Q. Here's a question I'm not sure you've tackled -- although it may be an impossibility -- are shoes nowadays supposed to be no-shine?
I recently had all my shoes shined, and someone gave me a good-natured ribbing about the high-gloss gleam.
A different man, whose ensembles are high-end and impressive, told me that shoes these days are not made to be shined.
A. Don't believe everything you hear. I think your colleagues have very much overstated the case.
The truth is a well-dressed man's shoes should have a shine, but how much of a shine and what type of shine is a matter of personal preference.
Let's back up a bit and explore what their thinking might be to elicit such remarks.
Good taste in shoe selection says that well-dressed men do not wear patent leather shoes except when they're in formal wear, either white-tie-and-tails or black-tie attire.
Since a high shine may resemble patent leather, a lot of fashionable dressers avoid what used to be called "a spit shine" and is now called "a mirror shine." In addition, the whole new "revenge of the nerds" approach to dressing down goes against the military look of a shiny shoe.
Still, there are men out there who love that high shine. They sometimes put so much polish on their shoes that it builds up and tends to be bad for the leather.
Caring for shoes properly by using a conditioning cream protects the shoes and won't give a high shine. The shoe looks new, but it does not have that gleam. Cream keeps the leather soft and protects it from the weather.
Traditionally, shoes were all supposed to be shined immediately after you bought them. It has always been the sure way to protect your shoes before you wear them, in case it rains. Today, several manufacturers treat their shoes, so this initial step is not necessary. Since putting conditioning cream on will never ruin the shoe, new shoes can be creamed and polished just to start them off right.
The main point to know is that good leather shoes can last for 10 to 20 years. They need to be protected from drying out and from getting too wet. A cream conditioner is essential. The ideal shoe polishing process is:
• Brush off dirt.
• Apply cream conditioner with a soft rag.
• Allow to dry for 20 minutes.
• Apply polish thinly and evenly with another rag (either in paste wax form or from a tube, not liquid from a bottle).
• Brush with a soft-bristled shoe shine brush.
• Optionally, buff with a buffing cloth.
Some products come in a tube like toothpaste. It contains all three properties: conditioner, color and polish.
Use separate rags for applying different colors, but then, when you're in a hurry, you can just reuse that rag and do a quick touch-up job.
So, what can a man do to make sure his shoes are protected and will look good for years? Well, he can shine his own shoes and go through the proper steps.
If shining shoes is not part of your routine, then you must take control when you have your shoes shined by a pro. Tell him you want a cream conditioner, followed by a wax shine. You don't want him to use any products with water or alcohol. Since many shoe shine places spray water on the shoes before that last buffing, tell him he can spray water on the rag, but not on the shoes.
Of course, different leathers call for a different type of shine. Some shoes look better with a soft, more matte finish.
You should not polish your shoes to a higher gloss than they had when they were new. When you buy a new pair of shoes, check out what they look like. Keep that in mind over the years and try to maintain that same look.
Send men's fashion queries to Male Call:
Lois.Fenton@prodigy.net
High Profile on 11/29/2015