@@gentlemansgazette My goodness. I can honestly say that I have never had a channel respond to anything that I have ever written. This is a much appreciated turn of events. Thank you for the wonderful content gentlemen. You are making the world a better place. One gentleman at a time.
Preston's style of humour and general presenting skill really lifts the introduction from what could quite easily be a droning of contents to the highlight of my day. Great production GG
Another wonderful video from Preston. He makes a particularly important point about those of us who are “ klutzy “ ( because of a disability, usually), and how we almost certainly shouldn’t mirror shine our shoes. Thank you very much, Preston.
it's not about being klutzy, a mirror shine is all about practice and applying enough layers of hard wax and water, but mostly practice, once you figure it out, it's like riding a bike. A deep, rich, matte shine is harder. And more desirable, a mirror shine is only for caps of cap toe Oxfords.
I've been mirror shining my shoes for decades, but I've found in practice I don't like to have them 100% mirrored because I found that people assume I have patent leather shoes, and therefore have taken a cheap, plasticky way out to show off. So I aim for a two-thirds or three quarter shine so that the shoes look glossy by still look like they are well maintained genuine leather.
I must agree whole heartedly with this comment a good well shined pair of shoes is all you need and over shined can verge on looking cheap and tacky (except may be with full white/black tie or the armed services). Don’t get me wrong I certainly endorse having good clean well kept pair of shoes but a good “brush polish” will give you a good shine and still shows you care about you shoes/appearance without being overly fussy. Good style is not about being over the top with any aspect of your dress, after all “Less is More”
I mirror shine the caps of my cap toe Oxfords, especially black ones, but for anything else I prefer a deep, rich, matte shine, which actually tends to be harder to achieve because as soon as any wax is applied, brushing it will produce a glossy look.
I mirror shine my shoes, not because it looks great(which it does), but instead because I enjoy the process of sitting down after a long day and just shining away. So what it really comes down to for me is if you enjoy doing it, because if you do then you should and if you don’t enjoy it and just do it for the results then maybe you shouldn’t do it
My dad was a lifer in the US Navy. I have positive associations with sitting across from in the kitchen him as he’d go through the process of cleaning, waxing, and re-waxing, then the final sounds of him buffing his black shoes to a high shine. I shining my shoes feels like a peaceful activity that I also enjoy.
Love a good mirror shine. It was one of the things my dad taught me. I always appreciate and compliment other gents on a nice mirror shine. Great video Preston!
Comprehensive as usual. This really is one of the best channels in that way. And it is so good to get something other than the usual take of mirror shining being better full stop, and hear that there are reasons not to do it also. I've got another one (unless it overlaps with one in the video) and that is purpose and occasion. If I'm wearing tweeds and Trickers Country Brogues and walking through the countryside in them I guess I could have a mirror shine but I'd say the more off road and rough terrain it is the more such seems irrelevant
My approach is a good shine rather than the mirror. Living & working in Phoenix, dust is an ever present problem. Shoes quickly get dusty…so a mirror finish doesn’t hold up for long.
I remember obsessively shining my shoes to a mirror shine in ROTC for every inspection. And we used those same techniques, especially an old white undershirt and we had to spit shine ours. Love the videos
Awesome advice! I usually like to apply a mirror shine to my shoes. I’ve gotten many comments on my footwear over the years and I do suggest to first: have a reply prepared that shows, that you do care about your footwear but don’t want to intimidate anyone by doing so (I usually make clear that shoe care is just another hobby) and, secondly, to tone down the rest of your outfit. This will make a well-shined pair of shoes stand out even more and keep you from looking overly well dressed, in a sense…
All of our hosts have other responsibilities for the company to balance with filming videos (with the exception of Kyle, who has separate demands on his schedule as a freelancer). With that said, we keep an even split between all four hosts over the course of a year, so if you check out the channel on a regular basis, you'll continue to see Raphael equally as often as Kyle, Nathan, and me. Thanks for watching! - Preston
Don't use felt polish cloths! Mine sheds a lot, and an old tshirt works better. Also, repairing a mirror shine is much faster than doing a new mirror shine on a brand new pair of shoes. It takes 20-30 minutes. I think it looks good on black cap toe oxfords and more formal shoes, and I would invest on doing so!
I think that there are leathers and styles that can be exceptions to the rule, and have to be evaluated one by one, but at the same time, there are shoes that demand a mirror shine no matter what. For instance: I’ve never seen a black cap toe oxford that didn’t absolutely call out for a mirror shine. But something like a tan split toe blucher? I’m pretty sure you could get away without a mirror shine on those.
I mirror shined mine (the first time I got a really decent pair of goodyear welted oxfords) a couple of months ago, and I feel really good every time I wear them, because I know it was my effort that made them look so good. They might look better than a lot of other people's choice of "smart shoes" but that's not what made me happy, it was personal enjoyment. I wouldn't mirror shine every shoe though, a good pair of black oxfords absolutely, but some brown brogues I might hold off and just give them a more matte clean polish, just to make them well taken care of but not ultra shiny.
Also considering companies like Kiwi are withdrawing from the British market due to lack of sales, being someone who shines their shoes sets you apart even more than in the past, and could potentially make a difference to someone who notices, not everyone will however. First successful mirror shine I did with Saphir, but before that Kiwi was my go to and it's iconic, especially for military vets who swear by it.
I'm glad you brought up that sometimes a mirror shine isn't all that. I've only ever thought they look good on a black shoe without a medallion. I think they look rather strange on a brown wingtip boot for example.
Love the shout out to the elegant Oxford. I often watch his channel as a way to wind down right before bed. I’m one of those people who can’t pull off a mirror shine. My work has me go in and out of my car a lot and I always scuff my shoes. But I do practice it once in a while, and I often spend a Saturday evening getting my shoes in tip-top shape for church, and the upcoming week.
A great video. I particularly find your view on reasons not to mirror shine shoes interesting. There is one point you made however, which I don‘t quite agree with. I think, that a mirror shine is very well suited to even rather casual outfits. Personally, I have a pair of medium brown split toe derbys from yeosall, which I often wear with dark wash denims and chinos as well as a cognac pair of meermin half brogues which I like to wear with casual outfits in browns and earth tones. I find, that the formal nature of a mirror shines shoe shows that, even if you don’t quite dress up (e.g. wearing “only” brown chinos, a shirt and sweater) you still put a lot of effort in every outfit you put together. Other than that I totally agree with you: only start mirror shining if you particularly enjoy the process and have the time on hand. Could you make videos on regular show maintenance in the future? I would really like to see those!
Agreed. In winter I often wear tall boots (mid calf or even taller). Got quite an old pair that is generally beaten up but I still mirrorshine them and it makes them look better. Sort of 'beaten but taken care of'.
Fit on point Preston! Sometimes I think that getting dressed-down looks to be this effortlessly fetching is a much bigger achievement than hitting dress codes.
I like a nice glossy shine. It reflects light do your shoes look cared for but the first scratch doesn't ruin the look. During my Army advanced training course, another soldier took a lot of time and mirror shined the entire foot of a pair of combat boots. They looked beautiful, until he took a few steps and the polish cracked at the flex points.
It undeniably looks cool as heck, but the time commitment is the killer for me. While I could be super careful with how I walk around with them after doing a fresh mirror shine, I don't think I would have the time to invest. Perhaps I would consider paying someone to do it but I have no idea how much that would cost. On a different topic, the beard really suits you, Preston! Looking sharp!
Basically for those of us who know how much work goes into polishing to mirror standards you get a lot of respect. My friend polishes his ammo boots with shiny caps on & I always think he looks really good.
I have mirror shined all my dress shoes since my time in the military. The more you do it the less time it takes. I like the added protection from scuffs and scrapes. I don’t worry what others think it gives me a sense of pride and that is what matters.
Hello. I totally agree, that a mirror shine looks great. But it need much time and if you have lots of shoes it is, for me and my time ( I work 12 h/ day) impossible to mirror shine all shoes. So I use just a high shine. For me it is fine. I hope we will see more videos about shoe care. Great video and a great Preston. May you compare the different products? Is the price of Saphir it’s worth?
I was a big fan of mirror shine, every pair will do the shine from first wear. However I haven't do a mirror shine since last year. Maybe it is about the change of working environment, or just wear less formal wear nowadays. Anyway, I still find the mirror shine is attractive, especially on the particularly old used pair with damage or fading on the leather. Aged but in a beautiful way.
Preston, that outfit is great - near perfect in my opinion (googling the shoes in a minute too). I wear a suit for work daily and keep a mirror shine on my shoes. With that said, I can also honestly say that a marred shine at the end of the day is a sign that you work and move - not that you’re a klutz. The only way to keep a mirror shine all day without scuffs is to stay in one place, move very little and/or honestly be lazy. I travel 200-250 days out of the year and bring my shine back every morning with common hotel tools (I don’t travel with a shoe shine kit). As to why I shine them like this daily, the simple answer is 99% don’t and I know how much it truly does get noticed.
@@eyeheartsushi2212 my absolute minimum need while traveling to gloss my shoes back up is a hair drier and a dress sock. I travel with shoe trees so I’ll put those is, heat the scuffs lightly with a hair drier (they just disappear), leave the shoes to sit over night and then buff them with a dress sock the next morning. I pack my shoes with the trees in them and then slide them into old thick dress socks to keep them protected and looking good while in my suitcase as I bounce around.
I used to spend hours mirror shining my shoes. One day I saw a TH-cam vid from a street shoe-shine guy in New York. At the end of every shine, he buffs the shoes using a pair of ladies stockings. The result looks almost as good as a mirror shine in a fraction of the time. It was a total game-changer for me. I realise it might count as cheating, but I gave up mirror shining permanently.
Yeah, a US Navy vet taught me this. Never try to lighter burn polish into leather because it hardens/cracks leather. Interesting enough, military polish is satan polish even though vets don't do satan shines. Polish isn't supposed to make a shoe glossy The primary use is to protect leather from abrasion & uniform the appearance. The rub in causes controlled dry time of the leather keeping it from stretching out of form/hardening at the ends past the sweat areas. There you have it. The reason. Some of those polishes mentioned would just be shoe makeup for being way too thin. The proper way to polish is to brush clean the shoe, apply a matching die to blend stretch marks/scuffs, buff dry, apply/haze polish with matching color to your shoes, brush to bead up the polish & use a nylon stocking to level the polish to a mirror shine. No water needed. I use a high gloss neutral polish because it has no pigment to rub off on your pants. European guys wear their hym higher than your supposed to showing off their laces, shoe fitment & stylish socks. Doing so helps keep polish off your dress pants or jeans. Just remember it's not formal to show ancles while standing up. I put the color dye into the leather & not the polish. Otherwise your leather will look old & polish becomes translucent in sun light showing the substrate surface below the polish. Yeah, no pigmented polish can totally hide damaged or aged leather. You might use lighter fluid to rejuvenate old dried out polish, but it'll stink for awhile. Smokers who use Zippos don't seem to mind the oder.
I always mirror shine all my dress shoes, mostly out of habit and taste from being in Cadets. Either way, I find it fairly practical in that it is easier to fix a dent or scuff in a wax polish layer than a scuff or cut in plain leather. It does take quite some time to maintain the, though, but the process is fairly therapeutic, I find.
I spent countless hours shining my wedding shoes ready for the big day. It looked amazing, but as soon as I stepped outside I scuffed it and flaked it off on the gravel entrance to the venue 😂 not worth it in my opinion!
I think the best argument is the balance of the outfit. Having said that, you can also use the products and techniques to mirror shine to elevate a normal polish without going full-blown mirror shine. Shine on leather is always a bit tricky. I have a classic car, and the right shine for its leather upholstery is satin. I have leather jackets that shouldn't have any shine, other than their natural ones. Shoes are a different matter: on a daily pair of shoes, I'll never mirror shine to the full extent, but for the annual Christmas office party, sure, go to town and outshine everybody!
Hot TIP!! If you want to cut your time WAY DOWN chasing a Mirror Shine, use Saphir Mirror Gloss. I have only Allen Edmunds dress shoes and the "Mirror" pops quickly with Saphir Mirror Gloss.
As a Vet, I'm bias. Black toe cap oxfords always have a mirror shine. Even with my Chinos and more casual outfits. I recently purchased some beautiful BlkBrd dark brown loafers, and they arrived with a high shine on the toes and part way down the side, along with just the tip of the apron, and the heal. At first I thought for such a casual shoe, it seemed out of place. Lovely but seemed out of place. However, the first day I wore them to the office, my peers, also are bit of a shoe junkie, commented and were very complimentary. My Engineering team, hardly notice... but we were busy in the data center and there was lots of work to do. I don't think a mirror shine will ever look right on loafers, but I will make sure they have a high shine in the right areas. In the summer months, I'll stick to the subdued look of my TopSiders with shorts. Speaking of the TopSiders (Boat shoes), I still haven't found a good cleaning solution for them. They aren't suede or smooth leather, rather in between, soft leather with a slight nap. Using a suede brush tends to mark the leather, saddle soap works but seems to darken them as does a leather balm / lotion / cleaner. Perhaps a video on the matter in the future?
5:15 Noooo.....! Not just any cloth. Heaven forbid an old T-shirt! Only a kiwi cloth will do. And they last a lifetime. I still use the ones I bought for cadets, reserves and militia 40+ years ago. (And I still use Kiwi Professional from a tin with the 'EX' price tag on the lid!).
I'm mostly skeptical of mirror shines. Sheen is an important variable in an object's appearance, and a mirror shine on a shoe is like high-gloss paint - mostly a rare accent. Like Preston noted, outside of the idiom of evening wear, mirror shine can definitely look out of balance. I think it looks out of balance more often than not. Clean shoes with a respectful, straightforward application of polish - landing somewhere in the satin to semi-gloss range of specular reflection - looks right to me much more often. An analogous thing I noted some years ago, when first gaining enthusiasm for fine watches, is the amount of care watchmakers put into sheen in their finishes. On many designs, there's a ton of effort that goes into not-glossy finishes. Extremely glossy finishes do show up, but sparingly, like punctuation in the grammar. The cheap watches I'd see on the bus would be mirror-shiny all over, and they looked cheap!
Its one of those things isnt it. Working in training I was a regular visitor to a Police training establishment. My shiny shoes and neat two piece gained respect, Going on to a construction site with my shined safety boots I was asked if I ever did any work. But I look after my footwear and love a nice shine
I think so. Preston, I'm glad you didn't loafer around about the subject,🤨🙄😜😂🤣🤷♀️🤦🏻♀️🤭. My dad taught me how to shine shoe's and I'm so thankful for that, because I don't have to spend hours in doing so, because I had to shine some boots and someone said wow, you did a fantastic job, and I only only had worked on them for about 15 minutes.
Thanks for the tips Preston. I don't mirror shine my shoes. Of course I polish them so they look clean when wearing a suit or standard sports jacket with dress pants combination. Basically I wear dad cargo pants/shorts with low height hiking shoes when driving the kids to their sporting events. There is an exception, if I'm wearing actual blue jeans (I only own one pair) with my just off-white Henley I have these probably 20 year old double buckle monk shoes made with deer skin. They glow! This combination gets me actual complements when out and about. Probably a combination of the shine and the unique somewhat mahogany color.
I mirror-shine the toes of my boots, and I work in maintenance. I use Lincoln stain wax shoe polish. It gives a very easy mirror shine. It also doesn't smell like turpentine gum spirits as much as Kiwi and other polishes. My uniforms call for shoes that are polished at least to a luster, and I enjoy the meditative art of leather care. The use of an ice cube in the lid of your tin to both cool (harden) and wet the wax/leather can help if you experience issues during mirror polishing. Edit: It's just there to cool the water. Don't rub ice on your shoes. Shoe trees are also a huge help, or stuff them with socks. Good polishing does help protecting the stitching from abrasive dirt, which will prolong the life of your footwear. I wear Thorogood boots and Dan Post western work boots.
In my medical practice I wear a golf shirt, nice trousers, and Allen Edmonds Fifth Avenue shoes. It’s not unusual for a patient to notice and compliment my shoes. Especially when I have them more “mirrory”! Like the other gentleman said, I don’t take them to full mirror, but approach it. It looks good and I think patients get a positive feeling.
I mirror shine many of my shoes and boots. I developed the habit in the military. Now I polish not for appearance but to protect and I find the process relaxing.
This is strange! I had a pair of these in white from Mulberry in the mid-80s! I had no idea they were called Gurkha trousers, but they did rock! My then girlfriend also thought so even though she disapproved of my style obsession because it was expensive for someone working as a clerk at the BBC. Good times!
I tend to applie various "grades" of mirror polish to all my shoes, "minor" gloss (three to four layers) for impression (I'm an orthopaedic bespoke shoe-maker) on the roughly ~100€ shoes worn for work (which results in a finish that is way shinier than normal polish but not fully mirroring) and as many layers as needed for a full blown formal shoe. And honestly, we should not concern ourselfs with the sartorial opinions of the "only casual" crowd but especially in lighter brown shoes a less glossy darker burnished tip suffices but that is just me who feels light and medium brown is too informal for anything more shiney. Best regards Raoul G. Kunz
It all depends on what, why, and whatever for of the shoes I am wearing. I'm a blue-collar worker, spending the majority of my waking hours in an environment where it is necessary to wear steel-toed work boots. I give them a weekly cleaning and a basic polish. Altogether my time invested for that is about a half hour a week. And well-maintained work shoes do last a lot longer. For formal events, weddings, or funerals, I keep a nice pair of simple dress shoes that are well polished. Not quite mirrors, but they spend most of their time in storage. I agree that one of the first things that everybody notices about a man is if his shoes are polished. They might not notice if they aren't, but it always seems to be that if your shoes are shined, they do look. And it is a hoot to see a surprised look on someone's face when they see a man in worn work clothes with a nicely shined pair of leather work boot.
Dressing is in the detail so polished shoes are a given . Minority like myself take it to another level re mirror shine . Its an individual & personal decision, don’t forget we live in an unkempt world . Let your mirror shine 😊
I think like all in this world it’s just a hack, a skill that worth the efford in certain situations like a Gala, Concert, a Date or just wear our new pair of shoes joyfully hahah i usually do it when i need to wear a Tuxedo or Dinner Jacket because i don’t have any patent shoes.
Some color variants are almost made for mirror shining…museum calf colors for example. Multiple colors at one shoe are also a good candidate for that extra buff.
Great video ! I just learned how to mirror shine, got pleased with myself, but later on felt it took too much time (I didn't even spend hours, just 30 mins or so). End of the day, nice to look at, but eventually not for me as well. I'm happy with 1 or 2 coats of Saphir creme that buffs to a good enough shine, and I don't even need wax polish unless I feel like it.
Mirror shines also provide a little bit of scuff protection. Those scuffs are better on the wax than they are on bare leather. Touching up a mirror shine also doesn't mean you have to "start over". Touch-ups are much quicker than the initial mirror shine. You do bring up a good point that I struggle with. I will wear mirror-shined shoes or boots with blue jeans...I'm sure that throws off the balance of the ensemble.
You lads always look so good. I agree that mirror shined shoes look fussy and overdone in all but the most formal outfits, or on little girls at Christmas. Clean is best. Many women shine their leather shoes, too, BTW, but that bit of clothing maintenance is absent on those channels, perhaps because women's shoes are not meant to be long-term investments these days, which is a pity.
I still remember my elementary school principle who dressed in a style you'd approve of, with a mirror finish to his shoes. His voice and demeanor suggested he must have been an officer in the military. Would the shine on your shoes be described as a satin finish?
I usually only put a mirror shine on a shoe if it has a defined toe cap. I think cap-toe oxfords and derbies, and their various boot equivalents, can look a bit "unfinished" without it. I wouldn't put it on a full brogue wingtip with a rubber sole, for example.
You should also melt the base layer of wax in order to better fill in the pores. The base coat helps protect against scuffs. Scuffing the leather versus scuffing the polished layer is much harder to fix.
I've always mirror shined my leather shoes. There's just something to be said about a statement you can make with it. Although sometimes I will feel lazy and just get it to a high shine but not mirror shined.
Simple trick. Johnson's clear floor polish. Apply, allow dry and you have a mirrored shine. Careful to only do the tie caps as it cracks easily. I don't but expensive shoes as I walk, a lot, so if the floor polish does damage the leather it doesn't really matter. The black Oxfords I do shine I've had for about 20years so it doesn't do that much damage
I feel a "mirror shine" is a little too much for me as it makes my shoes look like patent leather. A 3/4 shine better suits my style clean, shiny but not over the top.
I have to mirror shine my shoes for jrotc, another thing that makes it better is fire shining, to do this you heat up the wax by using a hairdryer or lighter. The bad thing about mirror shining is one bad scuff can ruin the whole thing. If it does scuff you have to do it again
i remember seeing the troops falling in for inspections, drills, twice an inspection by The Queen as a boy living on a military base. If the sergeants couldn't see their faces in the shine of your toes you got sent back to barracks with some breathtakingly obscene comments hurled after you. 😵😱 Slothiness was not tolerated in the Canadian Army or Militia.
😀👔👞 I believe it depends where, what when a gentleman is doing! If it is formal, mirror shine 100% yes, semi-formal - semi-shine! At least some shoe polish on the shoes to at least protect them, it doesn't matter if the shoes cost $25 new (genuine grain leather) $470 (Top grain Leather) or $680 - $1,000 (full grain leather) or Plastic leather (Pleather) use either Kiwi or Saphir products!
A further comment on this matter, it is always well respected by everyone. Even people who obssess about sneakers and wear very casual clothes will come to see the great appreciation of mirror shined shoes.
I'm pretty sure Preston's Puns will be quite reflective today
Finally, a video that discusses the positive and negative points of having a mirror shine.
I just found this channel. I have watched a dozen different videos today. Why is Preston so calming? Seriously.
Glad to have you with us, Cory! 🙌
@@gentlemansgazette My goodness. I can honestly say that I have never had a channel respond to anything that I have ever written. This is a much appreciated turn of events. Thank you for the wonderful content gentlemen. You are making the world a better place. One gentleman at a time.
Preston's style of humour and general presenting skill really lifts the introduction from what could quite easily be a droning of contents to the highlight of my day. Great production GG
After approx. 3 years since it was announced, we have a shoe shine series😁
Well, we told you that a mirror shine takes time! 😅
Another wonderful video from Preston. He makes a particularly important point about those of us who are “ klutzy “ ( because of a disability, usually), and how we almost certainly shouldn’t mirror shine our shoes. Thank you very much, Preston.
it's not about being klutzy, a mirror shine is all about practice and applying enough layers of hard wax and water, but mostly practice, once you figure it out, it's like riding a bike. A deep, rich, matte shine is harder. And more desirable, a mirror shine is only for caps of cap toe Oxfords.
I've been mirror shining my shoes for decades, but I've found in practice I don't like to have them 100% mirrored because I found that people assume I have patent leather shoes, and therefore have taken a cheap, plasticky way out to show off. So I aim for a two-thirds or three quarter shine so that the shoes look glossy by still look like they are well maintained genuine leather.
I must agree whole heartedly with this comment a good well shined pair of shoes is all you need and over shined can verge on looking cheap and tacky (except may be with full white/black tie or the armed services). Don’t get me wrong I certainly endorse having good clean well kept pair of shoes but a good “brush polish” will give you a good shine and still shows you care about you shoes/appearance without being overly fussy. Good style is not about being over the top with any aspect of your dress, after all “Less is More”
I mirror shine the caps of my cap toe Oxfords, especially black ones, but for anything else I prefer a deep, rich, matte shine, which actually tends to be harder to achieve because as soon as any wax is applied, brushing it will produce a glossy look.
I do a shine transition on the toe. The very front is 100% mirrored and it becomes less shiny as it transitions to the vamp.
I totally agree. To much shine reminds me of patent leather - cheap.
I mirror shine my shoes, not because it looks great(which it does), but instead because I enjoy the process of sitting down after a long day and just shining away. So what it really comes down to for me is if you enjoy doing it, because if you do then you should and if you don’t enjoy it and just do it for the results then maybe you shouldn’t do it
How long does it take to do one shoe?
@@the_9ent 20 to 30 minutes for the initial mirror shine. Touch-ups 5 to 10 minutes.
If the shoe fits ! lol.. it's that's glass slipper moment !! lol
My dad was a lifer in the US Navy. I have positive associations with sitting across from in the kitchen him as he’d go through the process of cleaning, waxing, and re-waxing, then the final sounds of him buffing his black shoes to a high shine.
I shining my shoes feels like a peaceful activity that I also enjoy.
Love a good mirror shine. It was one of the things my dad taught me. I always appreciate and compliment other gents on a nice mirror shine. Great video Preston!
Preston's video keep getting better. Well done. Personally all of my shoes are "shiny" (polished well), but non are mirror shined.
Comprehensive as usual. This really is one of the best channels in that way. And it is so good to get something other than the usual take of mirror shining being better full stop, and hear that there are reasons not to do it also. I've got another one (unless it overlaps with one in the video) and that is purpose and occasion. If I'm wearing tweeds and Trickers Country Brogues and walking through the countryside in them I guess I could have a mirror shine but I'd say the more off road and rough terrain it is the more such seems irrelevant
My approach is a good shine rather than the mirror. Living & working in Phoenix, dust is an ever present problem. Shoes quickly get dusty…so a mirror finish doesn’t hold up for long.
I remember obsessively shining my shoes to a mirror shine in ROTC for every inspection. And we used those same techniques, especially an old white undershirt and we had to spit shine ours. Love the videos
Awesome advice! I usually like to apply a mirror shine to my shoes. I’ve gotten many comments on my footwear over the years and I do suggest to first: have a reply prepared that shows, that you do care about your footwear but don’t want to intimidate anyone by doing so (I usually make clear that shoe care is just another hobby) and, secondly, to tone down the rest of your outfit. This will make a well-shined pair of shoes stand out even more and keep you from looking overly well dressed, in a sense…
I take pride in my shoes and boots, have to have a mirror shine finish!
Preston is a good video host, that being said I would like to see Rafael more often. Like in the old days when I first subscribed.
Same
Or maybe both hosts, similar to a news channel where they take turns
He probably manages the shipping of the company.
All of our hosts have other responsibilities for the company to balance with filming videos (with the exception of Kyle, who has separate demands on his schedule as a freelancer). With that said, we keep an even split between all four hosts over the course of a year, so if you check out the channel on a regular basis, you'll continue to see Raphael equally as often as Kyle, Nathan, and me. Thanks for watching!
- Preston
5:15, 11:20
Thank you Preston. Another interesting and well presented video.
Don't use felt polish cloths! Mine sheds a lot, and an old tshirt works better. Also, repairing a mirror shine is much faster than doing a new mirror shine on a brand new pair of shoes. It takes 20-30 minutes. I think it looks good on black cap toe oxfords and more formal shoes, and I would invest on doing so!
I think that there are leathers and styles that can be exceptions to the rule, and have to be evaluated one by one, but at the same time, there are shoes that demand a mirror shine no matter what. For instance: I’ve never seen a black cap toe oxford that didn’t absolutely call out for a mirror shine. But something like a tan split toe blucher? I’m pretty sure you could get away without a mirror shine on those.
I mirror shined mine (the first time I got a really decent pair of goodyear welted oxfords) a couple of months ago, and I feel really good every time I wear them, because I know it was my effort that made them look so good.
They might look better than a lot of other people's choice of "smart shoes" but that's not what made me happy, it was personal enjoyment.
I wouldn't mirror shine every shoe though, a good pair of black oxfords absolutely, but some brown brogues I might hold off and just give them a more matte clean polish, just to make them well taken care of but not ultra shiny.
Also considering companies like Kiwi are withdrawing from the British market due to lack of sales, being someone who shines their shoes sets you apart even more than in the past, and could potentially make a difference to someone who notices, not everyone will however.
First successful mirror shine I did with Saphir, but before that Kiwi was my go to and it's iconic, especially for military vets who swear by it.
I'm glad you brought up that sometimes a mirror shine isn't all that. I've only ever thought they look good on a black shoe without a medallion. I think they look rather strange on a brown wingtip boot for example.
That was a really nice casual outfit.
great video and subject, yes mirror shine but only areas where it makes sense!
Love the shout out to the elegant Oxford. I often watch his channel as a way to wind down right before bed.
I’m one of those people who can’t pull off a mirror shine. My work has me go in and out of my car a lot and I always scuff my shoes. But I do practice it once in a while, and I often spend a Saturday evening getting my shoes in tip-top shape for church, and the upcoming week.
I just learned how to do it today. Digging the shining process right now，doing it allday long. I just can't stop chasing that perfect mirror OMG
A great video. I particularly find your view on reasons not to mirror shine shoes interesting. There is one point you made however, which I don‘t quite agree with.
I think, that a mirror shine is very well suited to even rather casual outfits. Personally, I have a pair of medium brown split toe derbys from yeosall, which I often wear with dark wash denims and chinos as well as a cognac pair of meermin half brogues which I like to wear with casual outfits in browns and earth tones. I find, that the formal nature of a mirror shines shoe shows that, even if you don’t quite dress up (e.g. wearing “only” brown chinos, a shirt and sweater) you still put a lot of effort in every outfit you put together.
Other than that I totally agree with you: only start mirror shining if you particularly enjoy the process and have the time on hand.
Could you make videos on regular show maintenance in the future? I would really like to see those!
Agreed. In winter I often wear tall boots (mid calf or even taller). Got quite an old pair that is generally beaten up but I still mirrorshine them and it makes them look better. Sort of 'beaten but taken care of'.
Fit on point Preston! Sometimes I think that getting dressed-down looks to be this effortlessly fetching is a much bigger achievement than hitting dress codes.
I like a nice glossy shine. It reflects light do your shoes look cared for but the first scratch doesn't ruin the look.
During my Army advanced training course, another soldier took a lot of time and mirror shined the entire foot of a pair of combat boots. They looked beautiful, until he took a few steps and the polish cracked at the flex points.
It undeniably looks cool as heck, but the time commitment is the killer for me. While I could be super careful with how I walk around with them after doing a fresh mirror shine, I don't think I would have the time to invest. Perhaps I would consider paying someone to do it but I have no idea how much that would cost.
On a different topic, the beard really suits you, Preston! Looking sharp!
Basically for those of us who know how much work goes into polishing to mirror standards you get a lot of respect.
My friend polishes his ammo boots with shiny caps on & I always think he looks really good.
I have mirror shined all my dress shoes since my time in the military. The more you do it the less time it takes. I like the added protection from scuffs and scrapes. I don’t worry what others think it gives me a sense of pride and that is what matters.
There is a sort of zen to the process of taking a shoe and bringing the shine up.
Hello. I totally agree, that a mirror shine looks great. But it need much time and if you have lots of shoes it is, for me and my time ( I work 12 h/ day) impossible to mirror shine all shoes. So I use just a high shine. For me it is fine. I hope we will see more videos about shoe care. Great video and a great Preston. May you compare the different products? Is the price of Saphir it’s worth?
Yes Saphir is a quality product and gives great results ( just my opinion)
Another amazing video, Preston! Thanks for sharing with us!
Cheers from Brazil!
Wow! They broke out the Raphael "Begone!" clip @ 5:13! 😮
I was a big fan of mirror shine, every pair will do the shine from first wear. However I haven't do a mirror shine since last year. Maybe it is about the change of working environment, or just wear less formal wear nowadays. Anyway, I still find the mirror shine is attractive, especially on the particularly old used pair with damage or fading on the leather. Aged but in a beautiful way.
Same, here. I rarely mirror shine my shoes now but was really into it a few years ago.
yes, for many reasons, like protection. it's also relaxing to do it and you look dapper
Preston, that outfit is great - near perfect in my opinion (googling the shoes in a minute too). I wear a suit for work daily and keep a mirror shine on my shoes. With that said, I can also honestly say that a marred shine at the end of the day is a sign that you work and move - not that you’re a klutz. The only way to keep a mirror shine all day without scuffs is to stay in one place, move very little and/or honestly be lazy. I travel 200-250 days out of the year and bring my shine back every morning with common hotel tools (I don’t travel with a shoe shine kit). As to why I shine them like this daily, the simple answer is 99% don’t and I know how much it truly does get noticed.
Do you have examples of common hotel tools for shoe shining?
@@eyeheartsushi2212 my absolute minimum need while traveling to gloss my shoes back up is a hair drier and a dress sock. I travel with shoe trees so I’ll put those is, heat the scuffs lightly with a hair drier (they just disappear), leave the shoes to sit over night and then buff them with a dress sock the next morning.
I pack my shoes with the trees in them and then slide them into old thick dress socks to keep them protected and looking good while in my suitcase as I bounce around.
@@midslids3210 Nice. Thanks for the tips.
I used to spend hours mirror shining my shoes. One day I saw a TH-cam vid from a street shoe-shine guy in New York. At the end of every shine, he buffs the shoes using a pair of ladies stockings. The result looks almost as good as a mirror shine in a fraction of the time. It was a total game-changer for me. I realise it might count as cheating, but I gave up mirror shining permanently.
Link?
Yeah, a US Navy vet taught me this. Never try to lighter burn polish into leather because it hardens/cracks leather. Interesting enough, military polish is satan polish even though vets don't do satan shines.
Polish isn't supposed to make a shoe glossy The primary use is to protect leather from abrasion & uniform the appearance.
The rub in causes controlled dry time of the leather keeping it from stretching out of form/hardening at the ends past the sweat areas. There you have it. The reason.
Some of those polishes mentioned would just be shoe makeup for being way too thin.
The proper way to polish is to brush clean the shoe, apply a matching die to blend stretch marks/scuffs, buff dry, apply/haze polish with matching color to your shoes, brush to bead up the polish & use a nylon stocking to level the polish to a mirror shine.
No water needed.
I use a high gloss neutral polish because it has no pigment to rub off on your pants. European guys wear their hym higher than your supposed to showing off their laces, shoe fitment & stylish socks. Doing so helps keep polish off your dress pants or jeans. Just remember it's not formal to show ancles while standing up.
I put the color dye into the leather & not the polish. Otherwise your leather will look old & polish becomes translucent in sun light showing the substrate surface below the polish. Yeah, no pigmented polish can totally hide damaged or aged leather.
You might use lighter fluid to rejuvenate old dried out polish, but it'll stink for awhile. Smokers who use Zippos don't seem to mind the oder.
Mirror shining is important in any situation. It elevates the look instantly!
That three days stubble suits him! 👍
I always mirror shine all my dress shoes, mostly out of habit and taste from being in Cadets. Either way, I find it fairly practical in that it is easier to fix a dent or scuff in a wax polish layer than a scuff or cut in plain leather. It does take quite some time to maintain the, though, but the process is fairly therapeutic, I find.
I spent countless hours shining my wedding shoes ready for the big day. It looked amazing, but as soon as I stepped outside I scuffed it and flaked it off on the gravel entrance to the venue 😂 not worth it in my opinion!
I hate it when that happens LOL
I think the best argument is the balance of the outfit. Having said that, you can also use the products and techniques to mirror shine to elevate a normal polish without going full-blown mirror shine. Shine on leather is always a bit tricky. I have a classic car, and the right shine for its leather upholstery is satin. I have leather jackets that shouldn't have any shine, other than their natural ones. Shoes are a different matter: on a daily pair of shoes, I'll never mirror shine to the full extent, but for the annual Christmas office party, sure, go to town and outshine everybody!
Hot TIP!! If you want to cut your time WAY DOWN chasing a Mirror Shine, use Saphir Mirror Gloss. I have only Allen Edmunds dress shoes and the "Mirror" pops quickly with Saphir Mirror Gloss.
I mirror shine my good/expensive/nice shoes, especially for formal occasions
I mirror shine my oxfords and I learned from the elegant oxford channel.
The amount on Sundays during my active duty days of shining my jump boots for formation Monday morning has me a pro as shining shoes/boots.
As a Vet, I'm bias. Black toe cap oxfords always have a mirror shine. Even with my Chinos and more casual outfits. I recently purchased some beautiful BlkBrd dark brown loafers, and they arrived with a high shine on the toes and part way down the side, along with just the tip of the apron, and the heal. At first I thought for such a casual shoe, it seemed out of place. Lovely but seemed out of place. However, the first day I wore them to the office, my peers, also are bit of a shoe junkie, commented and were very complimentary. My Engineering team, hardly notice... but we were busy in the data center and there was lots of work to do. I don't think a mirror shine will ever look right on loafers, but I will make sure they have a high shine in the right areas. In the summer months, I'll stick to the subdued look of my TopSiders with shorts. Speaking of the TopSiders (Boat shoes), I still haven't found a good cleaning solution for them. They aren't suede or smooth leather, rather in between, soft leather with a slight nap. Using a suede brush tends to mark the leather, saddle soap works but seems to darken them as does a leather balm / lotion / cleaner. Perhaps a video on the matter in the future?
5:15 Noooo.....! Not just any cloth. Heaven forbid an old T-shirt! Only a kiwi cloth will do. And they last a lifetime. I still use the ones I bought for cadets, reserves and militia 40+ years ago. (And I still use Kiwi Professional from a tin with the 'EX' price tag on the lid!).
11:30 I respectfully disagree. I'm in Los Angeles. I wear a suit 5-7 days a week. Even highschool kids compliment me on my outfit.
I'm mostly skeptical of mirror shines. Sheen is an important variable in an object's appearance, and a mirror shine on a shoe is like high-gloss paint - mostly a rare accent. Like Preston noted, outside of the idiom of evening wear, mirror shine can definitely look out of balance. I think it looks out of balance more often than not. Clean shoes with a respectful, straightforward application of polish - landing somewhere in the satin to semi-gloss range of specular reflection - looks right to me much more often.
An analogous thing I noted some years ago, when first gaining enthusiasm for fine watches, is the amount of care watchmakers put into sheen in their finishes. On many designs, there's a ton of effort that goes into not-glossy finishes. Extremely glossy finishes do show up, but sparingly, like punctuation in the grammar. The cheap watches I'd see on the bus would be mirror-shiny all over, and they looked cheap!
Its one of those things isnt it. Working in training I was a regular visitor to a Police training establishment. My shiny shoes and neat two piece gained respect, Going on to a construction site with my shined safety boots I was asked if I ever did any work. But I look after my footwear and love a nice shine
This is why I only wear suede/nubuck shoes 😂
Also, I really like that outfit Preston!
A very well rounded presentation both for and against the proverbial 'mirror shine'!
And you're not klutz either mate!
I think so. Preston, I'm glad you didn't loafer around about the subject,🤨🙄😜😂🤣🤷♀️🤦🏻♀️🤭. My dad taught me how to shine shoe's and I'm so thankful for that, because I don't have to spend hours in doing so, because I had to shine some boots and someone said wow, you did a fantastic job, and I only only had worked on them for about 15 minutes.
Thanks for the tips Preston. I don't mirror shine my shoes. Of course I polish them so they look clean when wearing a suit or standard sports jacket with dress pants combination. Basically I wear dad cargo pants/shorts with low height hiking shoes when driving the kids to their sporting events. There is an exception, if I'm wearing actual blue jeans (I only own one pair) with my just off-white Henley I have these probably 20 year old double buckle monk shoes made with deer skin. They glow! This combination gets me actual complements when out and about. Probably a combination of the shine and the unique somewhat mahogany color.
I mirror-shine the toes of my boots, and I work in maintenance. I use Lincoln stain wax shoe polish. It gives a very easy mirror shine. It also doesn't smell like turpentine gum spirits as much as Kiwi and other polishes. My uniforms call for shoes that are polished at least to a luster, and I enjoy the meditative art of leather care. The use of an ice cube in the lid of your tin to both cool (harden) and wet the wax/leather can help if you experience issues during mirror polishing. Edit: It's just there to cool the water. Don't rub ice on your shoes. Shoe trees are also a huge help, or stuff them with socks.
Good polishing does help protecting the stitching from abrasive dirt, which will prolong the life of your footwear. I wear Thorogood boots and Dan Post western work boots.
In my medical practice I wear a golf shirt, nice trousers, and Allen Edmonds Fifth Avenue shoes. It’s not unusual for a patient to notice and compliment my shoes. Especially when I have them more “mirrory”! Like the other gentleman said, I don’t take them to full mirror, but approach it. It looks good and I think patients get a positive feeling.
I mirror shine many of my shoes and boots. I developed the habit in the military. Now I polish not for appearance but to protect and I find the process relaxing.
This is strange! I had a pair of these in white from Mulberry in the mid-80s! I had no idea they were called Gurkha trousers, but they did rock! My then girlfriend also thought so even though she disapproved of my style obsession because it was expensive for someone working as a clerk at the BBC. Good times!
I tend to applie various "grades" of mirror polish to all my shoes, "minor" gloss (three to four layers) for impression (I'm an orthopaedic bespoke shoe-maker) on the roughly ~100€ shoes worn for work (which results in a finish that is way shinier than normal polish but not fully mirroring) and as many layers as needed for a full blown formal shoe.
And honestly, we should not concern ourselfs with the sartorial opinions of the "only casual" crowd but especially in lighter brown shoes a less glossy darker burnished tip suffices but that is just me who feels light and medium brown is too informal for anything more shiney.
Best regards
Raoul G. Kunz
A touch of elbow grease helps too 😃
Excellent and informative video. Thanks so much.
It all depends on what, why, and whatever for of the shoes I am wearing.
I'm a blue-collar worker, spending the majority of my waking hours in an environment where it is necessary to wear steel-toed work boots. I give them a weekly cleaning and a basic polish. Altogether my time invested for that is about a half hour a week. And well-maintained work shoes do last a lot longer.
For formal events, weddings, or funerals, I keep a nice pair of simple dress shoes that are well polished. Not quite mirrors, but they spend most of their time in storage.
I agree that one of the first things that everybody notices about a man is if his shoes are polished. They might not notice if they aren't, but it always seems to be that if your shoes are shined, they do look. And it is a hoot to see a surprised look on someone's face when they see a man in worn work clothes with a nicely shined pair of leather work boot.
Man, even at casual state, Preston still kills it.
Dressing is in the detail so polished shoes are a given . Minority like myself take it to another level re mirror shine . Its an individual & personal decision, don’t forget we live in an unkempt world . Let your mirror shine 😊
I think like all in this world it’s just a hack, a skill that worth the efford in certain situations like a Gala, Concert, a Date or just wear our new pair of shoes joyfully hahah i usually do it when i need to wear a Tuxedo or Dinner Jacket because i don’t have any patent shoes.
Some color variants are almost made for mirror shining…museum calf colors for example.
Multiple colors at one shoe are also a good candidate for that extra buff.
Great video as always. Would really love to see a separate video on walking canes
Great video ! I just learned how to mirror shine, got pleased with myself, but later on felt it took too much time (I didn't even spend hours, just 30 mins or so). End of the day, nice to look at, but eventually not for me as well. I'm happy with 1 or 2 coats of Saphir creme that buffs to a good enough shine, and I don't even need wax polish unless I feel like it.
Mirror shines also provide a little bit of scuff protection. Those scuffs are better on the wax than they are on bare leather. Touching up a mirror shine also doesn't mean you have to "start over". Touch-ups are much quicker than the initial mirror shine.
You do bring up a good point that I struggle with. I will wear mirror-shined shoes or boots with blue jeans...I'm sure that throws off the balance of the ensemble.
You lads always look so good. I agree that mirror shined shoes look fussy and overdone in all but the most formal outfits, or on little girls at Christmas. Clean is best. Many women shine their leather shoes, too, BTW, but that bit of clothing maintenance is absent on those channels, perhaps because women's shoes are not meant to be long-term investments these days, which is a pity.
Carefully look into Famoco Paris. Angelus. UsA. Venetian Chicago. One mirror shine lasts a year if you’re well trained or know what to do
I still remember my elementary school principle who dressed in a style you'd approve of, with a mirror finish to his shoes. His voice and demeanor suggested he must have been an officer in the military. Would the shine on your shoes be described as a satin finish?
I did not know a stubble could look this good
I usually only put a mirror shine on a shoe if it has a defined toe cap. I think cap-toe oxfords and derbies, and their various boot equivalents, can look a bit "unfinished" without it. I wouldn't put it on a full brogue wingtip with a rubber sole, for example.
You should also melt the base layer of wax in order to better fill in the pores. The base coat helps protect against scuffs. Scuffing the leather versus scuffing the polished layer is much harder to fix.
I've always mirror shined my leather shoes. There's just something to be said about a statement you can make with it. Although sometimes I will feel lazy and just get it to a high shine but not mirror shined.
Can you guys please review crown northampton’s hand stitched collection
Simple trick. Johnson's clear floor polish. Apply, allow dry and you have a mirrored shine. Careful to only do the tie caps as it cracks easily. I don't but expensive shoes as I walk, a lot, so if the floor polish does damage the leather it doesn't really matter. The black Oxfords I do shine I've had for about 20years so it doesn't do that much damage
I prefer an overall consistent shine on shoes.
Niles Crane is real. Great video!
LOL
When I was in bootcamp we would light the polish and turning into a liquid before applying the polish and it worked great.
What a co incidence i just searched this up
Awesome video
Preston, good job. Keep punning along
I love the mirror shine but living in Seattle with the rain 🌧️ doesn’t make it easy.
I dig the mirror shine, i also enjoy doing it so yeah.
When the mirror shine is scoffed, there are techniques to restoring the mirror glass in a matter of moments. I tend to be into details. Semper Fi
I feel a "mirror shine" is a little too much for me as it makes my shoes look like patent leather. A 3/4 shine better suits my style clean, shiny but not over the top.
I have to mirror shine my shoes for jrotc, another thing that makes it better is fire shining, to do this you heat up the wax by using a hairdryer or lighter. The bad thing about mirror shining is one bad scuff can ruin the whole thing. If it does scuff you have to do it again
Great video and some great tips there.
I prefer a soft shine, and it is so much easier to keep consistent.
4:52 I’d liked when he said you can choose what preference you like rather than force you to use a brand.
i remember seeing the troops falling in for inspections, drills, twice an inspection by The Queen as a boy living on a military base. If the sergeants couldn't see their faces in the shine of your toes you got sent back to barracks with some breathtakingly obscene comments hurled after you. 😵😱 Slothiness was not tolerated in the Canadian Army or Militia.
😀👔👞 I believe it depends where, what when a gentleman is doing! If it is formal, mirror shine 100% yes, semi-formal - semi-shine! At least some shoe polish on the shoes to at least protect them, it doesn't matter if the shoes cost $25 new (genuine grain leather) $470 (Top grain Leather) or $680 - $1,000 (full grain leather) or Plastic leather (Pleather) use either Kiwi or Saphir products!
A further comment on this matter, it is always well respected by everyone. Even people who obssess about sneakers and wear very casual clothes will come to see the great appreciation of mirror shined shoes.
Actually just bought some shoe polish this is great convenient
Preston is rockin' that beard.