Care of Leather Goods, Part 5

by Steven Ferry

Different Kinds of Polishes

Wax is the most common polish for shoes and allows a shine to be created while adding layers that increase the leather’s water resistance; it also adds a small amount of moisture that helps keep the leather supple and free from cracks to some extent.

To ensure the leather is conditioned with sufficient moisture, especially in dry climates or where leathers are used often, apply creams (i.e. Meltonian, Kelley’s, Moneysworth & Best) as the leather starts to become dry, so it is not damaged by becoming brittle but does develop character with a burnished patina of scratches and scuff marks while retaining its suppleness—as demonstrated by the author’s 25 years of wear and care of his Johnston & Murphy shoes.

As a note, creams do not provide much shine nor water resistance, so they are not substitutes for wax polish. However, as waxes only come in half-a-dozen common colors and creams come in about two dozen colors and can be combined with other colors, just like an artist combines paint hues, in order to exactly emulate unusual-colored leathers, there will be some leathers on which one can only apply creams. In this case, a shine can be approached by applying the cream and buffing, and repeating a few times.

As a further note, the less glossy leather is, the more it is liable to change color, even when applying a neutral polish, as the leather absorbs the polish and can then darken. So particularly in the case of matching items like belt and shoes or handbag, test a polish or conditioner on a small segment of the leather, preferably where it is less visible, and let it dry for a day to see if the polish changes or darkens the color. It is always possible, of course, you will prefer the new hue, but best not to commit yourself until you have made an informed decision.

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