Normally when I polish my dress shoes I don’t use cream, but once in a while, I do. I always use polish when my shoes start to look like the shine is starting to fade. After I polish my shoes they usually don’t need much care unless I use them a lot.
Shoe cream is helpful for conditioning and coloring your shoes while shoe polish is good for protection and shine. You should use both once in a while, but most often you will likely only use your polish to keep your shoes in good condition.
Leather dress shoes can benefit from both creams and polishes to give them that new look even after years of use. Depending on your preferences and how often your shoes need moisturizing and protection while determining how you use these products.
What is a Shoe Cream?
Shoe cream is a type of shoe polish that has pigments or dyes, a little bit of wax, and contains water and/or oil. It is used to color and moisturize leather.
It uses surfactants and emulsifiers to blend the cream together and a solvent to help it apply well to your shoe. Creams may also contain water.
What is Shoe Polish?
Shoe polish is a polish that contains wax and pigments or dyes. It is used to add a protective layer on top of your shoe to protect against water, color the leather, and help create a high shine on leather shoes.
It uses solvents to help it apply well to your shoe. If you leave the tin open the solvent will slowly evaporate and the polish will harden and become difficult to apply to your shoe.
Should I Consider Liquid Shoe Polish?
Probably not. Liquid shoe polish can help your shoes look shiny but it doesn’t protect much or moisturize. They can eventually start to “cause the leather to dry out and crack.” (wikipedia.org)
Do I Need Both Shoe Cream and Shoe Polish?
Not necessarily. Shoe polish will keep your shoes protected, cover scratches on the surface of your shoe, add a high shine, and add color to your shoes so they look uniform. This alone could help your shoe last a long time, although at some point your shoes will need some conditioner.
The oils in the leather will start to dry out over time and will need to be replenished. That’s where choosing a shoe cream or conditioner is necessary.
Should I Choose a Shoe Cream or Conditioner?
Shoe cream is good for restoring some moisture to your shoe and a shoe conditioner is good at restoring shoe moisture much better.
A shoe cream adds a layer of moisture and color to the top layer of the leather to help protect the shoe. If you apply it when needed, your shoes should be fine for a very long time.
If your shoes have gotten too dry, a conditioner will penetrate deep into the leather to restore the moisture so it will continue to stay soft for a long time.
If you will frequently apply cream and polish to your shoes, then getting a shoe cream will work for you. If you go for months without using a cream or polish, then a conditioner might be best for you.
How Often Do I need to Polish My Shoes?
A conditioner will help replenish the oils needed to make the leather soft and pliable for a while. If you use your shoe daily, especially when used outside, you might consider conditioning your shoe about once a month.
A cream polish may not have much oil in it and won’t last as long. If you use your shoes daily, especially outside, then applying a cream polish once a week would likely be best.
DIFFERENT SCENARIOS
So, if I was wearing my dress shoes to the office and sitting inside all day, getting a shoe polish and shoe cream would make sense for me. My shoes would last a very long time even if I never used any conditioner.
On the other hand, if I was walking every day and my shoe were exposes to the sun and water regularly, I would want to use a conditioner because my shoe would lose more oils and need a conditioner to restore them. Then I would add polish on top of the conditioner after it soaked in.
You’ll need to consider what conditions your shoes are regularly exposed to and what they look like at the end of the week. Then get the product that works best for you.
Final Thoughts
I would rather use shoe polish and a conditioner to take care of my shoes. I don’t often wear my dress shoes so it makes sense for me to polish every couple of weeks and condition every couple of months.
Those who need to wear their shoes daily and need to keep them looking their best would benefit from a weekly polish with a cream and wax polish.
Using a shoe cream and polish can be a winning combination for some. Keeping your shoes in good condition will pay off in the long run and impress others with your professional looks.
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