Wax or cream? Which do I use to polish my shoes? A frequently asked question.

The biggest difference between a wax and a cream lies mostly in the method of application , and your own preference. A wax is best applied with a cotton cloth. (Something like an old t-shirt). By using circular motions to rub over the wax it gets softer and easily attached to the cloth. With the same circular motion the wax is applied to the leather.

A cream is usually applied with a brush. There are special applicator brushes available (Link to product: EU / UK) . Shoe cream is soft on itself so it doesn’t require any special proceedings before applying. Do you, for example, have a pair of shoes with punctured holes on the top? Then it’s preferable to use cream instead of wax. The wax which gets stuck inside the holes is difficult to remove. An example of a high quality nourishing cream is Saphir Médaille d’Or Cordovan cream (EU / UK). A wax offers on the other hand more protection than a cream. A wax I recommend is Saphir Médaille d’Or wax shoe polish, Pate de Luxe (EU / UK)

A good shoe polish or shoe cream is based on beeswax. For some brands only the cream contains beeswax. Pay close attention to this detail when buying a cream or wax. With brands such as Saphir (EU / UK) and La Cordonnerie Anglaise both the wax and the cream are based on beeswax.

The final decision regarding cream or wax is usually based on the method which is used to apply both cream and wax. With the high-end brands there is usually little difference between nourishing and protective qualities the wax or cream offers. For optimal results its recommended you alternate between wax and cream.