Allen Edmonds: Leather Lotion vs. Speed Polish?

[AceFebreze]

Hey all

I have a brand new pair of Allen Edmonds, and I was wondering whether I should use the leather lotion or speed polish or both before wearing it for the first time outside.

Also, I have both the horsehair shine brush and the cotton flannel polishing cloth, and I was wondering which one should be used with the lotion and which one with the polish.

Any and all advice is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Garrister]

Hey all

I have a brand new pair of Allen Edmonds, and I was wondering whether I should use the leather lotion or speed polish or both before wearing it for the first time outside.

Also, I have both the horsehair shine brush and the cotton flannel polishing cloth, and I was wondering which one should be used with the lotion and which one with the polish.

Any and all advice is appreciated. Thanks!

First apply the leather lotion to condition. If you want a polish (i.e., a shine), and have the appropriate leather, then do so. It's better to polish calfskin than an oiled leather like Chromexcel, which probably will not benefit from a polishing.

 

[JFWR]

Don't use speed polish. Buy a tin of wax, preferably saphir or Lincoln, but kiwi is fine.

The cloth is for buffing. The brush is for getting rid of excess and starting the shine.

 

[manowar]

AE speed (cream) polish is fine. Just be careful to apply it lightly and not build up residue especially at the flex points of the leather. You will get a higher shine with a wax polish, of course, but I've used speed polish for years to good effect. I'm not talking about that awful oily stuff, but the stuff that comes in tubes. Leather lotion doesn't do a great job of conditioning in my experience: its one good trait is that it doesn't darken light leathers. Look into Venetian shoe cream or Bick4, among others.

You can apply conditioner with an old t-shirt or even your fingers if it's not too thin. A horshair brush will be your MVP for after you apply each layer of conditioner or polish (after letting it dry for a minute).