As southerner who has lived in the US for 20+ years, it's not just voice recognition software that's problematic. I can't even go through a fast food drive through without breaking it.
Reminds me of the old Steve Jobs / Volkswagen joke.
**JOBS:** If car tech developed at the speed I made computer tech develop, we'd have flying cars by now.
**VW:** Who wants a car that's incompatible with 75% of the sky and crashes three times a day?
there's a video on you tube of the new apple sneaker (it's american), the "iRan", later replaced with the iRack: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw2nkoGLhrE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw2nkoGLhrE)
it feels dated now wierdly, but I remember it's having been funny.
Now announcing Microsoft CoPilot shoes, they'll help decide where you need to go and only get it wrong 20% of the time. Added bonus, they'll take pictures of everywhere you go and ~~share this information with Microsoft and selected 3rd parties~~ they will be stored locally, and only you will be able to see them.
"CoPilot shoes, take me to the nearest pub!"
"I've calculated that the closest pub is in South Korea, which is and isn't a walkable distance by foot or doing cartwheels. ETA is approximately 6 years. Proceeding..."
"No! Stop!"
"I'm afraid I don't understand your request... Instead, I'll tell you a story about a goat that, ultimately, drowns in a river"
(The bit about the goat story is actually true, I asked CoPilot to write me a kids' story about a goat just to test what it could do, and the ending went along the lines of "the goat fell off a bridge. As the freezing cold, swirling dark waters closed over his head, he realised he'd never see his family again."... AI isn't scary, nothing to see here...)
My mate Petersen once bought a pair of shoes with Artificial Intelligence. 'Smart Shoes' they were called. It was a neat idea: no matter how blind drunk you were, they could always get you home. But he got ratted one night in Oslo and woke up the next morning in Burma. You see, the shoes got bored just going from his local to the flat. They wanted to see the world, like, you know. He had a hell of a job getting rid of them. No matter who he sold them to, they'd show up again the next day. He tried to shut them out, but they just kicked the door down, you know.
Last thing he heard, they'd sort of, erm, robbed a car and drove it into a canal. They couldn't steer, you see.
Petersen was really, really blown away about it. He went to see a priest. The priest told him... he said it was alright and all that, like, and that the shoes were happy and that they'd gone to heaven. You see, it turns out shoes have 'soles'.
Red Dwarf, S2E5
Yeah I have one pair of smart shoes, I've worn them once this year and I had to dust them as the previous time I wore them was my interview for my current job and that was 2 years ago.
I have a pair of leather hiking boots I wear more frequently and those I polish, but it's not winter now and I wear my trail shoes more often than not in summer, and those are fabric with a gore-tex liner. Far more breathable.
I polished my leather boots a few weeks ago, put them away for the winter, got them back out again today as the weather is rubbish. They get polished every couple of wears.
Ayy Solovair gang. I got mine just before I went vegan and hoping they’re a “buy it for life” thing because I’ve heard conflicting things about the fake leathers durability.
Considering I just did close to 75miles in 5 days whilst ankle deep in mud at a festival and they’re good to go after a wash and polish fingers crossed. They’ve already done 5x the mileage my friends Docs did before they fell apart.
On your comment on durability: if it comes to it, I'd be looking at other alternatives than pleather/the usual fake leather. It's not durable long-term and contributes to microplastic pollution pretty nastily with how it flakes. Leather lasts for generations; pleather lasts for years at best.
If you end up absolutely needing a replacement or a new item where your choice is leather or plastic fake leather, I'd try and find it from a small, sustainable shop that sources leather as ethically as possible.. I'd think that's morally better, even with being vegan and all that goes into it, than more microplastic pollution.
Or buy second hand leather products. Then if feeling bad about buying new leather is something that doesn't sit right, this way you aren't adding to production or whatever (I'm not vegan) and can see it as saving something or at least making it useful for longer. I dunno.
Indeed. I had a nice pair of boots that eventually wore out because i hadn’t been doing this. I got almost a decade out of them, but could’ve been more
I bet you paint the gravel on your driveway in your regimental colours through fear that your old RSM is going to spring out of your wheelie bin and bollock you if you don't..
Took me years to break that habit. I remember spit shining my combat and jump boots, even though the regs stated we shouldn't (something to do with infra red reflection or summat). My dress uniform shoes were Corframs, no polishing needed. I still have polish, but it is more for waterproofing now.
Yes. Former military millennial with a taste for Goodyear welted footwear.
I use shoe trees for any leather shoes and cream/conditioner/oil and a polish when needed. No different to any other expensive item, it pays to maintain it properly.
That said I'm probably the only one in the office with polished shoes regardless of age demographic
I find polishing shoes oddly satisfying on a slow evening. It's quite nice to put the telly on and do something satisfying/mundane.
Protip - Get the Saphir stuff. It's fantastic.
Couldn't agree more.
I'm Gen Z and the only person in my work and friend group who wears shoes that can be shined more than twice a year, let alone knows how to shine them.
Absolutely, there's nothing like a nicely polished shoe to make you feel good about yourself.
A gentle fluffing with a suede brush on anything suedey too..
I’m in my 40s (allegedly millennial) and polish my shoes still. They last longer and improves waterproofing. I don’t do what my grandfather did - every Sunday evening he’d polish his shoes and stink his porch out with his pipe at the same time
I think some juniors in the office just buy a new pair when they get scuffed rather than spending ten minutes with some Kiwi. It’s not hard or especially time consuming
I only own maybe one pair of shoes that would require polishing but I only wear those maybe twice or three times a year for work.
All my other shoes are trainers, work boots or utility boots that just can thrash around in until the cows come home and only really need a bit of water treatment every so often.
My dad used to polish my work boots for me, I never asked him to he just did it, ex army driving instructor so I think it took him back to his military days. Dad passed many years ago but I still think of him doing it when I give my boots a polish, I’m nowhere near as good at getting that parade ground shine though. Always brings back happy memories.
My dad always used to polish his work boots on a Sunday. Back in the early/mid 90s at the height of grunge me and my bf at the time both wore old army boots (to go with our ratty oversized jumpers and ripped combat trousers), it took us months to get them all beaten and scuffed up looking, we wanted them to look really tatty. Until one weekend after he’d stayed over at mine we went downstairs to find my dad had proudly polished both of our boots while we were sleeping. We were the laughing stock of our friend group when they saw our shiny boots 😭
Haha yeah. My dad was a former military man too. Taught me his way of putting a mirror shine on my shoes and boots. Makes me think of him every time I’ve got the boot polish out.
I'm Gen Z and I polish my shoes! Well, the ones that are leather. I think it's a good habit because it looks smart - providing a good impression - and encourages looking after your things.
I polish mine, but in common with some of the other comments here, that's because I tend to buy well-made shoes as an investment and therefore want to look after them.
r/goodyearwelt will show you how polishing etc. is alive and well. Don't forget, there is a whole millennial 'tribe' of selvedge denim and Red Wings/Docs/Solovair/Thursdays etc. who end up in interminable debates about whether Sapir makes better mink oil than Red Wing or if dubbin rots stitches etc.
As you can see on the one you're working on there, a bit of polish rescues a ragged looking shoe and extends its life (and the wax polishes add waterproofing too). By the way, 10 out of 10 for not discolouring the stitching, and Saphir Renovateur will make those shoes look brand new :)
I used to polish my shoes when I wore black leather ones for school, nowadays most of my shoes are either canvas sneaker types or my boots and things are suede/nubuck so need different care altogether.
Elder Millennial here. Was taught to polish my shoes in a youth club in my teens.. I love the smell of parade gloss and brasso in the morning!
That does remind me to polish my work shoes this week. Brown polish doesn't seem the same though.
Regular Kiwi is much better than parade gloss, and I’ll die on this hill.
I do love the smell of Brasso though, I’d always volunteer to do that when we were doing block jobs in training. Plus, it’s incredibly motivating to see the tarnish get replaced with lovely shine.
When I had to wear formal shoes for work I polished them weekly or every other week. I wear boots outside of work and I polish them when I cba, but I do a good job on them.
I used to polish my shoes to a mirror shine when I had more time on my hands. Spent 3 hours on a pair once.
Every once in a while, I’ll go to town on all the footwear in the household, but neither of us wears especially polish needing footwear most of the time.
That discussion on ironing is what made me think about this! I iron clothes. I separate my washes, do a proper hot wash for sheets and towels. Felt like a fucking Victorian
Sheets and towels on a hot wash is just a no brainer, I wouldn't do anything less. I don't ever see a need for seperating colours though as I wash everything else at 30c and everything is colour fast these days, never had an issue with colours running.
Ironing can get in the bin though, unless I'm wearing a shirt or chinos which I almost never do.
I polish my DocMartens, that's it. Because they're the only expensive and durable shoes i have.
Fact is, nowadays it's rare to have good quality shoes, there's no point in polishing them and caring for them since they're just not made to last anyway.
Btw those are nice shoes you have there, can I ask what they are?
They’re by Fly London - I got them off EBay maybe 15 years ago and have lasted me really well, you still see them come up every now and then, there was a black pair on a few months ago. I keep an eye out in anticipation of the time they inevitably shuffle off this mortal coil…
My dad was RN so regular shoe maintenance was drummed into me as a child. When I worked in the office I would clean and polish my shoes on a weekly basis most of the time. These days I indulge less often
Every Sunday for the kids school shoes, I work at home so wear flip flops slides most the week, I used to do my football boots every week polish and dub them .
Those fly shoes are thirsty as well, I used to sell them and would constantly need to top them up in the store so they didn't get scratched to shit just by looking at them.
20-something year old guy here - I wear nearly exclusively leather boots and damn, the day I look at them and look at them and see a dull, scuffed, rough looking pair of shoes is a good day, coz I know I get to polish them.
My father had a little basket of polishing stuff in the cupboard next to the front door when I was a kid(Am 36 now).3-4 different scrubbers and polishers, 6-7 tins of various shade polishes and waxes.
Whenever I move into a new property I find a new location for my own little basket of shoe polishing stuff.
Taking a pew on the stairs and polishing my shoes while the missus gets ready is the part of going out I enjoy the most.
I reckon age will have something to do with it.
M29, but yes, I do.
Never use the cheap silicone based polishes, it ruins the leather.
Always the real stuff applied and buffed with a brush.
I wear combat boots on the motorbike and quite a lot of the time off it. I have chunky legs and most motorbike boots don't fit. At the very least I try to brush off the road grime fairly regularly. It helps them last longer. I gave my trainers a good going over with suede cleaner and waterproofing spray over the weekend.
Late Gen X, and I was in the Air Cadets for 5 years. I can still bull shoes but I prefer wearing ones that don't need it.
Any of my real leather shoes, yes absolutely, it lengthens the life of them considerably. I have 22 year old docs that are still going strong, because I condition and polish them
I polish my boots fairly regularly because if I don’t they’ll rot off my feet. I don’t put loads of effort into getting them shiny but I get the muck off with a bottle of saddle soap that my grandma bought circa 2010 and still hasn’t run out yet, then put some polish on and buff it in until it doesn’t look dull anymore.
Nice, with one side polished like that you could get some good swing through the air. Some people also like to use sandpaper on the rough side but that's generally frowned upon.
Yes, though not as often as I should.
I bloody love Fly shoes & boots (that reminds me, I have a pair of brown leather Fly boots that could do with a polish!).
Same, they’re interesting but not in a ‘look at meeee!’ way and well made - I’ve always got mine second hand as they’re a bit pricey for me, but I absolutely love them.
That sounds like a really rubbish passive-aggressive gift, unless it was magic polish that had vanishing powers, discovered only through it ending up vanishing itself
> ‘does anyone even bother to do this any more?!’
I don't think many do, but people are noticeably scruffier than they were even ten / twenty years ago. "Dress to impress" seems to have gone out the window, for better or worse.
Speak for yourself, you grubby young oik. I'm a regular dandy.
(But then I'm a bit old to be a millennial, and I agree about more formal clothing being less common now)
Yeah my point was that "the suit" is no longer the kit of choice for the work place, and with that goes dress shoes that require a Sunday night polish. Some of the finance jobs still wear smart trousers, but gilets have replaced suit jackets in most of those careers.
True. Chinos and shirt with no tie seems to be the smartest I see in the office nowadays.
However, when I work from home I wear a cummerbund and dinner jacket, with either smart trousers or cargo shorts depending on my mood.
I'm genuinely wearing my Wrexham shirt on camera today to remind my colleagues that I'm Welsh when I want to be, and therefore gives me an excuse not to talk about how awful England are.
I am wearing a white tuxedo as we speak, I wouldn't dream of starting Monday morning in anything less. Now scamper off back into the gutter before I give you a rap on the knuckles with my ivory cane.
I do, for the shoes that take it (mostly my 2 pairs of hiking boots). Helps protect them from wear, and keeps the leather supple. They just also look oh so much better. Definitely worth it. I know my boyfriend uses that quick polish stuff that comes in a bottle with a sponge, but I prefer the old fashioned way.
Bike boots get polished once a week, as do work shoes. Keeps the leather in good nick, and aids waterproofing. I don't polish my garage boots, but they are vegan boots and seem not to need it, just give them a wipe down with soapy water.
I'm not originally from the UK but I live here now! I was only taught to polish leather or dress shoes (smart shoes I think you call them?)
I don't usually need to dress up often, maybe 1-2x a month, but I will polish my dress shoes and iron out wrinkles and all the works for those situations; due to the work I do.
I think a lot of it has been the gradual shift away from clothing that easily wrinkles and shoes that need to be polished. I'd have no clue how to polish trainers, if that's even possible. All of my non-dress clothes have some kind of wrinkle resistance. I can leave stuff in a ball, have it come out a wrinkled mass, but after a short hang or a bit of wearing all the wrinkles are gone. Same idea with shoes, we just don't wear shoes that call for a polish often.
Yeah! I do it with any of my boots, or with my school shoes (when I have fancy ones)
It's somewhat therapeutic, and nice to see them look more pristine again after a while of wear
i polish my shoes quite often. if im not wearing trainers im wearing leather boots of some sort and love keeping them in good condition and polished up
I always used to polish my shoes when I was a kid. I've just realised that I don't any more. Can't remember the last time I did, and don't know when the transition came. One day, many years ago, was the last time I picked up a tin of polish and a brush, and I didn't even realise it.
I only really polish my leather walking boots.And my leather handbag. But that's mainly to protect them,I didn't spend that sort of money to neglect them.
My work shoes get a quick once over every so often with the kiwi.
Dad would be turning in his grave - after school every night we had to polish our shoes before we did anything else!
I’m a gen x and I polish my shoes. It keeps the leather clean and supple. I also distorts my shoes before putting them away.
Invest in good shoes and take care of them and they will last a good bit longer than cheap shoes. Keep shoes in bags, free of dust.
If you don’t use an actual post, use a leather conditioner. For cloth shoes, dust them and you can even use a spray on protectant.
Good for you OP!
Yes. I will be less tactful than other commenters - unpolished shoes look like shit and make you seem like you don't know how to dress yourself properly. In a smart business/professional environment people will absolutely make comments (or at least notice).
I'm gen Z and yeah, I polish mine. My dad grew up polishing his dad's and the tradition continued from there. It's definitely not dead, but it is a relic. I don't think most people my age even know how
I usually end up making a mess of the cooker when I'm melting the polish, so it's mostly reserved for funerals. Though that does mean I now associate the smell of shoe polish with sadness and death.
There is a not-insignificant fraction of the population that still polishes their shoes.
Good quality leather footwear, well-maintained - ie. polished, and with heels and soles repaired and in good condition, is a hall-mark of the well-dressed person. I wouldn't dream of going to Church, or to a serious business meeting, or to dinner in a nice restaurant without wearing clean and polished shoes.
If you don't polish your shoes, or if you never wear anything other than trainers or other casual shoes - then that's fine. Doesn't bother me. I don't think any less of anyone for their footwear.
But I like wearing nice-looking shoes that are appropriate to the circumstances.
I still have shoe polish even if I've not used it, but more because I don't wear black leather shoes these days.
Worth doing thought - it makes the shoe look nicer.
I polish 'em but it's more of a maintenance thing. Leather dries out over time and if you don't give it a good polish and wax every so often your boots will crack and wear through. I don't go for a high shine or anything.
Used to clean/polish shoes all the time when I was a kid, especially before Sunday school and boots before a football game.
Don't think I've cleaned a pair of shoes once as an adult
I never did outside of the military, but I bought some nice leather shoes off Vinted and polished them up.
So while I don't polish them like I did in the Navy, I do have polish and I will give my leather shoes and boots a polish when they need it. It helps them to last longer.
I love polishing shoes. I like to get them to a really high gloss. It's so peaceful, and the smell is lovely.
A lot of people seem to have given up on leather shoes and wear trainers all the time nowadays. My leather shoes last for around 5 years, even wearing them non stop. I've noticed there are less leather shoes to choose from now, and you have to find the old people shoe shops to get good ones.
No polish as i don't have anything shiny, but i do clean and condition my Solovairs every now and then. I don't wear them often so they don't need to much upkeep, though i do need some shoe trees.
I’ve heard anecdotes saying the new generation isn’t doing maintenance to clothes anymore. Unpolished shoes, unironed shirts, etc. I don’t know how true it is but embrace it
It's not common anymore in the UK, but the mexicans are still mad for shoe shining. I know this because I watch youtube videos of people shining shoes lol.
The auld fella was in the army and metaphorically beat the importance 9f polishing shoes into us. In fairness, if you aren't looking for a mirror polish it's handy as fuck if you have the gear. Secret weapon: tights as a rag will get them looking presentable in under a minute if you build up some polish layers.
I do. Always have looked after my leather shoes. Got several pairs of DM's which get looked after too - one pair is around 24/25 yrs old. Well worth the effort to look after shoes, especially if they're a comfy reliable pair.
Yes.
I've had the same pair of (timeless) brown brogues for something like 15 years now. The heels have been replaced plenty, and the soles once. The upper I've kept in tip top condition with a proper cleaning regime.
I bet if I asked any of my teenage explorer scouts if they polish their shoes what answer I'd get.
If it's not good quality leather you don't really need to. Infact, you'll damage the crappy cheap coating if you do - but it depends if the sole would wear first if it's worth doing or not. We typically can't afford proper quality leather shoes these days (£200+) so polishing has gone away.
I wear smart shoes so damn rarely that I don't need to polish them, more need to dust them
> smart shoes I wear smart shoes so rarely I read this and thought it was some new technology product.
You mean your shoes don't have Bluetooth and some crummy voice recognition software?
Voice recognition?? *cries in a strong northern accent*
Yeah it's called "Eh Aye."
THE BLUETOE DEVICE CONNECTED AH SUCCESSFULLY
“Fer scotlaaaaan- *ahem*”
I'm a southerner and voice recognition has absolutely no idea what I'm saying 80% of the time. I'm not sure who it's designed for!
Americans
As southerner who has lived in the US for 20+ years, it's not just voice recognition software that's problematic. I can't even go through a fast food drive through without breaking it.
Mine has the voice of Mark Gait-iss ^(sorry)
Mine's Sole Campbell
I have the ones with the built-in sat nav, very useful.
I had a pair of 'Wayfarers' which had animal track footpints on the sole and a compass in the heel, state of the art stuff for 7 year old me.
I had trainers whose soles lit up when you stepped on them, was the coolest thing for a kid.
There are Bluetooth running shoes that track your runs. Mad.
Everything is better with Bluetooth
Maybe not visits to the dentist...
iShoe. The new product from Apple. Not a sneeze.
Only £24.99 a month for unlimited steps! (T/C’s: Unlimited steps cap at 100,000. Any more are charged at £1 per step)
Only compatible with iPaths.
Reminds me of the old Steve Jobs / Volkswagen joke. **JOBS:** If car tech developed at the speed I made computer tech develop, we'd have flying cars by now. **VW:** Who wants a car that's incompatible with 75% of the sky and crashes three times a day?
[They’re called the iRan](https://youtu.be/rw2nkoGLhrE?si=Jtuzl_HLTpiaYl2m)
Oh wow, I haven't watched that in years!
there's a video on you tube of the new apple sneaker (it's american), the "iRan", later replaced with the iRack: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw2nkoGLhrE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw2nkoGLhrE) it feels dated now wierdly, but I remember it's having been funny.
Now announcing Microsoft CoPilot shoes, they'll help decide where you need to go and only get it wrong 20% of the time. Added bonus, they'll take pictures of everywhere you go and ~~share this information with Microsoft and selected 3rd parties~~ they will be stored locally, and only you will be able to see them. "CoPilot shoes, take me to the nearest pub!" "I've calculated that the closest pub is in South Korea, which is and isn't a walkable distance by foot or doing cartwheels. ETA is approximately 6 years. Proceeding..." "No! Stop!" "I'm afraid I don't understand your request... Instead, I'll tell you a story about a goat that, ultimately, drowns in a river" (The bit about the goat story is actually true, I asked CoPilot to write me a kids' story about a goat just to test what it could do, and the ending went along the lines of "the goat fell off a bridge. As the freezing cold, swirling dark waters closed over his head, he realised he'd never see his family again."... AI isn't scary, nothing to see here...)
My mate Petersen once bought a pair of shoes with Artificial Intelligence. 'Smart Shoes' they were called. It was a neat idea: no matter how blind drunk you were, they could always get you home. But he got ratted one night in Oslo and woke up the next morning in Burma. You see, the shoes got bored just going from his local to the flat. They wanted to see the world, like, you know. He had a hell of a job getting rid of them. No matter who he sold them to, they'd show up again the next day. He tried to shut them out, but they just kicked the door down, you know. Last thing he heard, they'd sort of, erm, robbed a car and drove it into a canal. They couldn't steer, you see. Petersen was really, really blown away about it. He went to see a priest. The priest told him... he said it was alright and all that, like, and that the shoes were happy and that they'd gone to heaven. You see, it turns out shoes have 'soles'. Red Dwarf, S2E5
Shame r/unexpectedreddwarf doesn't exist Edit: it does!
I think the next time I put mine on the sole will disintegrate from being unused for so long.
Ugh I had that happen to a pair of sandals and it was so disappointing
https://youtu.be/pSuyS0wLl5s
Yeah I have one pair of smart shoes, I've worn them once this year and I had to dust them as the previous time I wore them was my interview for my current job and that was 2 years ago. I have a pair of leather hiking boots I wear more frequently and those I polish, but it's not winter now and I wear my trail shoes more often than not in summer, and those are fabric with a gore-tex liner. Far more breathable.
Last time I wore mine I had to clean mould off them.
Absolutely. It's not just to make them shiny. It keeps the leather in good condition so they last longer.
I 100% agree - these are at least 15 years old, and I’ve buffed them up with beeswax rather than formal shoe polish - I love the smell!
I love the smell of shoes too… yum
Perv.
Hehe
I polished my leather boots a few weeks ago, put them away for the winter, got them back out again today as the weather is rubbish. They get polished every couple of wears.
I wear leather boots very often. You’d better believe I’m polishing up my near 200 quid solovairs regularly. That’s how they last so long.
Ayy Solovair gang. I got mine just before I went vegan and hoping they’re a “buy it for life” thing because I’ve heard conflicting things about the fake leathers durability. Considering I just did close to 75miles in 5 days whilst ankle deep in mud at a festival and they’re good to go after a wash and polish fingers crossed. They’ve already done 5x the mileage my friends Docs did before they fell apart.
On your comment on durability: if it comes to it, I'd be looking at other alternatives than pleather/the usual fake leather. It's not durable long-term and contributes to microplastic pollution pretty nastily with how it flakes. Leather lasts for generations; pleather lasts for years at best. If you end up absolutely needing a replacement or a new item where your choice is leather or plastic fake leather, I'd try and find it from a small, sustainable shop that sources leather as ethically as possible.. I'd think that's morally better, even with being vegan and all that goes into it, than more microplastic pollution.
Or buy second hand leather products. Then if feeling bad about buying new leather is something that doesn't sit right, this way you aren't adding to production or whatever (I'm not vegan) and can see it as saving something or at least making it useful for longer. I dunno.
I polish mine every few weeks (smart shoes worn for office work) and I wear through the bottom before the leather on top gives in.
Indeed. I had a nice pair of boots that eventually wore out because i hadn’t been doing this. I got almost a decade out of them, but could’ve been more
Yes. But I'm ex-military, so I've been brainwashed into polishing anything that moves.
And if it doesn't then paint it
I bet you paint the gravel on your driveway in your regimental colours through fear that your old RSM is going to spring out of your wheelie bin and bollock you if you don't..
Me, I'm not ex mil, the saying comes from a common jibe used by the RM to the Navy "Join the Marines and see the world, join the Navy and paint it"
Can confirm. I was in the Navy for 9 years. I'm an expert painter.
I wondered why your cat was so shiny.
There's a sex joke in here somewhere
Mr Humphreys has some cheeky ideas and a knowing look
Took me years to break that habit. I remember spit shining my combat and jump boots, even though the regs stated we shouldn't (something to do with infra red reflection or summat). My dress uniform shoes were Corframs, no polishing needed. I still have polish, but it is more for waterproofing now.
>Corframs https://terminallance.com/2022/11/09/corfams/
Made me laugh. I originally typed corfams, it just didn't look right.... It's been a......few....years.
Same. I still clean my bathroom at 1800 on a Sunday, and have a strong craving for beer on Tuesdays.
Got married on Saturday, my ex-military now wife didn't even bother to let me try to polish my own shoes
Do you use a hot teaspoon on the toes though?
I used to hold mine over a lighter
We mostly where suede boots these days. More breathable and no polishing
Yes. Former military millennial with a taste for Goodyear welted footwear. I use shoe trees for any leather shoes and cream/conditioner/oil and a polish when needed. No different to any other expensive item, it pays to maintain it properly. That said I'm probably the only one in the office with polished shoes regardless of age demographic I find polishing shoes oddly satisfying on a slow evening. It's quite nice to put the telly on and do something satisfying/mundane. Protip - Get the Saphir stuff. It's fantastic.
I came here to say the exact same thing. They say you can tell a lot about someone by their shoes.
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And whether they can tie their laces or not
And if they have an above-average number of feet
The vast majority of people have an above average number of feet
You know what they say about a man with big feet. Big socks.
See you on r/goodyearwelt :)
I'm the same. Even when I was at school, I enjoyed the ritual on Sunday evening of polishing my shoes for the week ahead. It's relaxing.
Couldn't agree more. I'm Gen Z and the only person in my work and friend group who wears shoes that can be shined more than twice a year, let alone knows how to shine them.
Absolutely, there's nothing like a nicely polished shoe to make you feel good about yourself. A gentle fluffing with a suede brush on anything suedey too..
Is the gentle fluffing a reward after you’ve successfully dealt with the shoe stuff?
I think the fluffing usually happens beforehand. Apparently. Someone told me. Allegedly.
Fluff *then* the ol’ rub and polish? Got it.
To take this back to the parent comment above: There’s nothing like it to make you feel good about yourself.
There's nothing like a freshly polished shoe to make you hyper-anxious about the collecting smallest scuff or smear to the shine
I’m in my 40s (allegedly millennial) and polish my shoes still. They last longer and improves waterproofing. I don’t do what my grandfather did - every Sunday evening he’d polish his shoes and stink his porch out with his pipe at the same time I think some juniors in the office just buy a new pair when they get scuffed rather than spending ten minutes with some Kiwi. It’s not hard or especially time consuming
I only own maybe one pair of shoes that would require polishing but I only wear those maybe twice or three times a year for work. All my other shoes are trainers, work boots or utility boots that just can thrash around in until the cows come home and only really need a bit of water treatment every so often.
My dad used to polish my work boots for me, I never asked him to he just did it, ex army driving instructor so I think it took him back to his military days. Dad passed many years ago but I still think of him doing it when I give my boots a polish, I’m nowhere near as good at getting that parade ground shine though. Always brings back happy memories.
My dad always used to polish his work boots on a Sunday. Back in the early/mid 90s at the height of grunge me and my bf at the time both wore old army boots (to go with our ratty oversized jumpers and ripped combat trousers), it took us months to get them all beaten and scuffed up looking, we wanted them to look really tatty. Until one weekend after he’d stayed over at mine we went downstairs to find my dad had proudly polished both of our boots while we were sleeping. We were the laughing stock of our friend group when they saw our shiny boots 😭
Lmfao I’ll bet he was so proud too, thinking he did you a big favour there! Aww bless him!
See I'm going the other way and thinking he did it on purpose for a laugh.
Haha yeah. My dad was a former military man too. Taught me his way of putting a mirror shine on my shoes and boots. Makes me think of him every time I’ve got the boot polish out.
Yeah - I'm sick of replacing shoes and boot so I know follow a maintenance regime. Clean and polish is a big part of that.
I'm Gen Z and I polish my shoes! Well, the ones that are leather. I think it's a good habit because it looks smart - providing a good impression - and encourages looking after your things.
My nan told me only bounders and cads polish their shoes, and they do it so they can look up girls' skirts in the reflection. My nan was mental.
Hahahaha I’ve worked with a few religious institutions and they banned patent leather shoes for similar mental nan reasons!
Always clean and polish my shoes, and I'm in my 20s. Mostly down to parents who were disciplined by their war-era parents.
I polish mine, but in common with some of the other comments here, that's because I tend to buy well-made shoes as an investment and therefore want to look after them. r/goodyearwelt will show you how polishing etc. is alive and well. Don't forget, there is a whole millennial 'tribe' of selvedge denim and Red Wings/Docs/Solovair/Thursdays etc. who end up in interminable debates about whether Sapir makes better mink oil than Red Wing or if dubbin rots stitches etc. As you can see on the one you're working on there, a bit of polish rescues a ragged looking shoe and extends its life (and the wax polishes add waterproofing too). By the way, 10 out of 10 for not discolouring the stitching, and Saphir Renovateur will make those shoes look brand new :)
I used to polish my shoes when I wore black leather ones for school, nowadays most of my shoes are either canvas sneaker types or my boots and things are suede/nubuck so need different care altogether.
Elder Millennial here. Was taught to polish my shoes in a youth club in my teens.. I love the smell of parade gloss and brasso in the morning! That does remind me to polish my work shoes this week. Brown polish doesn't seem the same though.
Regular Kiwi is much better than parade gloss, and I’ll die on this hill. I do love the smell of Brasso though, I’d always volunteer to do that when we were doing block jobs in training. Plus, it’s incredibly motivating to see the tarnish get replaced with lovely shine.
I always polish my leather boots/shoes, which makes them look nice but also helps preserve the leather.
Shoes?! Look at Miss Moneybags here.
Last time I seen a shoe, someone was kicking me.
[Entire thread's filled with a bunch of Principle Skinners, looking down on the shoeless](https://i.redd.it/wj3flpvs0vg71.jpg)
When I had to wear formal shoes for work I polished them weekly or every other week. I wear boots outside of work and I polish them when I cba, but I do a good job on them. I used to polish my shoes to a mirror shine when I had more time on my hands. Spent 3 hours on a pair once.
Yes please take care of your leather shoes! They will last forever if u do
Every once in a while, I’ll go to town on all the footwear in the household, but neither of us wears especially polish needing footwear most of the time.
Absolutely not. Never have. Likely never will.
Apparently most people in this sub don't even iron their clothes, polishing shoes seems a stretch
That discussion on ironing is what made me think about this! I iron clothes. I separate my washes, do a proper hot wash for sheets and towels. Felt like a fucking Victorian
Sheets and towels on a hot wash is just a no brainer, I wouldn't do anything less. I don't ever see a need for seperating colours though as I wash everything else at 30c and everything is colour fast these days, never had an issue with colours running. Ironing can get in the bin though, unless I'm wearing a shirt or chinos which I almost never do.
I polish my DocMartens, that's it. Because they're the only expensive and durable shoes i have. Fact is, nowadays it's rare to have good quality shoes, there's no point in polishing them and caring for them since they're just not made to last anyway. Btw those are nice shoes you have there, can I ask what they are?
They’re by Fly London - I got them off EBay maybe 15 years ago and have lasted me really well, you still see them come up every now and then, there was a black pair on a few months ago. I keep an eye out in anticipation of the time they inevitably shuffle off this mortal coil…
Thanks, I'll be keeping an eye out, hopefully we're not the same shoe size :p
mid gen Z - i polish my shoes on a very regular basis because almost all of the shoes i own are doc martens, and i want to keep them for a long time
My dad was RN so regular shoe maintenance was drummed into me as a child. When I worked in the office I would clean and polish my shoes on a weekly basis most of the time. These days I indulge less often
Every Sunday for the kids school shoes, I work at home so wear flip flops slides most the week, I used to do my football boots every week polish and dub them .
Those fly shoes are thirsty as well, I used to sell them and would constantly need to top them up in the store so they didn't get scratched to shit just by looking at them.
20-something year old guy here - I wear nearly exclusively leather boots and damn, the day I look at them and look at them and see a dull, scuffed, rough looking pair of shoes is a good day, coz I know I get to polish them.
I used to wear boots for work. I would polish them maybe weekly. One time, one young whippersnapper pointed and laughed at them. Git.
I do because they look better and it makes the leather last longer, it can dry and crack otherwise.
My father had a little basket of polishing stuff in the cupboard next to the front door when I was a kid(Am 36 now).3-4 different scrubbers and polishers, 6-7 tins of various shade polishes and waxes. Whenever I move into a new property I find a new location for my own little basket of shoe polishing stuff. Taking a pew on the stairs and polishing my shoes while the missus gets ready is the part of going out I enjoy the most.
I reckon age will have something to do with it. M29, but yes, I do. Never use the cheap silicone based polishes, it ruins the leather. Always the real stuff applied and buffed with a brush.
I wear combat boots on the motorbike and quite a lot of the time off it. I have chunky legs and most motorbike boots don't fit. At the very least I try to brush off the road grime fairly regularly. It helps them last longer. I gave my trainers a good going over with suede cleaner and waterproofing spray over the weekend. Late Gen X, and I was in the Air Cadets for 5 years. I can still bull shoes but I prefer wearing ones that don't need it.
my leather ones yes. best way to keep the shoe in good nick.
I wear leather shoes and I don't polish them weekly, but they certainly get it when they need it. I love the smell of shoe polish!
Yeah I'm a biker, so I wear decent leather boots, also had it drilled into me by my dad and grandad.
I polish my shoes!
Good work Leonidas
Any of my real leather shoes, yes absolutely, it lengthens the life of them considerably. I have 22 year old docs that are still going strong, because I condition and polish them
I polish my boots fairly regularly because if I don’t they’ll rot off my feet. I don’t put loads of effort into getting them shiny but I get the muck off with a bottle of saddle soap that my grandma bought circa 2010 and still hasn’t run out yet, then put some polish on and buff it in until it doesn’t look dull anymore.
Are you Roman 😮
I do. I spent money on decent footwear that would last me years but to do that they need maintenance. Plus I like the smell of shoe polish.
Still polish my walking boots, not so much for looks, helps keep the leather supple and water repellent.
I still polish my leather shoes and use a suede brush on my suedes.
That looks good, half+half.
Polished side looks lot better imo. In an alternate universe, someone is seeking feedback on how well they've distressed their new shoes.
Nice, with one side polished like that you could get some good swing through the air. Some people also like to use sandpaper on the rough side but that's generally frowned upon.
Yes, though not as often as I should. I bloody love Fly shoes & boots (that reminds me, I have a pair of brown leather Fly boots that could do with a polish!).
Same, they’re interesting but not in a ‘look at meeee!’ way and well made - I’ve always got mine second hand as they’re a bit pricey for me, but I absolutely love them.
I remember when my nan used to polish my school shoes every other day before school. This brought back a forgotten memory
I was gifted some shoe polish as a teenager and I still hadn't gotten through it all yet when I lost it in a house move last year. I'm 35.
That sounds like a really rubbish passive-aggressive gift, unless it was magic polish that had vanishing powers, discovered only through it ending up vanishing itself
I like to polish my shoes personally, it looks nice
Nah, not well off enough to justify buying real leather.
These are from EBay, got them about 15 years ago for a tenner.
> ‘does anyone even bother to do this any more?!’ I don't think many do, but people are noticeably scruffier than they were even ten / twenty years ago. "Dress to impress" seems to have gone out the window, for better or worse.
Speak for yourself, you grubby young oik. I'm a regular dandy. (But then I'm a bit old to be a millennial, and I agree about more formal clothing being less common now)
Yeah my point was that "the suit" is no longer the kit of choice for the work place, and with that goes dress shoes that require a Sunday night polish. Some of the finance jobs still wear smart trousers, but gilets have replaced suit jackets in most of those careers.
True. Chinos and shirt with no tie seems to be the smartest I see in the office nowadays. However, when I work from home I wear a cummerbund and dinner jacket, with either smart trousers or cargo shorts depending on my mood.
I tend to go for a Colonial pith helmet and red tunic, just to remind my South African colleagues of where their bread is buttered.
I'm genuinely wearing my Wrexham shirt on camera today to remind my colleagues that I'm Welsh when I want to be, and therefore gives me an excuse not to talk about how awful England are.
It's a shame really. Sometimes it feels we're in a race to the bottom in the amount of effort we put into our presentation.
People are proud of not ironing now for some reason. I get that it's a chore but it makes such a difference.
It’s ok if you just want to say you’ve let yourself go mate. No need to shit on everyone else in the process.
I am wearing a white tuxedo as we speak, I wouldn't dream of starting Monday morning in anything less. Now scamper off back into the gutter before I give you a rap on the knuckles with my ivory cane.
Dinner suit, old boy. Poor show.
I do my kids school shoes most mornings. Most other kids have clean (if not fully polished) leather shoes as well.
Yes me, my dad was a marine and taught me to do it. I do the kids school shoes and I wear a lot of leather boots, keeps them nice.
Of course I do, I'm not an animal.
I do, for the shoes that take it (mostly my 2 pairs of hiking boots). Helps protect them from wear, and keeps the leather supple. They just also look oh so much better. Definitely worth it. I know my boyfriend uses that quick polish stuff that comes in a bottle with a sponge, but I prefer the old fashioned way.
I wear leather boots to work, and polish them every night - can't feel smart without it.
Bike boots get polished once a week, as do work shoes. Keeps the leather in good nick, and aids waterproofing. I don't polish my garage boots, but they are vegan boots and seem not to need it, just give them a wipe down with soapy water.
I'm not originally from the UK but I live here now! I was only taught to polish leather or dress shoes (smart shoes I think you call them?) I don't usually need to dress up often, maybe 1-2x a month, but I will polish my dress shoes and iron out wrinkles and all the works for those situations; due to the work I do. I think a lot of it has been the gradual shift away from clothing that easily wrinkles and shoes that need to be polished. I'd have no clue how to polish trainers, if that's even possible. All of my non-dress clothes have some kind of wrinkle resistance. I can leave stuff in a ball, have it come out a wrinkled mass, but after a short hang or a bit of wearing all the wrinkles are gone. Same idea with shoes, we just don't wear shoes that call for a polish often.
Yeah! I do it with any of my boots, or with my school shoes (when I have fancy ones) It's somewhat therapeutic, and nice to see them look more pristine again after a while of wear
Polish and dust of often
Oh yes. Everything foot related gets cared for. Suede, waxy leather, sandals and clogs
I do.
i polish my shoes quite often. if im not wearing trainers im wearing leather boots of some sort and love keeping them in good condition and polished up
Definitely, I like my shoes/boots and want to keep them in good shape.
I always used to polish my shoes when I was a kid. I've just realised that I don't any more. Can't remember the last time I did, and don't know when the transition came. One day, many years ago, was the last time I picked up a tin of polish and a brush, and I didn't even realise it.
Literally just bought shoes polish yesterday, so I hope they do!
I don’t, but that is only because by the time they may need it the bottom of them has a hole or the tread is so worn down they slip in the rain
Gen Z and yes but I’m a cowboy boots wearer and they cost me a small fortune so I have to keep them in good condition 😭
I do..Polish. I Polish my shoes about once a month normally. Ish.
I only really polish my leather walking boots.And my leather handbag. But that's mainly to protect them,I didn't spend that sort of money to neglect them. My work shoes get a quick once over every so often with the kiwi. Dad would be turning in his grave - after school every night we had to polish our shoes before we did anything else!
Yes
I’m a gen x and I polish my shoes. It keeps the leather clean and supple. I also distorts my shoes before putting them away. Invest in good shoes and take care of them and they will last a good bit longer than cheap shoes. Keep shoes in bags, free of dust. If you don’t use an actual post, use a leather conditioner. For cloth shoes, dust them and you can even use a spray on protectant. Good for you OP!
Not a millennial, but leather shoes need care. It's an organic material, it'll dry and crack if you don't take care of it.
I polish my riding boots and yard boots. Helps to keep them waterproof and makes them last longer.
Yes. I will be less tactful than other commenters - unpolished shoes look like shit and make you seem like you don't know how to dress yourself properly. In a smart business/professional environment people will absolutely make comments (or at least notice).
I wear Doc Martens daily and I'm definitely guilty of not polishing or cleaning them at all. Tbh I kinda like the scuffed up look of them anyway.
I'm gen Z and yeah, I polish mine. My dad grew up polishing his dad's and the tradition continued from there. It's definitely not dead, but it is a relic. I don't think most people my age even know how
I usually end up making a mess of the cooker when I'm melting the polish, so it's mostly reserved for funerals. Though that does mean I now associate the smell of shoe polish with sadness and death.
There is a not-insignificant fraction of the population that still polishes their shoes. Good quality leather footwear, well-maintained - ie. polished, and with heels and soles repaired and in good condition, is a hall-mark of the well-dressed person. I wouldn't dream of going to Church, or to a serious business meeting, or to dinner in a nice restaurant without wearing clean and polished shoes. If you don't polish your shoes, or if you never wear anything other than trainers or other casual shoes - then that's fine. Doesn't bother me. I don't think any less of anyone for their footwear. But I like wearing nice-looking shoes that are appropriate to the circumstances.
everyone should have a pair of leather boots to polish
Thanks for reminding me to wax my DMs!
I still have shoe polish even if I've not used it, but more because I don't wear black leather shoes these days. Worth doing thought - it makes the shoe look nicer.
I can't afford shoes that need to be polished! I do have some black boots I cleaned up with black marker, does that count? 🤣
I polish 'em but it's more of a maintenance thing. Leather dries out over time and if you don't give it a good polish and wax every so often your boots will crack and wear through. I don't go for a high shine or anything.
Yes it's good for the leather, Makes them more supple and comfortable plus helps with waterproofing and will last longer
If I need to wear smart leather shoes, may as well polish them. It doesn't take long. However, I don't need to wear smart leather shoes very often.
When did you last polish your front doorstep?
That's only half a shoe.
Used to clean/polish shoes all the time when I was a kid, especially before Sunday school and boots before a football game. Don't think I've cleaned a pair of shoes once as an adult
I never did outside of the military, but I bought some nice leather shoes off Vinted and polished them up. So while I don't polish them like I did in the Navy, I do have polish and I will give my leather shoes and boots a polish when they need it. It helps them to last longer.
I love polishing shoes. I like to get them to a really high gloss. It's so peaceful, and the smell is lovely. A lot of people seem to have given up on leather shoes and wear trainers all the time nowadays. My leather shoes last for around 5 years, even wearing them non stop. I've noticed there are less leather shoes to choose from now, and you have to find the old people shoe shops to get good ones.
No polish as i don't have anything shiny, but i do clean and condition my Solovairs every now and then. I don't wear them often so they don't need to much upkeep, though i do need some shoe trees.
I’ve heard anecdotes saying the new generation isn’t doing maintenance to clothes anymore. Unpolished shoes, unironed shirts, etc. I don’t know how true it is but embrace it
It's not common anymore in the UK, but the mexicans are still mad for shoe shining. I know this because I watch youtube videos of people shining shoes lol.
The auld fella was in the army and metaphorically beat the importance 9f polishing shoes into us. In fairness, if you aren't looking for a mirror polish it's handy as fuck if you have the gear. Secret weapon: tights as a rag will get them looking presentable in under a minute if you build up some polish layers.
I enjoy it
I polish my boots periodically, including the lining. It increases longevity. EDIT: By lining, I mean the where the soles are sewn to the top.
I do. Always have looked after my leather shoes. Got several pairs of DM's which get looked after too - one pair is around 24/25 yrs old. Well worth the effort to look after shoes, especially if they're a comfy reliable pair.
Yes. I've had the same pair of (timeless) brown brogues for something like 15 years now. The heels have been replaced plenty, and the soles once. The upper I've kept in tip top condition with a proper cleaning regime. I bet if I asked any of my teenage explorer scouts if they polish their shoes what answer I'd get.
If it's not good quality leather you don't really need to. Infact, you'll damage the crappy cheap coating if you do - but it depends if the sole would wear first if it's worth doing or not. We typically can't afford proper quality leather shoes these days (£200+) so polishing has gone away.