Two strange facts: 1) I just spent 39 minutes watching two guys shine their shoes. 2) I enjoyed it. Now I'm off to shine my own shoes (a Sunday evening tradition for me).
Saphir products have been a joy to use in terms of not just performance, but also the scent. Gone are the days of really caustic chemical scents. Saphir products are more natural and smell really good and honestly, they perform much better too.
Goodness, the enthusiasm displayed by you two while shining is just awesome. Very informative video. Makes me want to do it the right way from the outset. Thank you gentlemen.
Although Caviar isn't my cup of tea, I've enjoy this series as an out of the box adventure into other things, but more importantly, with a gentleman such as Mr. Petrossian. His passion for his craft bleeds through the screen and I really enjoyed this video where I could connect with him on something that I also enjoy, shoes. Speaking of shoes, thanks to this channel, my second pair of J. Fitzpatrick is on the way! Also a shipment of Saphir from The Hanger Project! I'm upping my shine game by upgrading my polishes.
It was interesting to to different approaches to the mirror shine process. Yours seems more energetic and Alexander's more laid-back. Was remembering when I was in the service in the 60s we called it a spit shine and spit was an important part of the process. You always keep it interesting Kerby thanks.
Always a pleasure watching your videos Kirby. The mirror shine layer is insulating by nature, so the next time you need to nourish the leather & apply the cream & wax again, do you completely remove this high gloss wax layer? If yes, would you do this with the renovateur? Or would you go as far as leather soap?
I live in a cold, wet and salty part of the world and as such I spend more time than most conditioning and polishing my leather boots. Initially it felt like such a tedious pain in the ass just for the sake of maintenance (much like shaving was for me) but overtime I developed an appreciation and affinity for the skill. Now it's become quite a rewarding masculine ritual for me and I can pride myself on taking the time to get the best result possible.
krollic Thank you for sharing! Yes, in the beginning learning to polish can be a chore. But once one gets past that, it can become a real therapeutic pleasure
Interesting difference in how the two of you buff. I’m interested in knowing how much pressure is put. Kirby, do you recommend a lighter hand for certain leathers?
Second time watching, even better than the first. Will try red on my black oxfords. I do the reverse, black saphir on my oxblood Allen Edmonds; not sure why I never considered anything but black on my black shoes.
I too like the vintage shoes. One sometimes overlooked way to get high quality footwear is to go with vintage shoes. There is a bit of a learning curve, but you can get a nice pair on 1960s-70s Florsheim Imperials for under 100 bucks. The style is classic, and the uppers on these shoes were of very high quality. If you send these to a high quality cobbler, you will get new cork, world class soles/heels and workmanship that rival bespoke quality. So for an investment of 300-400 bucks you’ll be getting an epic shoe for a moderate cost. While it is true you can get a new pair of Allen Edmonds in that price range, the vintage shoes have the advantage of the patina of time, and honestly, a cobbler like Steve a bedo’s leatherworks or THP’s silver cup shoe service may actually provide a better sole than the factory original.
Kirby, if I wanted to use a blue shine on my black Allen Edmond McAllister Wingtip Oxfords, would you recommend a neutral mirror or black mirror shine polish with the blue creme polish? Or what could you reccomend?
Hard to say, really. The pigment in black is quite light, so you could certainly use it on top of the navy. It would provide a nice antique effect... If you're okay with the toe cap appearing slightly darker than the rest of the shoe, you could go with black. Otherwise, use neutral. The other benefit of neutral is that you can use it on all of your other shoes !
I think I’ve watched al of your shoe shine series of videos. Unfortunately and maddeningly I can’t seem to achieve that mirror shine! Have you ever considered putting on a clinic while you are traveling?
Dear Kirkby, I don't live in the US. I live in India. I have pure leather boots. It's not the best quality stuff but it's called genuine leather. I know it's the lowest grade of leather. It still looks cool. I used it for a month and I saw the boots drying. I purchased a shoe cream as the shop keeper said it's better than wax polish. It made the leather soft but still not very. The boots easily dry after a few days of applying shoe cream. But the biggest problem is that I use neutral shoe cream on my tan boots. After applying many coats like a apply 1 coat once in 15 days. Now the boots have a whitish coating on it that is flaking out. It looks like a thin layer has been formed over time as shoe creams not only nourish the boots but also apply a thin protective coating. I don't have a saddle soap so I used my bathing soap to remove the coating. My leather boots became dry after wash. I used the shoe cream and it looks better and not dried out. But the cream isn't nourishing the boots much. I've found a mr leather cleaner and conditioner in the market for leather sofa, car seats etc. So is that a good product to primarily nourish my shoes or should I buy a leather conditioner made in US for my shoes. Most of the guys have recommended me to get a leather conditioner with out polishing properties. What should I do? I like my boots and even want to get cow boy boots but for preventing cracking or drying of my boots can I use Mr leather cleaner and conditioner. It says cleans and conditions.
I prefer using a chamois. Some people apply Saphir with their fingers - and you can do this - but I personally don’t like having to scrub my hands afterwards.
French? Petrossian is Armenian, Armenian Caviar comes from Lake Sevan historically. Almost as good as Caspian Ossetra. Great Vid Kirby, nice to see 2 shoe affectionados hard at work
Whats your take on a loafer, a baron de redy loafer with a horsebit gold coated piece resembling the "Gucci horsebit loafer" although slightly thicker with a 18 carat gold coating... would look stunning in my opinion. not as understated though... although i like being extravagant! What email should i contact you on regarding the sponsorship of your trip to Jan Kielman?
Darth Vader No... unfortunately not a weekly thing. But the idea is to serialize it with different people. Basically a shoe shine casual chat with friends and other interesting individuals.
Love these videos. Please hold champagne flute by the stem otherwise you are warming it with your hand. It’s the proper way as taught to me by a champagne connoisseur.
Two strange facts: 1) I just spent 39 minutes watching two guys shine their shoes. 2) I enjoyed it. Now I'm off to shine my own shoes (a Sunday evening tradition for me).
William Coolidge Thanks, William! You should have watched it **while** you were shining your shoes!
Saphir products have been a joy to use in terms of not just performance, but also the scent. Gone are the days of really caustic chemical scents. Saphir products are more natural and smell really good and honestly, they perform much better too.
Goodness, the enthusiasm displayed by you two while shining is just awesome. Very informative video. Makes me want to do it the right way from the outset. Thank you gentlemen.
It was a pretty fun shine session!
The way you edit your videos and the emotion.. i just have to say..... pure perfection! Thank you Kirby! Look forward to sponsoring you!
Watching this on the big screen and shinning my own. The quality is amazing Kirby! Great conversations!
Seems like an enjoyable experience for them as friends and shoe shining enthusiast. Thanks for another great video!
I have never ever seen the beautiful shoes like alex's. Rays textured leather. Unique shape of captoe. Most elegant shape.
This was a very enjoyable video, watching two friends shine shoes together. What a great way to spend some quality time.
We hope to do more of these! Let me know if you ever pass through Dallas.
Thanks Kirby, My hat is off to you and Alex what a great job. This was a very enjoyable video to watch and I really l love both pair of shoes.
Although Caviar isn't my cup of tea, I've enjoy this series as an out of the box adventure into other things, but more importantly, with a gentleman such as Mr. Petrossian. His passion for his craft bleeds through the screen and I really enjoyed this video where I could connect with him on something that I also enjoy, shoes.
Speaking of shoes, thanks to this channel, my second pair of J. Fitzpatrick is on the way! Also a shipment of Saphir from The Hanger Project! I'm upping my shine game by upgrading my polishes.
It was interesting to to different approaches to the mirror shine process. Yours seems more energetic and Alexander's more laid-back. Was remembering when I was in the service in the 60s we called it a spit shine and spit was an important part of the process. You always keep it interesting Kerby thanks.
Freaking loved this video... thank you for bringing this amazing content to youtube for us gentlemen who enjoy shoes!
Always a pleasure watching your videos Kirby.
The mirror shine layer is insulating by nature, so the next time you need to nourish the leather & apply the cream & wax again, do you completely remove this high gloss wax layer? If yes, would you do this with the renovateur? Or would you go as far as leather soap?
Informative and very relaxing video. Thanks guys.
Another great video I think I'm drawn down the shoe cleaning alley
I think you were referring to 'la belle vie' but I do prefer the Italians for this; they refer to living well as 'la dolce vita' - the sweet life!
I have a trimmed down toothbrush to clean my nails after a shoeshine. Works great.
Works perfectly!
I live in a cold, wet and salty part of the world and as such I spend more time than most conditioning and polishing my leather boots. Initially it felt like such a tedious pain in the ass just for the sake of maintenance (much like shaving was for me) but overtime I developed an appreciation and affinity for the skill. Now it's become quite a rewarding masculine ritual for me and I can pride myself on taking the time to get the best result possible.
krollic Thank you for sharing! Yes, in the beginning learning to polish can be a chore. But once one gets past that, it can become a real therapeutic pleasure
Interesting difference in how the two of you buff. I’m interested in knowing how much pressure is put. Kirby, do you recommend a lighter hand for certain leathers?
Second time watching, even better than the first. Will try red on my black oxfords. I do the reverse, black saphir on my oxblood Allen Edmonds; not sure why I never considered anything but black on my black shoes.
Once again thanks for a great video!
I too like the vintage shoes. One sometimes overlooked way to get high quality footwear is to go with vintage shoes. There is a bit of a learning curve, but you can get a nice pair on 1960s-70s Florsheim Imperials for under 100 bucks. The style is classic, and the uppers on these shoes were of very high quality. If you send these to a high quality cobbler, you will get new cork, world class soles/heels and workmanship that rival bespoke quality. So for an investment of 300-400 bucks you’ll be getting an epic shoe for a moderate cost. While it is true you can get a new pair of Allen Edmonds in that price range, the vintage shoes have the advantage of the patina of time, and honestly, a cobbler like Steve a bedo’s leatherworks or THP’s silver cup shoe service may actually provide a better sole than the factory original.
The best ever, great.
Kirby, if I wanted to use a blue shine on my black Allen Edmond McAllister Wingtip Oxfords, would you recommend a neutral mirror or black mirror shine polish with the blue creme polish? Or what could you reccomend?
Hard to say, really. The pigment in black is quite light, so you could certainly use it on top of the navy. It would provide a nice antique effect... If you're okay with the toe cap appearing slightly darker than the rest of the shoe, you could go with black. Otherwise, use neutral. The other benefit of neutral is that you can use it on all of your other shoes !
Great video as always!
Thanks!
I agree with Mr. Petrossian, I think the Nappa leather balm coditions better than renovateur.
I think I’ve watched al of your shoe shine series of videos. Unfortunately and maddeningly I can’t seem to achieve that mirror shine! Have you ever considered putting on a clinic while you are traveling?
Keep practicing!
Dear Kirkby, I don't live in the US. I live in India. I have pure leather boots. It's not the best quality stuff but it's called genuine leather. I know it's the lowest grade of leather. It still looks cool. I used it for a month and I saw the boots drying. I purchased a shoe cream as the shop keeper said it's better than wax polish. It made the leather soft but still not very. The boots easily dry after a few days of applying shoe cream. But the biggest problem is that I use neutral shoe cream on my tan boots. After applying many coats like a apply 1 coat once in 15 days. Now the boots have a whitish coating on it that is flaking out. It looks like a thin layer has been formed over time as shoe creams not only nourish the boots but also apply a thin protective coating. I don't have a saddle soap so I used my bathing soap to remove the coating. My leather boots became dry after wash. I used the shoe cream and it looks better and not dried out. But the cream isn't nourishing the boots much. I've found a mr leather cleaner and conditioner in the market for leather sofa, car seats etc. So is that a good product to primarily nourish my shoes or should I buy a leather conditioner made in US for my shoes. Most of the guys have recommended me to get a leather conditioner with out polishing properties. What should I do? I like my boots and even want to get cow boy boots but for preventing cracking or drying of my boots can I use Mr leather cleaner and conditioner. It says cleans and conditions.
Աղվոր է ։ Great video
I never polish my shoes while wearing a coat and tie and cuff links. I will have to try that sometime.
Hey Kirby, Do you recommend applying polish using a chamois or fingers.?
Can be done with both i prefer cream with fingers and waxes with a chamois but im no kirby
Don't use your fingers if it is not Saphir product, who knows what crap there is
I prefer using a chamois. Some people apply Saphir with their fingers - and you can do this - but I personally don’t like having to scrub my hands afterwards.
French?
Petrossian is Armenian, Armenian Caviar comes from Lake Sevan historically.
Almost as good as Caspian Ossetra.
Great Vid Kirby, nice to see 2 shoe affectionados hard at work
Petrossian has been in France since the beginning of the 20th Century. They left Russia after the Tsar fell...
The Hanger Project interesting...
Where is Petrossian Caviar sourced from? The Caspian? Or Black Sea?
Or is it farmed?
TIA
Shining your shoes wearing cuffs!
Whats your take on a loafer, a baron de redy loafer with a horsebit gold coated piece resembling the "Gucci horsebit loafer" although slightly thicker with a 18 carat gold coating... would look stunning in my opinion. not as understated though... although i like being extravagant! What email should i contact you on regarding the sponsorship of your trip to Jan Kielman?
What is the best tip for someone who has never shined their own shoes before
Don't be afraid to try something...
I really liked the colour of the dress shirt
Will this be a weekly thing now?
Darth Vader No... unfortunately not a weekly thing. But the idea is to serialize it with different people. Basically a shoe shine casual chat with friends and other interesting individuals.
NOT afraid of staining your suit, Gentlemen!
Just had a 90 minute session myself :)
Not gonna lie, those shoes would make for a killer Darth Vader cosplay
How the fuck did my playlist bring me to this shit?!
Magic...
It’s “la belle vie”
And you both sound drunk.....
Of course, the French would include appreciation of beautiful women in what makes life worth living.
Though I cannot believe I’m relaxing watching two guys in suits shine shoes....
How do you not stain your shirt
Work carefully...
Love these videos. Please hold champagne flute by the stem otherwise you are warming it with your hand. It’s the proper way as taught to me by a champagne connoisseur.
Going gray Naturally Absolutely. Was I not?
Nope. But I’ve made the mistake myself. But otherwise, impeccable manners.
Good god I wish my godmother was Olga berluti!
People using KIWI should be shot at dawn, without breakfast!
1st like
"We're not allowed to smoke cigars given NYC regulations" 😅😆...doesnt get much more manly than that
Anybody think this Kirby guy is trying too hard to fit into the bespoke community he doesn’t belong to ?