Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette. In today's video, we'll be reflecting deep
into the mirror - or, at least, deep into the mirror shine on our shoes
to determine whether all that polish is worth the time and effort or not.
♪ Gentleman's Gazette Theme Song ♪
Within the realm of classic menswear, there's no denying that a mirror shine on a pair of dress
shoes is regarded as the "ultimate shoe treatment" as well as the mark of a fine footwear fan. Across
many articles and videos on the internet, there's a ton of information, tips, tricks,
and hacks available about mirror shining your shoes, but the question that's rarely asked is:
Should you mirror shine them in the first place? In order to explore this conundrum fully then,
we're going to take a look at all of the tools and techniques necessary to buff your bluchers,
apply a luster to your loafers, and see whether it's worth mirror shining those monk straps.
And before I run out of alliterative, shoe-related humor, let's get into our first section. First up
then, let's answer the simple question of just what a mirror shine actually is. In
simplest terms, a mirror shine is the result of extensive polishing to a shoe. The surface
is rendered to a smooth, flat, and reflective shine. The shine itself comes from multiple
layers of wax polishes that fill in the pore structure of the leather. This creates a sleek
and glossy surface that reflects a high quantity of light, giving the shoe a glass-like appearance.
Indeed, this is where we can introduce another term related to mirror shining: "glassage," which
refers to the reflective glass-like quality of glazes applied to certain French confections.
Oh, man! Now, this video made me hungry. Although the entirety of a shoe could be
subjected to the mirror shine treatment, this is usually advised against. After all,
leather is a skin that needs to flex with the movement of your foot and, because the leather
needs to move, there are surfaces that will be pinched or pulled unevenly and will mean that
the flat reflective surface will be disrupted. In some parts of the shoe so, a mirror shine is
best left localized to the hard areas of the shoe like the toe or the heel that are reinforced with
structural elements and aren't going to flex while you are moving around in your shoes. Now,
there are certain types of shoes that do have a consistent glossy finish over their whole surface,
but this is achieved before they're crafted rather than afterward with
polish. The leather in question here is called "patent leather." Normally reserved for Black
Tie and White Tie footwear, patent leather is treated during the manufacturing process to
achieve that glossy shine and is then cut and constructed into shoes. Historically,
patent leather was made by building up layers of oils in the pore structure of the leather,
but today, it's almost always accomplished with synthetic materials to achieve that high shine.
So, while a pair of evening shoes is going to uniformly reflect light in a unique way,
mirror shining is designed to highlight the best parts of a day wear shoe, and, of course,
it also highlights the skill of whoever applied that mirror shine. So, now that we've defined what
a mirror shine is, let's discuss what you need in order to achieve one. There are many specialist
tools and gadgets on the market designed for the shoe polishing enthusiast, but the reality is that
you're going to need only a few simple tools to accomplish most shining needs, including a mirror
shine. The first and most important thing you'll need is hard wax shoe polish, preferably some that
is high in solvents as this will help to melt the wax into the pore structure of the leather.
Some people intentionally leave their container of wax open to dry out as
they can more quickly achieve a mirror shine when the wax is dry. Of course,
cream shoe polishes do exist as well, but these are typically
higher in pigment and they're better for restoring the color to your dress shoes,
before applying a wax to get that mirror shine. Saphir is generally considered to
be the brand of the highest quality, but there are men out there who prefer other
brands like Cherry Blossom or Kiwi - and, of course, it all comes down to technique
and personal preference. Luckily, most brands of shoe polish are just a few dollars per tin,
so you can experiment with different brands to see what you like best. Some men advocate for
applying the polish to the shoe directly from the fingertips,
but most will use a clean cotton cloth as their applicator of choice. There are guides
out there that suggest you use a specialist cloth designed for mirror shining but, again,
this is something you probably won't need in most cases. Any cotton cloth should do the job
nicely - even something like an old T-shirt - provided that it's clean or, at least,
that you're using a clean area of it. And, of course,
make sure that the fabric isn't shedding fibers, which are going to get in the way of the finished
mirror shine. Once you have your wax and your cloth, the next item on the list is water, which
may seem unusual given how much effort is usually put into waterproofing shoes, but applying the
occasional drop of water can actually be helpful as it allows you to work more comfortably, aids
in emulsification, and prevents friction between the cloth and the shoe, which can mar the shine.
You can buy special water dispensers for this task but,
again, they're largely unnecessary. You can use anything that will hold a small amount of water,
and many men often use the lid of their polishing tin. Just remember to tip out
any excess water when you are finished with your shine and dry the lid out before putting
your tin back together. Now, the fourth thing required for mirror shining is
trickier than the three that came before it - it's the technique of mirror shining, itself.
Achieving this glossy finish really is an art, and it requires practice in order to do it well.
The method is easy enough to describe; you simply wrap your cotton cloth around the
index and middle finger of your dominant hand, dab a little polish from the tin,
apply a drop or two of water to the area you're polishing, work the polish into
the leather in small circles, and repeat until you have a mirror shine. Sounds simple, right?
The difficulty then comes from judging a lot of nuanced factors that will come down to you
and the specific shoe that you are working on. These include: how much pressure you're applying,
how tight or loose the cloth should be on your fingers, the correct ratio of polish to water,
how many layers of polish are needed, and so on. You'll develop your own mirror shine routine, but
it won't be an overnight thing. And that, then, brings us to the fifth requirement to develop a
good mirror shine: time. Overall, mirror shining is about investing time in results. Whether that
time is spent learning how to mirror shine or that time is spent on the mirror shine itself.
The shine, by the way, could take anywhere from 20 minutes to a few hours to a few
days to let the wax settle properly on the surface of the leather. Remember,
you're literally filling the pores of the leather and building layers, so with mirror shining,
there were no shortcuts. Now that you understand all the facts about mirror shining,
let's return to the essential question of today's video: Should you mirror shine your shoes? Well,
we here at GG put our heads and toes together and came up with four good reasons to do a
mirror shine; and as always, we'd love to hear your thoughts about why you might want to apply
a mirror shine, so be sure to let us know in the comments below. First up here, then,
and perhaps least surprisingly, the simple fact of the matter is:
A mirror shine shoe looks fantastic.
Many people say that footwear is one of
the first and last things that other people notice about you,
so a good shoe will make a good first impression, especially if that shoe is well mirror shined.
Not only that, but a mirror shine can help to provide a more vibrant look to a pair of shoes,
bringing out the natural range of colors that are in the leather. Plus,
a mirror shine reflects the shape of the shoe's last,
whether that's accenting a chisel toe or the sweeping lines of a classic almond toe.
If our first reason is about gaining attention, our second reason for mirror shining is that it
shows that you care. Putting time and effort into something can clearly be seen in the results of a
mirror shine, and this reflects positively on you, too. That pun pretty much wrote itself. Those who
notice your mirror shine will probably appreciate the fact that you take pride in your appearance,
and it should have positive associations for your other personality traits as well. After all,
taking the time to learn this skill shows that you're someone who cares
about doing a job well and to a high standard. And this could, for instance,
go down well if you're asking for a raise at work.
[wink]
Reason number three for mirror shining is that it elevates formality. Both of the shoes
themselves and of your overall ensemble, which makes mirror shining perfect for more formal
occasions. A great example of this would be the alternative evening shoe. We've already
mentioned that patent leather is the usual choice for evening shoes for Black Tie and White Tie,
but not every man is going to want to invest in this specialist footwear. So, instead,
you could take a regular black day Oxford and polish it to a mirror shine. Finally here,
the fourth reason you might want to go for a mirror shine is for a little bit of weather
protection. Naturally, all those layers of wax polish are going to resist a bit of precipitation,
making a mirror shine not only stylish, but also practical. With that being said though, you
shouldn't count on a mirror shine to do all of the weatherproofing for your shoes. In other words,
while a mirror shine will leave your shoes with a bit more protection than if they didn't have
any polish on them, do remember that no leather is a hundred percent waterproof. Next up today,
in the same way that we devised four reasons why you should consider mirror shining your shoes,
we also have four reasons why you might not want to. First, in direct contrast to our
point about a mirror shine looking good, it also has the potential to look fussy.
We've spoken many times on the channel about how things have gotten increasingly casual as the 20th
century and 21st century have gone on, and today, a mirror shine will look especially flashy in many
circumstances. So, while many of those who notice your mirror shine are going to think it looks
good, some might think that you have too much time on your hands or that you take your appearance
too seriously. This might lead to negative connotations about being superior or snobby.
This is unfortunately true in many associations that have to do with classic menswear but,
if you would like to learn more about these stereotypes surrounding classic style,
you can consult our video on that topic here. Next, a pair of mirror shine shoes can also
throw off the balance of your outfit. Wearing a pair of glossy shoes with a tired, ill-fitting,
or well-worn suit creates a juxtaposition that suggests that you both do and don't care about
your appearance, which is a strange spot to be in. As with any aspect of classic menswear, harmony
across your outfit is one of the most important elements to consider. So, if you want to wear
mirror shine shoes, the rest of your outfit should be similarly formal with something like a dark,
double-breasted business suit. If you've gone for a more casual ensemble like the one I'm wearing
here today, then just going with a standard shine on your shoes is probably probably the better
choice. Perhaps the most important reason not to mirror shine your shoes is that - simply put - it
takes a ton of time. While it can be fulfilling to set aside a few hours to accomplish an analog
task like mirror shining, you have to consider whether you can actually afford to set aside that
much time in the first place. Now, of course, we're not suggesting here that you shouldn't
care for your footwear - far from it! But, just remember that, in most cases, a simple buff is
going to look good enough, and you won't have to spend hours on a mirror shine. And rounding out
this list of four is a reminder that it isn't even going to matter how much time you've put
into a mirror shine when it's going to be ruined at the first scuff. Shoes are, first and foremost,
practical garments that are close to the ground, and they will get scuffed in regular wear. And a
mirror shine with a scratch or a scuff through it just a little looks bad,
and it means that you'll have to start the whole process all over again. Yes,
even after all that time, effort, and skill needed to achieve a mirror shine.
It's important to remember that famous French saying, "'Tis the fate of glass to break."
And to use myself as a personal example here, because of my physical disability,
it's simply the fate of my shoes to constantly bump into stairs, table legs, and such throughout
the day. Therefore, I personally can't justify mirror shining my shoes as I know the shine is
going to be ruined essentially from the time I put the shoes on. Such is life. So, it's safe
to say then that there are many considerations that go into whether or not you should mirror
shine your shoes. The finished results often make a pair of dress shoes look exquisite,
and the technique necessary can be seen as one of the skills of a gentleman. But,
it's also worth noting that for all of the hours and effort that go into a perfect mirror shine,
they can be scuffed at a moment's notice, shattering that mirror finish,
which might be seven years of bad luck. Taking everything into account then, let's come back
to our main question: Should you mirror shine your shoes? When it comes right down to it,
we've got two answers that we think should help you out. If you've got the time to spend,
you like the look of a mirror shine, and you think it complements the rest of your wardrobe,
then a mirror shine might be for you, but if you feel it's too much hassle, you typically wear less
formal combinations, or if you're a bit of a klutz like me, then you might want to forgo the mirror
shine. In this second case, a gentle, regular shine should be good enough for you. After all,
most people aren't going to care so much whether your shoes are mirror shined, but they will be
happy to see that they're clean. Two final notes here today. First, if you are sold on the mirror
shine, and you want to learn all of the techniques that go into it, then check out the channel of our
friend Preston Soto, The Elegant Oxford. His shoes shine so brightly you can see your future in them.
Second, do be sure to take a look at the companion article that goes with
today's video; the link is below in the description. We've included even more
information - such as what types of leathers do and don't go well with a mirror shine,
that would have taken up too much time here in video form. And, of course, we'd like to know,
what are your thoughts on mirror shining? Do be sure to share them in the comments section below.
In today's video, as you could probably tell, I'm wearing a more casual outfit, and thus,
I haven't mirror-shined my shoes. The shoes in question are actually cordovan leather sneakers
from Crown Northampton, and cordovan leather has a natural shine of its own. I've just brought it
back to full luster by using a lambswool polish brush and a bit of cream polish. And to go with
the cordovan color of the shoes and the tan color of their natural gum soles, I've chosen
to incorporate red and brown in the rest of my outfit as well. I'm wearing khaki-colored
corduroy trousers from Cording's, a wine-colored cardigan sweater from Charles Tyrwhitt,
and a glen-checked terracotta shirt from Proper Cloth. The shirt has French cuffs,
but I've got them configured in a barrel-style with simple black links so that they fit more
easily under the sweater sleeves. To reinforce the casual feel of the outfit, I've also left product
out of my hair and let my beard grow a bit. And rounding out today's outfit are my two-tone solid
socks from Fort Belvedere in burgundy and white. You can find the socks I'm wearing - as well as a
wide variety of other classic men's accessories - by taking a look at the Fort Belvedere shop here.
♪ Gentleman's Gazette Theme Song ♪