POLISHING TECHNIQUES

Preparation

First, set up your work area. To protect your clothes, wear a dedicated shoeshine apron. Cover the surface you are working on with a few old newspapers to keep it clean. Remove the shoelaces, but keep your shoes on their shoe trees. The shoe trees maintain the shape of the shoe and provide for a solid platform so you can better work the leather.

Condition The Leather

Use a high-quality horsehair shoe brush to scrub the uppers, and welt strips, of any superficial grime or dirt. For best results, we recommend using a high-quality cream polish such as Saphir Pommadier Cream before applying the polishing wax. A beeswax-based shoe cream, like Pommadier, will help to nourish, waterproof, and rejuvenate the leather. Choose a cream polish color that most closely matches your shoes.

Apply the cream with either an applicator brush or chamois/cotton cloth using small and slow circular motions. It is important that the cream works itself evenly throughout the entire shoe. Allow the cream to dry for about 20 minutes. Buff the entire upper with a horsehair brush to remove any excess cream.

Polish, Bluff, And Shine

The next step is to apply a high-quality polishing wax, like Saphir Médaille d’Or, composed of natural ingredients like beeswax and turpentine. If you want to retain the original finish of your shoes, then choose a wax pigment that most closely matches your shoes. When in doubt, choose a neutral color or one that is slightly lighter than the color of your shoes.

To apply the polishing wax, take the chamois and wrap it tightly around your index and middle fingers. Apply just a very small amount of wax to the cloth, and massage the leather using small and slow circular motions. If necessary use a welt brush, or even a toothbrush, to cover the welt joints and heel areas. Allow the shoes to dry for about 30 minutes. Buff off any excess wax polish using a high-quality horse hairbrush. To produce a high gloss shine, use your ring finger to place a few drops of water on the surface of the leather. Add a very small amount of polish to your chamois and gently massage the water drops using the same circular movements. Repeat this process throughout the entire shoe. Before you re-lace your shoes, allow the polishing wax to dry.

Caring For Suede

All of our suede shoes have been pretreated with a water-resistant spray to repel against moisture and staining. We recommend that you gently brush your suedes every so often. Not only does this help remove dirt and imperfections, but it also gives your suede a natural and fresh look.  

For water damage, gently rub the discolored area with a suede brush in very slow circular motions.  It is important that you do this after the shoes have fully dried.   As for removing scuffs, take a suede eraser and rub it in the spot using moderate pressure. 

As a preemptive measure, apply a high-quality water and stain repellent every few months and avoid wearing suedes in the rain or snow.  

SHOE CARE

We craft every pair of shoes with the highest quality leather and materials. However, as with any natural material, it is important to treat your shoes with care and love. If you take the best care of your shoes, they will last your lifetime or even longer. Here are a few key recommendations that will help you preserve the original grandeur of your shoes.

Rotate Shoes Daily

As a rule of thumb, we recommend that you not wear the same pair of shoes for two consecutive days. Shoes accumulate moisture each time you wear them. If you wear your shoes every day, they won’t have enough time to dry out and they won’t maintain their original shape.

Insert Shoe Trees

It is essential to insert your perfectly fitting Bontoni shoe trees after each wear. If your feet are not in the shoes, then your shoe trees should be. The shoe trees prevent the leather uppers from curling or contracting by drawing out moisture.

Use A Shoe Horn

Make sure you use a shoehorn each time you put on your shoes. Not only does it make it easier to put on your shoes, but it also prevents unnecessary damage to the back heel counter.

Store In Shoe Bags

Allow your shoes to air out for at least 24 hours before you place them in their shoe bags. Besides preventing dust from settling on your shoes, dust bags protect your shoes against scuffs and nicks. If a pair of shoes is not in your active rotation, then you may want to keep them in their original shoe box. Whenever you travel, it is important to use shoe bags to prevent the shoes from rubbing against each other.

Brush Your Shoes

In between wearing, use a horsehair shoe brush to wipe off any accumulated dust or dirt.

Polish Frequently

In order to prolong the lifespan of your uppers, we recommend that you polish your shoes properly and frequently. If you prefer to outsource this task, make sure that you use a highly respected and experienced shoeshine.

Resole As Needed

Find a trusted and reputable cobbler who is capable of properly resoling and reheeling your shoes.

RECRAFTING

Our Bontoni ReCrafting Program is available only at our workshop. The service includes resoling, reshaping, polishing, and refinishing. ReCrafting orders can take 12-16 weeks to complete. For more details, please send inquiries to [email protected].