The fine art of polishing shoes

Place fingers on cloth


Twist cloth over knuckles


... and tuck under thumb

With shoe polish making an entry towards the middle of the nineteenth century, shoe care was almost perfected to an art. The average shoe care toolbox contained:

Polish

To obtain the best finish two tins of polish, one for cleaning shoes and the other for buffing were used.

Brushes

A hand brush with hard bristles for applying polish and another with soft bristles for shining up.

Old toothbrush

A toothbrush was often used for applying polish in awkward areas.

Cloth

The perfect tool for the perfect finish. The standard yellow duster is an excellent choice. Old nylon socks were also used to buff the shoes after a simple polish.