Which shade of shoe polish

[luxperpetua]

I got myself a pair of Meermin burgundy cap toe Oxfords as pictured below. I’m wondering which Saphir Medaulle d’Or color would best fit them?

My impression is that Saphirs burgundy seems darker than the shoe, and I’d hate to lose the reddish tint as I already have a fair amount of simply brown shoes.

 

[Goofy]

Try Mahogany.

 

[daizawaguy]

Mix and match. I even use black and blue....honestly, try it!

 

[Chowkin]

Hermes Red if you would like to retain the red tint

 

[JFWR]

Bordeaux is purple, not brown, so it would work fine here.

 

[Phileas Fogg]

Do you have the shoes in possession or are you awaiting the shipment. Pics online can look much different than the actual product.

Also, if they are new, why worry about polish or cream now? Brush them and wear them. Let the leather break in a bit. The color will change a bit over time due to oxidation anyway. If you’re truly worried about the tint, just use a neutral Cream.

 

[JFWR]

Do you have the shoes in possession or are you awaiting the shipment. Pics online can look much different than the actual product.

Also, if they are new, why worry about polish or cream now? Brush them and wear them. Let the leather break in a bit. The color will change a bit over time due to oxidation anyway. If you’re truly worried about the tint, just use a neutral Cream.

You ought to always polish a new pair of shoes before wearing. Polish protects the leather and makes the shoe look better substantially.

You're right on the neutral if you really want to keep the colour.

 

[Phileas Fogg]

You ought to always polish a new pair of shoes before wearing. Polish protects the leather and makes the shoe look better substantially.

You're right on the neutral if you really want to keep the colour.

I respectfully disagree. The shoes already come treated from the factory. I’ve never pre treated a pair of shoes and have had no issues whatsoever. Suede is a different matter, but not calfskin.

I’ll usually wear 10-12 times (intermittent schedule of course) and then apply a color matched or neutral cream.

 

[Goofy]

Neutral will dilute the color over time. Every time a shoe is polished with neutral a certain amount of its color is romoved.

The purpose of polishing a new shoe is to condition the leather and to create a protective layer by the application of waxes. The wax layer actually protects against scratches and scuffs.

 

[luxperpetua]

Do you have the shoes in possession or are you awaiting the shipment. Pics online can look much different than the actual product.

Also, if they are new, why worry about polish or cream now? Brush them and wear them. Let the leather break in a bit. The color will change a bit over time due to oxidation anyway. If you’re truly worried about the tint, just use a neutral Cream.

I realize there are diverging opinions on this, but I like to give new shoes a polish before first wear. You never know how long they might have been in their boxes and I like to think it nurtures the leather.

Here’s a picture of these shoes side-by-side with my other addition.

 

[Phileas Fogg]

There’s nothing wrong with applying a conditioning cream out of the box. Just my preference.

the shoes above look much different than what you posted. I think burgundy would work. Apply it and buff it well. I think you’ll find that it won’t cover up red as much as you think. I’ve used it, and though it looks darker in the jar, once applied and buffed well, it won’t appear as such.

 

[JFWR]

I respectfully disagree. The shoes already come treated from the factory. I’ve never pre treated a pair of shoes and have had no issues whatsoever. Suede is a different matter, but not calfskin.

I’ll usually wear 10-12 times (intermittent schedule of course) and then apply a color matched or neutral cream.

There are certainly two schools of thought on this, but the protection and nourishment cream and wax provide is exactly what I want my new shoes to have. I want my new shoes to remain looking new: to not show signs of wear prematurely, because I have treated them well from the start.

A scratch on a surface of wax is really no problem at all: I can go take a brush and fix it in 5 minutes. A scratch on the bare finish, and I might need to do something as drastic as get them dyed if I can't cover it with cream polish. On any pair of shoes I want to look their best--which is every shoe I own, even the crappy weather ones, the "go out to the garbage" ones, etc--I want to try to keep them looking presentable.

It's somewhat similar to a phone. Can you use your phone without a case? Sure, but you are soon to damage it. Placing the case before the damage prevents the damage, whereas afterwards is just a patch job.

 

[johng70]

I use Mahogany and really like it - still keeps red but not too much purple. On the preference side I like wax as well vs cream. Just better protection for scuffs. I also prefer to apply before wearing. Great on my oxbloods and burgundy horse hides