Shoe polish

"Boot Polish" redirects here. For the 1954 Bollywood film, see Boot Polish (film).
"Polish shoes" redirects here. For shoes originating in Poland, see National costumes of Poland.
An open can of shoe polish with a side-mounted opening mechanism visible at the top of the photo

Shoe polish, also known as boot polish and shoeshine, is a waxy paste, cream, or liquid that is used to polish, shine, and waterproof leather shoes or boots to extend the footwear's lifespan and restore its appearance. Shoe polishes are distinguished by their textures, which range from liquids to hard waxes. Solvent, waxes, and colorants comprise most shoe polishes.[1] Shoe polishes that would be recognizable today have been around since the Middle Ages. Originally made with dubbin, they were only used to soften leather and weather proof shoes, they did not shine shoes.[2] However, the popularity of shoe shining that arose during the early 1900s led to many shoe polish formulas being incorporated with a shining agent.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ullmann was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Boot polish history | Blanco and Bull". www.blancoandbull.com. Retrieved 2024-09-05.