Before Shining

• Remove shoe laces to prevent them from being discolored or damaged. Place newspaper or other protective cover over the surface of your work area. Remove dust and grime from your shoes so it won't get ground into the surface.
  
  

Wax

• Shine your shoes with a wax polish to cover scratches and scuffs, and wax gives shoes a higher gloss. Using a natural bristle shoe brush or soft cloth, apply the polish to the shoes in a circular motion. After working the polish into the leather, allow to dry before buffing to the desired shine. Since it seals the leather, it prevents moisture from being absorbed. Used over a period of time wax can cause the shoes to eventually dry out and the leather to crack because it keeps the moisture out.
  
  

Paste or Cream

• Use a paste wax or a shoe shine cream to help moisturize leather shoes. Pastes or creams don't provide a high gloss shine or cover scratches, but they do help to protect the leather and keep it flexible. Using a natural bristle brush or soft cloth, apply the cream or paste to the shoes in a circular motion. After working it into the leather, allow it to dry before buffing to the desired shine. The brush will remove excess polish more quickly than the cloth. If the scratches are deep or the desired color is different from the original color, repeat the application.
  
  

Spit Shine

• Give your shoes an old fashioned spit shine. After applying the polish to the shoes, use a warm damp cloth to buff them. Instead of using saliva for your spit shine put a few drops of warm water on the shoes after the polish dries then buff. This adds a nice luster to the shoes.
  
  

Clean and Condition

• Between polishings clean and condition dirty shoes or shoes that have a buildup of polish on them. Use a shoe cleaner like Murphy's Oil Soap or one made for specifically for shoe leather. A good shoe cleaning product also helps to replace the oils that are needed to keep shoe leather supple. After cleaning, a shoe conditioner can be applied for additional moisturizing.
  
  

Shoe Shine Kit

• Make a shoe shine kit with a few supplies so you can do maintenance on your shoes. A well stocked shoe shine kit has polish, wax, a buffer, a natural hair shoe brush and a rag made from a T-shirt or other soft material.