SAPHIR NOIRMedaille d’Or Mirror Gloss - Natural Wax Polish for Leather Shoes & Boots

Ordered product January 31, 2021. Projected delivery date was February 4, 2022. I received it this morning February 2, 2022, so, happy with that. I like the screw top can. Its very sturdy. I've had issues with the toggle on the Kiwi cans breaking off. Product arrived in new condition, not dried out. Has a somewhat citrus smell. I applied it to my boots and had no difficulty getting a shiny finish. To be fair however, I keep my boots spit shined anyway. The finish does seem to be a bit glossier than what I get with Kiwi polish. For a fair test, I'll need to strip the existing polish my boots and do a complete shine rebuild. It seems to be a much harder wax, so I expect the shine to be more durable. Is the product worth the extra money? If the build is easier, the shine is brighter and lasts longer, the difference in price is a couple of fancy coffees, then yes, yes it is. For those learning how to spit shine for the first time. There are a lot of videos on YouTube. Everyone has their own favorite method. I've never been a fan of igniting the wax, and I tend to use lighter layers, buffing out each one with a wet cotton ball. I do occasionally heat the boot with a blow dryer. The idea is to warm the leather for the initial application, allowing the wax to melt into the pores easier. After you get the initial layers applied. Its just apply a new layer and buff with a damp cotton ball.Update 03/04/22: I decided to give Saphir a fair test and broke down my boots (Acetone and Terri cloth rags). I stripped off the old Kiwi polish with the Saphir top coat I had applied earlier. I applied Saphir and took the time to build a new base. I can say, there is a definite difference in the Saphir only finish. It did take more time to build from scratch than Kiwi, however the end result was worth the effort. I have no complaints about Kiwi as a polish. However, if you are looking for an extra pop of shine. Saphir provides it. Once I had the proper build of wax, I only have to put a light coat of Saphir on the toe, buff with a soft cotton rag (old t-shirt) and I'm out the door, daily shine takes maybe 2 minutes.

Other reviews and online DIY shoe refurbishment sites recommended only using this procedure in area that did not bend so that’s what I did on a pair of very worn leather shoes.If you imagine zero shine second hand shoes then see the attached photos, you will see the gloss on shoes that originally had a satin finish but had been worn out to a very scuffed scratched finish. The first photo is after cleaning with saddle soap. If I had known what I know now, I would have cleaned the shoes again.If you are interested in the process that I used, first I cleaned the shoes with a saddle soap and a soft cloth. I let the shoes dry about 30 minutes then buffed the shoes with a horse hair brush.Next I applied a cream polish with dye in it. I let the cream sit a few minutes then wiped the extra dye cream off the shoes then buffed a long time with the horse hair bristle brush. The shoes had a nice satin shine at this point.After sitting a few minutes more, I tried the gloss on the toe box and sides of one shoe.The shine did not change, but buffing the shoe with the horsehair brush changed the surface to a flatter surface.The entire process took about two hours because I rested from the buffing.I believe that if the original finish was a high shine, this gloss would have restored a high shine.I did this for my husband who is a military veteran from the days when spit was the only polish they had sometimes. He had tried a brown polish from the local discount store. I do not recommend brown polish from the discount store.The coloring from the discount store was uneven but restored some shine.Had I known what he had done, I would have worked with the leather differently so the dye cream could absorb evenly. I would have cleaned the leather different to lift the brown dye from the discount store.Of course I was halfway through the process before he told me what he had done. He knew in advance what I was doing. Because of my experience, I advise asking people what they have applied to the shoes before you start working on the shoes and don’t expect them to fully confess the products they applied to the shoes.I have not cleaned shoes for almost 40 years because he never wanted to clean shoes or have his shoes cleaned again after military service.I told him I would buy a new pair of shoes if those second hand shoes did not get polished. Imagine being dressed in a formal suit with dull dirty looking shoes and you get my point. I understand wanting comfortable shoes. But shoes can be clean looking. Yes he can afford new shoes. I discovered much later why he likes these specific shoes. The style is known for its comfort.The restoration supplies cost more than a new pair of good men’s shoes. I know the supplies will last for many years. For example, very little gloss was needed to product a shine. I could shine many shoes and still have plenty of gloss.Some might think petroleum jelly would work just as well. That’s not true for these heavily worn shoes.Yes I tried coconut oil and other oils over the years, but the leather was so very dry that the oil was absorbed into the leather. The leather turned dark because it had become almost like suede.The saddle soap conditioned the leather and the cream with dye gave the shoes what they needed.The gloss gave a protective coat to the toe box. Instead of looking like suede, the fibers of the leather laid flat again.I think it’s true to not add the gloss to areas that bend. I think it’s true that the gloss would flake if placed into the creases of the shoe.My husband was impressed with the final result. He is not easy to impress.He really likes these second hand shoes because they were already broken in. He’s had these second hand shoes for years and is quite fond of them.Now that I have the right products to care for leather shoes, I plan to order new shoes for him in the same brand for Father’s Day. He likes his stuff to last forever.I think this gloss is made for hard top , high shine, leather and plastic shoes but worked great for this restoration project.My advice is this: If the shoes are heavily worn, do not start with the gloss. Start with giving the leather the nourishment it needs. I am pleased with this purchase and know the product will last for many years.The photos are before, after all the process then adding gloss to the toe box, and the original shoe if purchased new. I hope this review helps you as you decide whether or not to purchase this product. If you have very new shoes and do not use the product in areas that bend, the shine will be restored. You can transfer this gloss into a tiny container and take it with you as you travel. You can put some into an old cloth or cotton tip and put the cloth into a plastic bag and take the cloth with you as you travel. I’m thinking of outdoor weddings where shoes get dusty. I hope your experience with this gloss is as pleasant as mine. I must admit that the entire restoration process was rather relaxing. Cheers,

If you like to wear shoes polished to a mirror finish, SAPHIR Medaille d'Or Mirror Gloss is for you. Of all the polishes tried, SAPHIR is vastly superior in its ability to lay down a high gloss shine. It's not cheap! But the expenditure will be worth it when you see the high gloss shine of your shoes. The best example demonstrating this was using SAPHIR on a pair of 10 year-old Red Wing Chukka Boots. After applying brown polish, letting it dry, buffing it, a light coat of SAPHIR was applied, allowed to dry and polished. Now you can see your reflection in the boots. That was never the case, even when they were new! Highly recommend SAPHIR to Amazon customer who want a professional shoe polish shine on their shoes. It ain't cheap, but it's worth it, and unless you're a bootblack, this should last you a long time.

Looks and smells different than any other wax. Durability not tested yet,but looks good.

Top quality shine if you know how to do it. Best polish available worth the price

i tried a few other polishes to try and get a mirror shine, but none hold a candle to this. the price of the product does cost it a star for me but you truly do get what you pay for with this. highly recommend if you want that mirror polish to your leather. just make sure you use a heat gun when doing the finish work.

What can you say that hasn't already been said about this product. Perfect mirror shine every time. Just be patient and go slow and you'll be able to blind others with the shine on your shoe.