Shoe shining - advice on a neurosis.

How shiny is too shiny? I'm increasingly worried it is obvious that I'm sublimating whatever frustrations are building up because finance has made me too tired for my girlfriend through polishing my shoes daily. 

As the analyst on a small team, being the first in and last out means I tend to be alone in the office during the long tails of the office day. Nature abhors a vacuum and I've been filling some of the time that this gives me by leaving an thin layer of polish on both of the matching pairs of oxfords that I keep under my desk before I leave and then shining them when I first arrive in the morning. After a month or so of this, I can make out my features on the tips and catch the silver sheen of the London sky on the body. 

The problem is twofold. Firstly, I'm a bit worried that it's starting to look like I wear pre-shined or semi-patent shoes with a suit, which would be unacceptably infra-dig (Mayfair) or "un-prestigious" (WSO). Secondly, I've noticed that the partners' shoes clearly haven't been polished since they left the Church's factory. I'm worried that I'm starting to look out of place but I just can't stop. 

So, how often does WSO shine their shoes?

6 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Glad to see someone has the same autism as me in overcaring about shoe shining. Usually shine 2/3 times a week. Have the Kiwi quick shine in my desk drawer too. If there's a shoe shiner near the office, I'll use it every 1/2 month(s). In terms of equipment, horsehair shoe brush, saphir shoe cream, kiwi military polish and occasionally shoe wax. Only realised that the shine largely depends on leather quality - i have some high-shine oxfords that don't require much care and are naturally shiny. My loafers aren't so shining them provides some product and actual effort. Wax and everest shoe grease are the hacks in making the deal sleds shiny

 

Game recognises game. Kiwi military polish is a good shout - there were a couple of years where it was impossible to find but this was a good reminder to grab a tin. Frankly, I'm feeling completely outgunned here; I'm just rag-on, rag-off at work, but may have to bring the big guns in now - it's funny which holes any disposable income chooses to fall... 

 

Honestly I've spent probably £120 on shoe-stretchers (great investment to stop shoes from creasing), shoe polishing kit, accessories and having them shined. My MDs have given me the classic, 'back in my day, we had a shiner come around the office to do our shoes' but I have had a few compliments for having shiny shoes which minutely justifies over-caring about them. And ditto on Kiwi, there was some article in the FT/Telegraph on how they barely sell them in supermarkets anymore, but should be easy to order online.

 

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