a cream polish to restore color and nourish the leather. If you use a lighter polish, you can keep the shoe's current color; a darker polish will deepen the color already on it.

The cream polish must be worked in circular motion with a clean cotton cloth. Test a Small Area of Leather Shoes Before applying any new polish to your leather dress shoes. Make sure you test it in a small, inconspicuous area where no one can see.

Step 6 - Let Dry

The cream polish should dry for 3-5 minutes. You may also repeat steps 3-4 on the other shoe to speed up the shine process (as one shoe is being shined, you apply cream to the other).

Step 7 – Brush Again

After the cream has completely dried, brush the shoes vigorously for a nice polish. Now you should be seeing a much clearer leather than in the previous steps.

Step 8 - Apply Wax

To give your dress shoes an extra shine, apply wax polish to the toe and heel. Do this only in flat parts of the Span that do not flex, or you may crack the wax. The wax will not only make everything appear glossy, but it will also protect against scuffs.

Step 9 - Let Dry

Once wax is applied to shoes, let it dry for 2-3 minutes.

Step 10 - Brush

This is where you shine your shoes—not too hard, at a medium pace, and they are good to go!

Wear with Pride

What's the use of a polished set of leather dress shoes if they're only for show in your closet?

Once you give them a good shine, wear them with, style, pizazz and dignity!