Amar writes: Where can I get some of the shoe care items (like polish and conditioner) that you show in the video? Also, where can I get the different types of brushes you used? I have a cloth for buffing/polishing and I’m wary of taking a brush to the fine leather instead. Finally, I have one pair of shoe trees but 4 pairs of shoes on rotation. Does this mean I should get an additional 3 pairs of shoe trees, one for each shoe? Or is one fine to use after wearing a pair?
That’s a lot of questions, Amar. Luckily, they’re pretty easy to answer.
Any shoe repair shop will have a wide range of colors and types of shoe polish, leather cleaner and conditioner. If for some reason you live in a place with no shoe repair shops (underwater city?), there’s usually a pretty fully stocked shoe section in any large grocery store or pharmacy. You can also order online from any number of shops, though shipping charges can be as much as the cost of the item being shipped. The usual brands are Kiwi and Meltonian, and while some have fancier preferences, I don’t see much difference. Brushes can be found in the same places – usually a grocery store will have one dauber and one larger brush, while a shoe repair store may have a few more choices. They certainly won’t harm your leather.
Good shoes should be stored with shoe trees in them at all times. You can buy shoe trees at most decent shoe stores or department stores, or at closet shops like The Container Store or Bed, Bath & Beyond. At full retail, they usually run about $15 or $20 a pair. They sometimes pop up for a discounted price at Costco, as well. If you live near a Nordstrom Rack, they always sell discounted cedar shoe trees that are of very good quality for about $10 a pair. I buy most of my trees at thrift stores and estate sales – usually they don’t cost more than about $4 a pair that way.
