A pair of good leather shoes will serve you for many years. But only with proper care. That is why at some point you should invest in good leather polish products. It turns out that you may invest no more than $60 for the greatest leather polishes. By the way, these products can serve not only for polishing shoes but also for other accessories made of natural leather.
The following guide covers the expert recommendations for all the leather polish products. You will also find out whether it is worth investing only in polishes but also in waxes and accompanying supplies for leather product maintenance.
Moneysworth & Best Shoe Cream – the best for the soft leather care!
If you want to add moisture to your shoes made of natural soft leather, then think of this top-notch care product. Based on waxes and oils of natural origin, this shoe cream will give a nice matte finish to the footwear.
Even old and cracked leather shoes may look better thanks to this natural polish cream. And this leather remedy is quite cost-effective as well.
| Pros | Cons |
| Adds natural shining and moisturizing effects | Slight differences in colors – test before using on the shoes |
| Cost-effective | – |
| Will make any leather shoes last for many years | – |
| Natural components | – |
| Available in few natural colors – neutral, black, light brown, etc. | – |
| Can cover the stains on leather footwear | – |
| Budget-friendly | – |
This product only works on any soft leather shoes or boots (for men and women). But the manufacturer and experts do not recommend using it on the leather upholstery of cars or furniture. One small jar may serve up to 2 years.
OrthoStep Boot and Shoe Cream Polish – the best for the application!
Made in the United States OrthoStep Boot and Shoe cream is a nice leather polish heavy with all-natural oils and waxes. These components help to preserve the natural color of your leather products and clean them from any stains.
One of the best features of this leather cream polish is quick application. Unlike any paste products, this cream works almost instantly on shoes, boots and accessories made of natural leather.
| Pros | Cons |
| Exceptional quality | Not very economical (lasts only for a few applications) |
| Instant, mess-free application | May ruin the smell of natural croc boots/shoes/purses |
| Powerful repair effect after wet, snow, salt and mud | Doesn’t have the popular Tan color |
| Can restore the natural leather color | – |
| Universal for many leather products | – |
Besides shoes or boots made of leather, this OrthoStep cream polish can rejuvenate the natural color of purses, wallets, handbags, accessories and furniture upholstery. The results are not just instant but also long-lasting.
Meltonian Boot and Shoe Polish – the best for repair!
Meltonian cream polish is a real deal-breaker when you need to quickly remove the stains. It is suitable for shoes, boots, saddles and other products made of genuine or medium-quality leather. Yes, it is not recommended for full-grain leather shoes.
But it may quickly restore any leather shoes thanks to the deep and quick penetration. According to the manufacturer, this cream penetrates deeper in natural leather than most synthetic polishes.
| Pros | Cons |
| Repairs and restores the leather shoes | Petroleum in this cream won’t work on full-grain leather |
| Deep penetration | May tone the light-colored shoes to a darker shade |
| Smooth application | – |
| Can remove blemishes and stains | – |
| Easily removes old polish traces | – |
Besides the powerful repairing and cleaning effects, the Meltonian cream polish can condition and nourish the leather products. This leather polish is available in many popular and unique colors – from natural brown to exotic green.
Saphir Creme Surfine Pommadier Polish – the best for quality!
If you seek the all-natural cream for high-quality leather products, you may want to try one of the best polishes in the market – Saphir Creme Surfine Pommadier.
Thanks to the powerful eco-friendly formula free from resins or silicones, this product will never damage full-grain leather shoes or accessories.
Compared to other polishes, this cream contains almost twice the pigment – the color can be fully restored even after many months of extensive wear. Also, it works as a deep leather conditioner.
| Pros | Cons |
| All-natural components | Pricey |
| Doesn’t ruin full-grain leather | May Non-instant penetration |
| Good for the best leather types | May not work on white shoes |
| Economical | – |
| Nice scent | – |
| Nice pomade structure (reminds face cream) | – |
| A lot of pigment | – |
| Above 70 colors | – |
You may use this leather polish multiple times thanks to the natural beeswax base. This component will be able to protect the leather shoes from discoloration.
Saphir Medaille d’Or Renovator – the best for nourishing!
Saphir Medaille d’Or Renovator serves as an all-purpose shoe cleaner and conditioner. The French manufacturer made this hybrid of a conditioner and renovating polish to deliver one of the best leather care products in the world.
Recognized by shoe polish experts globally, this product provides exceptional cleaning, smoothing, polishing and conditioning. Also, if you want to remove loose pigments on your high-end boots and shoes, try this Saphir cream.
| Pros | Cons |
| All-natural formula | Pricey |
| Powerful nourishing effect | The shine doesn’t look natural |
| Fully absorbs into leather | Non-instant penetration |
| Very thick | Leaves the residue on the hands |
| Can restore fading colors | – |
| Easy to apply | – |
| May work on natural exotic leathers | – |
This Saphir cream polish works as a rich hand moisturizer. It is very thick and easy to apply. Do not apply to PU leather products – otherwise, it may discolor such clothes or shoes.
The Buyer’s Guide
Type
All leather care products can be roughly divided into such categories:
- A wax is based on the beeswax formula to protect the leather. Also, such products usually provide the best water-repellent properties;
- A cream is the most popular type of leather shoe polishes. It provides color restoration, prevents discoloration and adds moisture to the natural leather;
- A conditioner can be a great choice if you need to nourish the leather accessories or footwear. High-quality conditioners prevent leather products from cracks and signs of wear. It requires more applications than a cream. Also, unlike creams or waxes it is less opaque.
Color
The first thing to consider when choosing a leather polish is its color. The color shade should match your leather shoes or accessories completely to prevent any further discoloration. Most brands specify the colors of their polish products. Also, check the glow effect before applying. Some polishes only provide a matte finish, especially budget-friendly products.
Components
The leather polish components directly affect the level of shine, glow, protection, pigmentation and moisturizing. The list of the components in leather polish products is vast. But most creams and polishes include such components:
- Natural oils and butter – most polishes that also work as conditioners typically contain natural butter. Oils in the formula may provide a natural shine effect;
- Pigment – all polishes contain certain pigments and dyes. Natural pigments are of yellow or white color. Conditioners may also contain a slight tint;
- Chemicals – cheap polish products usually contain chemicals like petroleum that may negatively affect the full-grain leather. Carefully read the contents and instructions before applying chemical-based polishes. The chemicals may darken the leather and create a stale odor;
If the product has a nice cosmetic smell, it probably contains natural ingredients as shea butter. For some users the smell is important but the effectiveness of the formula is a crucial point to look for.
Application
First and foremost, check if the polish product has any limits. Some polishes work only on synthetic or natural leather accessories and footwear. Also, the manufacturer should specify an application method – with special brushes or clothes. Check the user feedback to understand if the product leaks after the application and causes a mess on hands or flooring. Top-notch polishes won’t leave any marks and will penetrate deeply into leather products.
How to Polish Leather Shoes
This routine can be completed in as little as 5 to 10 minutes and is perfect for both new and old shoes alike and is really meant to be kind of the basic daily maintenance shining routine that you would complete on a weekly basis just to keep a pair of shoes looking great between the more intensive shoe shines, like Presidential shoe shine.
So the first step is going to be just to gently clean the surface of the shoes using some water to remove any surface dirt. Use a spray bottle. You could dampen a cloth. But the purpose provides a really light cleaning to remove any superficial dirt that is on the surface of the shoes.
After you’ve cleaned your shoes using a damp cloth, the next step is to begin polishing them using a cream polish. You can use a Saphir Medaille D’or Pommadier Cream Polish, which is probably the best cream polish available anywhere on the marketplace. What this is going to do is it’s going to condition and recolor the shoes.
Use a chamois to apply cream polishes. Less is more. Then apply a little bit of cream polish on a cotton chamois and then massage it into the leather using circular motions.
One of the nice things about the cream polish is it does act as a gentle cleaner because of the turpentine solvents that you find in the polish. So again, it’s going to be helping to remove any surface dirt that you didn’t get in the first step.
After you’ve applied a thin coat of the cream polish, you want to allow the leather as much time as possible to absorb those nutrients. Recommended allowing at least three to five minutes for the leather to absorb the polish fully and for the waxes to dry. But you can certainly leave the polish on much longer than that.
After you’ve allowed the cream polish to dry for a good three to five minutes, the next step is going to be to buff the polish off using a horsehair brush. Now, usually recommended having two brushes, a black brush for your black shoes, and then a kind of another brush with lighter bristles for your brown shoes. The purpose is to basically keep you from using a brush that’s gotten residual traces of black polish to buff your brown shoes, and then end up with streaking.
The brush is going to remove any excess polish that built up on top of the leather. It’s going to smooth that polish out. Then the friction between the horsehair bristles and the polish is going to cause those waxes to begin to develop their shine.
You can see with the high-quality Médaille d’Or Pommadier Cream Polish so that after just one application, one buffing, you will get a nice shine out of your pairs of shoes. You can do more than one coat of cream polish. If it’s been a while since you’ve polished your shoes, recommended two to three different applications of the cream polish to build that finish.
You could honestly stop here if you are happy with this level of shine, but recommended to apply one more coat of the Saphir Médaille d’Or Pate De Luxe Polish to elevate the shine even more by adding some hard waxes.
Using a Wax Polish on Leather Shoes
The wax polish is going to help further elevate that shine and add a little bit of protection with the higher concentration of hard waxes.
You can use a Médaille d’Or Pate De Luxe Wax Polish. Apply a light amount of the Pate De Luxe Wax Polish to your cotton chamois, and then apply this the same way that you did the cream polish in small little circular motions. Less is more whenever it comes to the wax polish. You don’t have to apply a ton. The more you apply, the harder it’s going to be to buff off.
After you’ve allowed the wax polish a good two, three minutes to dry, then buff it off with a horsehair brush the same way you did the cream polish using moderate to firm pressure.
It’s going to provide just additional protection against any water spots and just anything else that can damage the leather of the shoes.
One note for someone that is wanting to elevate the shine, even more, you could make a second application of the Pate De Luxe on the entire shoe. That would be completely fine. But you want to be careful about applying too much wax across the vamp, because when that bends as you’re walking, these hard waxes if you have too much built up, are going to crack and leave a white residue. That happens. It’s very easy to remove. Just buff it off with a horsehair brush. But just again, because the Saphir Pate De Luxe wax polish has such a high concentration of hard waxes, you do want to be careful about building too much across the vamp.
Video Instruction: How to Use Leather Polish?
Final thoughts
The polished leather shoes can say a lot about the person. To achieve the best effect, you should invest in high-quality leather care products. Keep in mind that different types of natural leather require different care products. Always test a new product before applying all over the expensive shoes. Consider choosing the product with a powerful conditioning or nourishing effect.
My favorite leather polish by far is the Saphir Creme Surfine. It will transform all of your leather products back into almost brand new condition. No joke, I honestly don’t know what I would do if I never found this creme. I would highly consider picking a jar up.
Hello, Blake! Thanks for your comment.
If you are really caring for your leather properly, you will understand the importance of a good polish. Leather wears down and scuffs up over time, so having a premium-grade polish that restores its shine and natural appearance is important. I have never found application to be hard and so this seems to be a maintenance process suitable for everyone to do themselves.
Hello, Sarah! Thanks for sharing your experience.