How much do you pay for a shoe-shine? - Page 6

"Pleb, you missed a spot on my button boots."

All depends what sort of service you want.
Its like saying how much should I pay for a haircut.
If you want a cheap snip go to the £5 barber if you want a good job go to the £100 hairdresser!!
Im from london there are awful ones and good ones shoe snob and london hilton park lane are best and charge more than say burlington arcade which is cheap but they are much better

I do it myself, for super cheap and it last a long time. I use this product.  Protects from wear and tear and also doesn't hurt the leather.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_9?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=skuff+protective+coatings&sprefix=skuff+pro%2Caps%2C183

I shine my shoes myself.  I really don't have to spend anytime on them.  This stuff helps protect your shoes from wear and tear and doesn't damage the leather which is really nice for you more expensive shoes.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_9?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=skuff+protective+coatings&sprefix=skuff+pro%2Caps%2C183

I have a shoe-shine kit but after two kids I don't have time. I usually pay $5-$10 per shine and the latter is when they use a shoe cream too.

Beware. Many of these guys use products with that contain alcohol or other chemicals that are bad for your shoe leather in the long run. They also tend to produce a shine that might look like crap quite soon, vs. one done with proper products & technique, since the application is more superficial. The upside is that you quickly get a high gloss shine.

For this reason, I actively avoid getting my shoes shined by others. I prefer to use the best leather conditioners and waxes to ensure longevity (and my shoes definitely hold a shine better). Saphir is popular on SF, though expensive.

Granted, this has more relevance for high quality shoes that you hope will last for 10 years than for beaters.

Truth. I got a shoeshine at a hotel in DC recently, and my shoes glistened. However, I later realized the guy had applied some sort of substance that was hard to remove and that made it difficult to sustain a shine for several days later. Never again.

I don't know if i'd use the haircut analogy. there are plenty of expensive stylists that do a piss poor job of cutting hair. likewise, there are inexpensive stylists that do a better job than some expensive stylists.

but to answer the OP's question, I pay $0 because I shine my own shoes. plus, I don't trust anyone but myself to properly shine my shell cordovan shoes.

I was going to make the same point about the haircut parallels a couple of days ago but glad someone did.

Very true.

the skuff application looks interesting and all around good reviews.

any pics you have of a before/after Andrew?

and thanks for the pic on your shoe looks very nice