S.O.S. Shoe Care and Etiquette

We'll start with the shoes and move on to the scotch.

I just got a nice pair of loafers and want to keep them up to par. I recently purchased this kit from Brooks Brothers,

http://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCatProductPage.pr…

I have no idea where to start with this stuff. It has everything displayed in that pic + 2 little black soft bags that i assume are used to put the brush in. Do I put the black shoe cream on a towel and rub it on the shoe and then use a brush?

As for the Scotch, I'm one of the unlucky ones that didn't get an offer from a BB (waiting for the start of 2nd round for 2 MM's). I have a lot of connections, however, with a capital management firm and want to get a christmas gift for someone who's come to be a very close friend. I got a bottle of JW Blue Label and want to find a nice white box to put it in rather than wrapping it. Anyone know where to find such a simple, vertical, skinny white box? It sounds easy but I checked about 6 places so far and no lucky.

Thanks for any help!

17 Comments
 

I got a good box like that from a good liquor store. They sell alot of stuff like that as gifts and some of the non trashy ones will have simple giftboxes ready to go. Ask.

Still not sure if I want to spend the next 30+ years grinding away in corporate finance and the WSO dream chase or look to have enough passive income to live simply and work minimally.
 

Huh. This is probably a troll but I'll bite.

The little circular brushes you dip into the polish and then use to rub into the leather. You can really just use a paper towel though. Then the bigger brushes you use to scrub the polish in - The friction causes the polish to melt and bond to the shoes. If you want a shine you can do a second coat with a teensy bit of water.

As far as the scotch - I'm not sure I would do that. If someone is doing that for me and I thought they were doing that because they wanted the job I would be a little ticked or feel I was being used. What I would do if you already have it is save it for a thank you gift - AFTER you have the job. Those kinds of presents are best when someone doesn't expect them and if you already have the job it doesn't feel like a bribe.

 

I'm not bribing the guy. The guy is retired. But it's more of a way to push the envelope for a friend of his who he set me up for an interview with. It's also a thank you gift for the help the guy has given me over the past few years with numerous things.

As for the first guy who posted, I asked and there wasn't any particular box the guy had. He recommended Walgreens but to no avail. I may try Hallmark or.....google....

 

Umm, this could be just me and the people I know but I think it's better if you just wrap it really nice.

In my experience there's usually some sense of ceremony in opening a bottle (unless of course, if it's some crappy drink) and receiving one in a plain white box would get a "nice.." but then it'd be chucked away or recycled for something else within a few days.

Having it in the original box keeps that sense and it usually doesn't get thrown away until a few days later. lol

I dunno man, just my 2 cents.

People like Coldplay and voted for the Nazis, you can't trust people Jeremy
 
porter9900who shines their own shoes? and pays $130 to do it... wtf were you thinking

Not a lot of shoe shine places around my school. Also, I have multiple pairs of shoes for different occassions, I'm not going to stop by a shoe shine place every time I go out.

 

to be honest its just way easier to go to a shoeshine place and that's what most people do. there's two places within about a 2-3 minute walk from my office. they are very popular and lots of guys sneak in there during lunch to get a shine. i pay somebody to do my laundry, dry cleaning, cook for me (Seamless Web lol), clean my apartment, and also my shoes. one of my favorite things about living in nyc is that you can outsource everything.

 
Best Response

I don't wear a dress, wish i could help.

Disappointing thread, i saw the title on the forum topics column and it was "Taking care of Black Leather Dress" i was hoping to write a "don't leave it screwed up on the floor when you're done"

On a more serious note, any clear matt finish polish will do, dont use budget stuff, it aint worth it.

also, get another sole stuck on the bottom of them if you want any life out of them whatsoever.

 

Go on styleforum and ask.

Way to long and painstaking to take care of my own shoes, i just shoeshine them. (until i get my nicer pairs at least)

 

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