men's corner: shine it on...

i've always been a little envious of seeing men getting their shoes shined at the airport (or hotel, or even on the streets of san francisco...) it just seems like such a nice treat...but one that i never consider doing myself...it seems like such a 'guy' thing...

well...looks like you don't have to wait for a trip to make sure your shoes look their absolute best...here are some tips (courtesy of gq) on how to get that lustrous look to your shoes:

* first...clean the shoes well...antonio (of jim's shoe repair in ny) recommends fiebing's spot remover...use an old toothbrush to clean the welts...

* next...condition with meltonian leather balm...or another high-quality brand of your choice...

* apply the wax (kiwi, what else?) in small, tight swirls, using your first two fingers wrapped in an old tee-shirt...by the time you've applied the wax to the second shoe...the first will be ready to buff with a horse-hair brush...


* the second coat of kiwi can either be applied with the cloth lightly watered...or applied to the shoe then lightly sprayed with water...and then buffed to a 'spit shine' with a clean cloth...

voila...nothing puts together an outfit better then a nicely shined pair of shoes...