How to Polish Brown Shoes

Co-authored by Moe Draper

Last Updated: September 16, 2021 References

If you're hoping to polish your brown shoes, the first step is picking out the right shoe polish. A neutral shoe polish will shine your shoes without adding any color, or you can match your shoes to the right shade of brown shoe polish if desired. Clean your shoes with a leather cleaner before applying the polish using a microfiber cloth and circular motions. Once you've buffed each shoe so it's shining, you'll be able to enjoy your newly polished brown shoes.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Choosing a Shoe Polish

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Pick out a wax polish to add a beautiful shine to your shoes. Wax shoe polishes are a good choice if you want the traditional shine covering your shoes. They do a good job of protecting the leather while also helping to cover any scuffs you might have on your shoes.^{[1]
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- Wax polish is safe to use on faux leather as well.
2
Opt for a cream polish to add needed moisture back into your shoes. Cream polishes won’t give you the same shine as a wax polish, but they’re great for moisturizing the leather. If you’re more worried about your brown shoes’ durability and are fine with a simple shine, a cream polish is a good option.^{[2]
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- Both wax and cream polishes come in many different shades.
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3
Use a neutral polish to make your shoes shine without adding color. Brown shoes can be tricky to match to a specific color of polish, making a neutral polish a popular choice. A neutral polish is untinted, comes in both wax and cream forms, and will shine your shoes beautifully while letting the natural color peek through.^{[3]
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- If you’re worried about picking the wrong polish color for your brown shoes, choose a neutral one.
4
Match your shoes to a brown shoe polish to add a tint of color. Shoe polish comes in many different shades, so it’s likely that there’s a polish just right for your specific shade of brown shoe. Bring your shoe into the store to match it to a shade of polish, if possible, to ensure the match is as perfect as possible.^{[4]
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- If you’re between two colors and aren’t sure which one matches the best, opt for the darker shade.
5
Alternate between neutral and colored polish to maintain your shoe’s color. If you polish your shoes using a neutral polish, it’s a good idea to use a colored polish the next time you polish your shoes to help ensure the color doesn’t fade. This isn’t required, but it’s a good way to maintain the brown color of your shoes.^{[5]
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- Likewise, if you use a brown shoe polish one time, consider using a neutral polish the next time.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Cleaning Your Shoes

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Take out your shoe’s laces. This isn’t required, but it will help keep your laces from getting polish on them and ensure your shoes are evenly covered. Carefully unlace each shoe, setting the shoe laces to the side so they don’t get dirty.^{[6]
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- Now is a good time to put down newspaper or a piece of plastic on your work surface if you’re worried about getting polish or cleaner on it.
2
Stuff your shoe with paper or a shoe tree to provide a stable surface to work on. Scrunch newspaper into balls and stuff them in your shoes, or insert a shoe tree into your shoe if you have one. This stretches the leather out so you have a flat, even surface to polish your shoes.^{[7]
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- Look for a shoe tree at your local shoe store, big box store, or online.
3
Wipe away any dust or debris using a clean, dry microfiber towel. This removes any dust or large dirt specks that would get in the way of the polish. Be thorough and make sure you’ve wiped down the tops and each side of your shoes.^{[8]
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- Wiping the bottom of your shoes isn’t necessary since this part won’t be polished.
4
Use leather cleaner to remove peskier pieces of dirt. Use a dime-sized amount of cleaner on a microfiber towel before rubbing the cleaner into the leather using circular motions. Use gentle movements and make sure you clean the entire shoe, spending extra time on spots that look dirty.^{[9]
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- Look for a leather cleaner at your local big box store or online.
5
Wipe your shoes with a clean rag to remove the cleaner. Use a dry microfiber rag to give them one final wipe down. Make sure all of the cleaner is removed and that your shoes are dry.^{[10]
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- Inspect each shoe for any lingering dirt specks and wipe them off with the rag if needed.
- If you leave dirt specks on your shoes before polishing them, they may cause scratches as you rub the polish into the shoe.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Applying the Polish

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Dip a microfiber rag into your chosen shoe polish. Use a cloth made specifically for shoes, or find an old clean T-shirt to use instead. Wrap the rag around your fingers and dip it into the polish, covering the tip of the rag with the polish.^{[11]
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- Start off with a small amount if you’re not sure how much to apply to the rag—you can always dip your rag in again to add more.
2
Apply the polish to your shoes using a rag and let each shoe sit for 5 minutes. Holding your shoe in one hand, gently rub the polish into the shoe with the other hand using circular motions. Go slowly and cover each section of the shoe with the same amount of polish to ensure you get an even shine.^{[12]
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- Once you’ve applied the polish to one shoe, set that shoe aside and begin working on the next to let the polish soak in for at least five minutes.
- Scoop out enough polish onto the rag to cover the tip of the rag entirely. The entire shoe should have a nice fine layer of polish on it.
3
Use a horsehair brush and quick motions to buff the surface of the shoes. Take a horsehair brush and start brushing the shoe using quick back-and-forth motions. Keep buffing all sides of the shoe, brushing them with the horsehair brush evenly. This final buff creates a shiny surface.^{[13]
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- If you polish shoes in other colors, use a separate buffing brush for brown shoes. This ensures you don’t brush other colors of polish onto your shoes by accident.
- If there's excess polish on your shoes after buffing them, gently wipe the polish off with a clean rag.
4
Buff the shoes using a clean cloth to give them extra shine, if desired. Use a clean microfiber towel to buff each shoe using gentle rubbing motions to make your brown shoes shine even brighter. Pay special attention to the tip of each shoe where your toes sit, as this is the part of your shoe that’s most noticed.^{[14]
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5
Re-lace the shoes once they're dry. After the polish on your shoes has dried, begin weaving the laces back into place just as they were when you removed them. Start from the end closest to your toes when re-lacing them, ending up near your ankles.
- Touch the surface of the shoe to see if it's still wet.
- Waiting a few hours before re-lacing your shoes will likely be enough time for them to dry.

Expert Q&A

Question

Should I use brown or neutral shoe polish?

Moe Draper
Shoe Care & Repair Specialist
Moe Draper is a Shoe Care and Repair Specialist and the Owner of Detroit Shoe Shine and Shoe Repair. With over 20 years of personal experience, Moe specializes in shoe shining, cosmetic restorations for quality leather goods, and minor/major shoe repair services. Moe and his staff at Detroit Shoe Shine and Repair have over 30 years of combined experience and knowledge.

Moe Draper

Shoe Care & Repair Specialist

Expert Answer

It's up to you, but I generally tell folks to look online and figure out which shoe polish product the manufacturer suggests. If they suggest a brown polish, use that. If they suggest a neutral polish, use that instead.
Question

Are there any tricks when it comes to polishing brown shoes?

Moe Draper
Shoe Care & Repair Specialist
Moe Draper is a Shoe Care and Repair Specialist and the Owner of Detroit Shoe Shine and Shoe Repair. With over 20 years of personal experience, Moe specializes in shoe shining, cosmetic restorations for quality leather goods, and minor/major shoe repair services. Moe and his staff at Detroit Shoe Shine and Repair have over 30 years of combined experience and knowledge.

Moe Draper

Shoe Care & Repair Specialist

Expert Answer

No, just follow the directions as they're printed on the label. That's really all there is to it!