Q&A for How to Shine Shoes

You can add cornstarch or baby powder to cover the oil stain and leave them for a couple of hours. Cornstarch/baby powder will absorb most of the oil stain. Wipe it off with a shoe brush and wet rag to remove the excess cornstarch/baby powder.

Brush the shoes to remove dust first, and then apply leather cleaner with a horsehair brush. Wipe off the dirty foam with wet rag and air dry them for a couple of hours. Apply leather conditioner to protect the surface of the leather from stains.

To make your shoes shine without polish, you can use water or a dry cotton. But remember if you clean with water; your shoes might get damaged.

Try shaving cream. Some recommend it for almost anything, from carpet stains to concrete, and even to cleaning military weapons.

Yes, you could.

If you want to shine with cherry blossom polish, get cotton wool, your polish, water, and a brush (optional to build up layers to polish). Apply a few layers with the cotton, water and polish. On the cotton you should have water and polish. Use your skin to test the amount of polish: rub the cotton with polish on your wrist until you have a faint amount of polish not an incredibly intense color. Rub the polish on the edge of where you are polishing once and use it to move through the middle.

Yes, but it can discolor the shoe. Clean the leather first, then apply a light coat of petroleum jelly. Rub it in with a soft cloth to polish the leather and remove the excess product.

Take between 15 seconds to 45 seconds in one specific area of the shoe. Doing it for too little time will mean your work will be wasted, while doing it for too long might mean discoloring/having different shades of your chosen color on the shoe.

Yes, but be aware that this may discolor the shoe. Clean the shoe first, then apply a light coating of oil (such as olive oil, walnut oil, or vegetable oil). Use a soft cloth to rub the oil into the shoe and to wipe off any reisude.

You don't have to. If you'd like a really mirrored shine, though, you can apply a very light coat of polish after shining and buffing your shoes, then use a cotton ball dampened in hot water in a small, circular motion to rub in the final coat.