# Shoe Conditioner vs. Shoe Cream?



## johnnyblazini (Feb 24, 2006)

What is the main difference between the two?


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## Roger (Feb 18, 2005)

Conditioners are used mainly to renew and nourish the leather, moisturizing it and keeping it supple and free from cracking. They are generic in that they provide no color and are not used as the main ingredient in "polishing" a pair of shoes. Creams, on the other hand, perform some of the same functions in nourishing the leather, but they also restore color and help to repair scuffs that produce a lighter color. In addition, some creams provide a little water protection (although not as much as wax-based polishes), and can be buffed to a medium shine. Creams, therefore, provide one means of polishing a pair of shoes. I don't think it would be overkill to use both a conditioner and cream on a pair of shoes, particularly if they had begun to dry out or needed some refurbishing. Many shoe fans use both cream and a top coat of harder wax-based polish to both refurbish the leather and achieve better water protection and a high shine.


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## Bertie Wooster (Feb 11, 2006)

Not wishing to hijack but I'm a little fuzzy on shoe cream / conditioner. is it necessary to first remove any old wax ( using saddle soap say ? ) before application to achieve the best results ? 
Again not wishing to take the thread off topic.


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## Roger (Feb 18, 2005)

Bertie, good question. I've often wondered that. My experience has been that after wearing your shoes for a while, the polish sort of wears off, and the leather conditioner seems to be absorbed and do its thing. I suppose if you wanted to start from scratch, you could remove all traces of polish (wax and cream), but I'd do it with ordinary drug store rubbing alcohol (the isopropyl alcohol in either 70% or 99% concentration), not saddle soap. Then you'd be down to the bare leather and could be sure that the conditioner would have maximum effectiveness. But as noted, I've found it unnecessary to do this.

If you want to be somewhat compulsive about this (as a lot of forumers--including myself--seem to be), you could first apply conditioner, allowing it lots of time to be absorbed. Then come back and apply cream, rubbing it in well and buffing it without much elapsed time. You'd then finish up with a harder top coat of a good wax-type polish (like Lincoln, Kelly's, Kiwi, etc., in the cans). This regimen would keep the leather supple and like new, would maintain the color, and would provide maximum protection against the elements.


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## johnnyblazini (Feb 24, 2006)

If cream performs the same duty plus it does a few extras, why use conditioner at all?


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## acidicboy (Feb 17, 2006)

another question:
if the shoe cream only gives a medium shine, i would need shoe wax to polish the shoes again, right? but the generic brown polish is very far from say, the burgundy color of the shoe. would it be more proper to use a neutral colored wax?


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## acidicboy (Feb 17, 2006)

another question:
if the shoe cream only gives a medium shine, i would need shoe wax to polish the shoes again, right? but the generic brown polish is very far from say, the burgundy color of the shoe. would it be more proper to use a neutral colored wax?


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## ChriO (Feb 23, 2006)

acidboy: Given these two options, I'd go for the neutral polish, to avoid a change in the shoes' finish. There are burgundy polishes out there however. My favourite brand, Burgol, might be hard to come by at your place, but Alden, Allen-Edmonds and Kiwi offer burgundy wax. I think all major suppliers of shoe care products list it. Your local store just might not have it in stock, but can order it for sure.


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## Roger (Feb 18, 2005)

To the questions raised by acidicboy and johnnyblazini, I'd answer the following. First, why conditioner plus cream? Many, probably most, would consider this overkill, and, as noted, perhaps only for the compulsive. However, being the latter, I would see conditioner as doing the remoisturizing and replenishing better than can be done by cream. The former is designed just for that purpose. However, cream can do other things too, like restoring color and producing a reasonable, although not deep, shine. So to me, using both can't hurt, and might do a better job.

As for acidicboy's question, ChriO's answer is right on the money. But I'd add that paste wax actually imparts less color than does cream, so that using a wax that's _close_ will not really change the color of the shoes that much at all, particularly if you've already used the right color cream. Still, ideally you'll use the corresponding color wax too, and as ChriO notes, you can find wax in all shoe colors if you look hard (including online sellers). If it's burgundy that you need, for example, it's available from essentially all makers of paste wax. However, if you do ever find yourself without the right color wax, then a neutral wax top coat is the answer. That's always a fallback for that situation.


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## Charley (Feb 8, 2005)

acidicboy said:


> another question:
> if the shoe cream only gives a medium shine, i would need shoe wax to polish the shoes again, right? but the generic brown polish is very far from say, the burgundy color of the shoe. would it be more proper to use a neutral colored wax?


Try to think of it like this:
The real difference between the two is the quantity that you will use in the application.

Wipe with a damp cloth to get the worst of the dirt off - why rub it into the shoes?

Use the *conditioner* occasionally for additional cleaning AND conditioning - it will be better absorbed than cream polish and will stay in the leather better (IMHO). Apply it *very liberally *for good penetration - I use my fingers and slop it on. Let it dry for a while and brush.

Then use the *cream polish*. It is available in more colors, imparts color better, and goes on pretty well - make a *thin application*. After you have applied it to one shoe and treated the sole edge, deal with the second shoe. By that time the first one is ready to brush. And when that is finished, brush the second shoe.

The cream polish will impart a darned good shine. It is a slight bit softer - not the very high gloss spitshine. However, I believe it is easier to maintain. generally, I can just brush them again to remove the slight scuffs - maybe the slightly softer consistency will allow it to move better when brushed. And I do believe that this approach will keep you from having the wax build up problem that many here complain about. Further, I find that I can fairly easily just brush the holes in the brouging clear of the cream, not the same with the hard wax polish. 
But, as with anything else, YMMV.


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## johnnyblazini (Feb 24, 2006)

Thanks guys.


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## acidicboy (Feb 17, 2006)

thank you once again gentlemen. the burgundy color was just an example. actually my "problem" involves a pair of santoni fam's in "english tobacco" and i found a certain color of cream that meltonian has that is almost the same as that. but then, shoe cream does not impart a shine that hard wax can give as i have also noticed. 

the shoe conditioner on the other hand i have to use on a pair of zegna oxfords where some parts of the leather seems to be a tad dry.


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