Back when I was a professional shoe shiner, some 13 years ago, few colors were offered for shoe care. This is probably why many people thought it was necessary to gravitate toward a neutral color product. If you wanted to recondition a grey or green leather shoe, chances were you were not going to find a cream or wax to match. Not by a reputable maker at least.
As the world of patina and unique coloring in footwear grew the need for the “non-conventional” colors also grew. Saphir saw this and drastically upped their offering, not only of waxes but especially of creams. Why creams? Well, you see, while matching your wax is important, getting your cream as close as possible is even more important. Why? Because shoe cream is more pigmented and provides the color rejuvenation the leather needs.
On top of color rejuvenation, cream polish also has conditioner in it to provide the nourishment the leather needs to stay healthy. One could only use cream polish for the shoe’s lifespan and be okay.
I recently had to restore a pair of grey leather button boots I once sold. The leather from one boot to the next was not quite matching. Had I only had a wax polish available I would not have been able to remedy the issue. But using Saphir’s Grey Cream polish allowed me the opportunity to easily match each side and finish it off with a nice shine using the navy wax (yes, navy wax – for a bit of depth).
I am kicking myself now for not taking a before and after so you could see just how well the dark grey cream worked on those boots. I was thankful that I had just got that cream, too! Had I not, it would have been a tough feat.
I personally have like 25 different colors of their creams from the 1925 series of Medaille D’or. And yet I just saw a new color that I did not know even existed — olive. Yet they have it at Leffot. I swear a new color comes out monthly as there is almost no color you cannot find now. And that is important. To upkeep leather footwear, there must be a cream for every shoe color. And Saphir is making its mission to offer that so that you can do your best in making your shoes stay as nice as possible, for as long as possible.
I mainly use the Medaille D’or line, which has 26 colors offered. But if you opt for the Saphir Beaute de Cuir Creme Surfine you can choose between 85 different colors. There is nothing that does not exist in that line!
Do you have Saphir shoe care products in your collection? If not, make sure to come see Saphir at the London Super Trunk Show, on May 4th at Showcase on South Regent Street. You will be able to stock up on all of the goodies they bring and hopefully with a nice deal to be had! And if you cannot make the London show, stay tuned for our next NYC event this October!
Learn more here: https://saphir.com/
—Justin FitzPatrick, The Shoe Snob
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J’ai bien aimé
I know that there are other brands out there, but Saphir is the only polish and wax that I will use. I am a Saphir snob!
And that is okay! 😉
I apply Saphir on my army boots for veteran events to achieve a nice spit shine; the mirror finish looks fantastic and lasts a long time. For my shoes and other boots, I prefer Pure Polish because it is made with natural ingredients.
Thank you for sharing Stephen!