# Allen Edmonds Premium Shoe Polish



## lawgman (Mar 28, 2005)

Does anyone know who makes Allen Edmonds Premium Shoe Polish? Is it a re-branding of another product that I can purcahse for less than AE? I recently used this stuff on 2 pair of shoes (neither of which are AEs) and find it applies very evenly does an amazing job. But, the price (in Canada) is about double other shoe creams.


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## rkipperman (Mar 19, 2006)

I have heard that it's rebranded Collonil.


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## Roger (Feb 18, 2005)

Yeah, I've heard the same as rkipperman--from no less than Ron Rider who, as you are all aware, knows a thing or three about shoes and shoe-related paraphernalia. In Canada, Collonil seems to be widely distributed, and it is available in many, many shades--not just the few colors that A-E sells. I use it routinely prior to a wax polish treatment. It is, after all, a _cream_, not a wax polish and is water-soluble. It's the best cream I've found.


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## lawgman (Mar 28, 2005)

Roger said:


> Yeah, I've heard the same as rkipperman--from no less than Ron Rider who, as you are all aware, knows a thing or three about shoes and shoe-related paraphernalia. In Canada, Collonil seems to be widely distributed, and it is available in many, many shades--not just the few colors that A-E sells. I use it routinely prior to a wax polish treatment. It is, after all, a _cream_, not a wax polish and is water-soluble. It's the best cream I've found.


I have not yet come accross it in Toronto. How much does it cost in Vancouver?


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## bigCat (Jun 10, 2005)

AE premium polish is a mix of cream and wax. Intended to be used "solo" on the shoe. Provides moisture, shine and scuff covering all in one. I prefer separate cream and wax (control freak!), but for color matching I use AE products, and they do work very well.


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## lawgman (Mar 28, 2005)

hreljan said:


> AE premium polish is a mix of cream and wax. Intended to be used "solo" on the shoe. Provides moisture, shine and scuff covering all in one. I prefer separate cream and wax (control freak!), but for color matching I use AE products, and they do work very well.


Is it a real mix of cream and wax or does it just have something else in the cream that provides a better shine?


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## pcunite (Nov 20, 2006)

> Is it a real mix of cream and wax or does it just have something else in the cream that provides a better shine?


I am quite certain it has wax in it. I have both and can smell the acetone in it.


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## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

Sorry to exhume an old thread, but I wonder if anyone has the same impression as me.

I prefer shoe cream to waxes b/c I prefer the way that creams seem to penetrate and condition leathers rather than mostly form a coating, as waxes seem to do. During the winter in particular, when the air is dry, I always use cream rather than wax on account of cream's superior moisturizing qualities.

Normally I use Meltonian cream on all my calfskin shoes, but lately I've been experimenting with tubes of Allen-Edmonds creamy polish purchased at Nordies.

The Meltonian takes longer to set (my preference is to let the shoes sit for a good long while to give the cream a chance to penetrate the leather) and is much harder to buff off (my method is to do the first buffing with an old soft terry washcloth, then brush, then rebuff with a flannel), but leaves a longer-lasting and deeper shine.

The A-E polish sets quicker and buffs off much more easily, but I have the sense that this is b/c it doesn't penetrate as thoroughly. The shine it produces is fine, but it doesn't seem to last very long.

So my feeling is: If you tend to shine your shoes frequently, A-E might be the best product for you b/c of the relative ease with which you can buff it to a decent shine.

But if you get around to polishing your shoes less frequently and rely on the occasional brushing and flannel buffing to "raise" a shine without having to apply a new coat of polish or cream, then maybe Meltonian is your best bet.


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## burnedandfrozen (Mar 11, 2004)

I've never heard of Collonil and never noticed it in the store. Is it available in the states? In LA?


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## marlinspike (Jun 4, 2007)

burnedandfrozen said:


> I've never heard of Collonil and never noticed it in the store. Is it available in the states? In LA?


It is, but it's hard to find. It's a German product, quite good. www.shoemix.com carries some of the stuff. You can see the full line at collonil.com


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## DocHolliday (Apr 11, 2005)

Just in case anyone didn't know, endless.com carries the AE polish. They also offer "negative $5 shipping," meaning they ship for free and deduct $5 from the total cost of your order. That means you can have a tube of AE polish delivered to your door for $4.95.


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## twheaten (May 11, 2008)

Did anyone in Canada (particularly Toronto) have any luck finding a retailer that carries this polish? Otherwise any good online sources that folks in Canada are using to buy premium quality polish and supplies?l


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## LeonS (Apr 23, 2008)

DocHolliday said:


> Just in case anyone didn't know, endless.com carries the AE polish. They also offer "negative $5 shipping," meaning they ship for free and deduct $5 from the total cost of your order. That means you can have a tube of AE polish delivered to your door for $4.95.


has the price gone up $10 in a few month? they have it for $19.95 now


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## DocHolliday (Apr 11, 2005)

drin said:


> has the price gone up $10 in a few month? they have it for $19.95 now


Ouch. First they got rid of the $5 discount, now they're charging an arm and a leg for the polish. Guess they caught onto that little deal.


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## Roger (Feb 18, 2005)

twheaten said:


> Did anyone in Canada (particularly Toronto) have any luck finding a retailer that carries this polish? Otherwise any good online sources that folks in Canada are using to buy premium quality polish and supplies?l


I'm assuming that you're referring to the Collonil products (which A-E rebrand as their Premium Shoe Polish, but in only a few colors; the Collonil-branded stuff is available in about 20 colors, I think). Here's the address and phone number of the Canadian distributor of Collonil products:

*Collonil Canada*
*271 Green Lane*
*Thornhill ON, L3T 7J3*
*Phone: 905-731-0642*

If you were to call them, they could tell you who stocks Collonil in your area. In Vancouver, it's found in many shoe repair shops, and it's hard to believe that it wouldn't be very easy to find in Toronto (particularly given the location of the distributor). It runs around $8 per tube, I think (can't recall the exact price).

Good luck. :icon_smile:


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## brokencycle (Jan 11, 2008)

I bought some from their shoe bank yesterday for about $5.


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## bwridge (Feb 20, 2006)

I'm new to Allen-Edmonds shoes... I just recently purchased a pair of Park Aveenues and a pair of Ramseys so I've been meaning to purchase some of their shoe care products. SO just to clarify... the "premium shoe polish" is designed to be used as both a cream and a wax? SO you can take care of your shoe in one shot?

The alternative is to buy both their shoe cream and the wax and apply them seperately. IS this correct?

I'm not too fussy about my shoes so I think the shoe polish route is more appealing due to the convenience.

Brian


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## Roger (Feb 18, 2005)

The Collonil Waterstop Shoe Cream (the product that, I've been told, is rebranded as A-E Premium Shoe Polish) is a water-based shoe _cream_. A-E's labeling of it as a polish is, I guess, OK, but to most people, I think, "polish" implies the stuff in flat cans, which is really a different animal. This cream, according to their advertising, contains jojoba and almond oils, but no wax. Therefore, I don't use it for the purposes I would use a true shoe polish or wax (generally containing carnauba wax). I use the Collonil cream first to recolor scuffs and to provide some moisturizing and nourishment to the leather. I finish up with a true wax polish (Saphir, Lincoln, Kiwi) to get the protection against the elements that only a wax provides and to enhance the shine beyond what a cream will provide.


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## brokencycle (Jan 11, 2008)

Here is what the back of the jar of wax says exactly:

"Allen-Edmonds Shoe Polish is specially formulated from the finest Carnauba Wax to give a high luster and protect fine quality leather. For best results, use Allen-Edmonds Shoe Cream first, then follow with Allen-Edmonds Shoe Polish. Apply an even coat and buff with a soft cloth to produce desired finish."


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## Roger (Feb 18, 2005)

brokencycle said:


> Here is what the back of the jar of wax says exactly:
> 
> "Allen-Edmonds Shoe Polish is specially formulated from the finest Carnauba Wax to give a high luster and protect fine quality leather. For best results, use Allen-Edmonds Shoe Cream first, then follow with Allen-Edmonds Shoe Polish. Apply an even coat and buff with a soft cloth to produce desired finish."


Right. You're reading from the _jar_ of "shoe polish," which is a paste wax. However, the product that they label as Allen-Edmonds _Premium_ Shoe Polish (the stuff in _tubes_) is rebranded Collonil (Waterstop) shoe cream. It's confusing, but there you have it. Their advice, however, is consistent with my practice of applying a cream first, followed by a top coat of wax.


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## brokencycle (Jan 11, 2008)

Roger said:


> Right. You're reading from the _jar_ of "shoe polish," which is a paste wax. However, the product that they label as Allen-Edmonds _Premium_ Shoe Polish (the stuff in _tubes_) is rebranded Collonil (Waterstop) shoe cream. It's confusing, but there you have it. Their advice, however, is consistent with my practice of applying a cream first, followed by a top coat of wax.


I'm not confused. I know what I'm reading from, and what it is referring to.

Also, on a side note. When I was in Allen Edmonds, I told the guy that all I have is parade gloss in black, so I need some black polish, and he told me that is what he uses. In fact, he preferred it to the regular polish, but he said, just use the cream on a fairly regular basis to keep them moisturized.


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## Roger (Feb 18, 2005)

brokencycle said:


> I'm not confused. I know what I'm reading from, and what it is referring to.


I didn't mean that you were confused, but rather that A-E's referring to two very different products with the same name--_shoe polish_--is confusing. Since the OP in this thread was the A-E _Premium_ Shoe Polish (the product in the tubes, which is actually a cream), I think that the distinction between it and the A-E Shoe Polish, a paste wax in the jars, needs to be made.


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## brokencycle (Jan 11, 2008)

Roger said:


> I didn't mean that you were confused, but rather that A-E's referring to two very different products with the same name--_shoe polish_--is confusing. Since the OP in this thread was the A-E _Premium_ Shoe Polish (the product in the tubes, which is actually a cream), I think that the distinction between it and the A-E Shoe Polish, a paste wax in the jars, needs to be made.


Fair, but I'm sure that their premium polish says the same that you should use a cream. The guy at the store recommended regular polish and cream instead of the premium stuff.


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## Apthorpe (Apr 8, 2008)

brokencycle said:


> Fair, but I'm sure that their premium polish says the same that you should use a cream. The guy at the store recommended regular polish and cream instead of the premium stuff.


It actually doesn't (at least not on the tube or box for the tube I recently purchased). And just to verify, Roger, both hreljan and pcunite above indicated that the premium polish in the tube was a combination cream and wax. But you are saying they are incorrect?

The guy at the AE store recommended the premium polish as an all in one product. But it certainly doesn't seem to shine up like carnuba wax. Is the premium polish (in the tube) insufficient shoe protection? Floating brogue and #8 last or not, I'd like my new Hales to live a long life.

Also, the guy at the AE store indicated the leather lotion was an appropriate shoe cleaner/protector to be used from time to time. Was I similarly mislead on this point?


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## brokencycle (Jan 11, 2008)

Apthorpe said:


> It actually doesn't (at least not on the tube or box for the tube I recently purchased). And just to verify, Roger, both hreljan and pcunite above indicated that the premium polish in the tube was a combination cream and wax. But you are saying they are incorrect?
> 
> The guy at the AE store recommended the premium polish as an all in one product. But it certainly doesn't seem to shine up like carnuba wax. Is the premium polish (in the tube) insufficient shoe protection? Floating brogue and #8 last or not, I'd like my new Hales to live a long life.
> 
> Also, the guy at the AE store indicated the leather lotion was an appropriate shoe cleaner/protector to be used from time to time. Was I similarly mislead on this point?


No, my manager who worked at Johnston & Murphy for years, the guy at AE, and a local cobbler have all told me to use leather lotion on occasion, and then use shoe polish. My manager recommends using the cream based polishes not the wax, but the other two said wax is fine, and the AE guy recommended wax stuff.


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## Roger (Feb 18, 2005)

Apthorpe said:


> It actually doesn't (at least not on the tube or box for the tube I recently purchased). And just to verify, Roger, both hreljan and pcunite above indicated that the premium polish in the tube was a combination cream and wax. But you are saying they are incorrect?
> 
> The guy at the AE store recommended the premium polish as an all in one product. But it certainly doesn't seem to shine up like carnuba wax. Is the premium polish (in the tube) insufficient shoe protection? Floating brogue and #8 last or not, I'd like my new Hales to live a long life.
> 
> Also, the guy at the AE store indicated the leather lotion was an appropriate shoe cleaner/protector to be used from time to time. Was I similarly mislead on this point?


OK. Let me try one last time. The A-E _Premium Shoe Polish_ (in the tubes) contains _no_ wax (unless they have changed it very recently). It is, instead, Collonil shoe cream that is a water-based product containing, evidently, jojoba and almond oils, but _no wax_. This means that it qualifies as a shoe _cream_, not a shoe wax. As for whether the A-E Premium Shoe Polish is sufficient shoe protection, many would probably say "yes," but I would say that for my purposes "no." It will do a nice job of replenishing the leather and moisturizing it (better than any paste wax), and of restoring color to scuffed areas, but it will not provide the kind of protection against the elements that a true paste wax will.

For what it's worth, here again is my shoe-polishing regimen:

1. Thoroughly clean the shoes. I brush them and then go over them very quickly with a slightly damp cloth to remove grit and dirt.

2. Apply leather conditioner. I like the Crema Alpina product (which is getting almost impossible to get, it seems), but any really good conditioner--and I think that the A-E Leather Cleaner and Conditioner is pretty good--will do. Some have found Lexol (a very widely-used conditioner) to slightly darken leather (and Lexol actually warns users of this on the bottle), and for this reason I don't use it.

3. Apply shoe cream. This is where I use the Collonil Waterstop cream we've been discussing to restore color and further condition. With Step 2, though, most of the conditioning has already been done.

4. Apply paste wax. This is the (generally carnauba-wax infused) non-water-based wax in flat cans. I like the Saphir Medaille d'Or polish (turpentine-based), but any of the really good paste waxes will work--Kiwi, Lincoln, Kelly's, etc. This step provides the best protection against water damage, beverage spills, nasty damp dirt, getting oil or gas on your shoes, etc. (although gas will cut through it unless you get if off fast), all things that could easily defeat the protection of a cream. Living in a damp climate as I do in Vancouver, I consider this an important addition to the cream stage. Creams do afford some protection, I guess, but not nearly that provided by a good coat of paste wax, and, the latter is needed to get a high shine if that is desired.

Now, some may accuse me of being OCD about this or consider the whole deal overkill. This doesn't bother me. For one thing, it really doesn't take all that long, if you plan things well. Do the conditioning phase on both shoes, and while doing the second shoe, the first is soaking up the conditioner. Then move right on with the same drill with the cream, and then finally the paste wax. This is a thorough regimen to be sure, but I've found that my shoes go for at least 10 wearings between sessions with just a brushing off after each use. The shine stays put, and the leather remains supple. :icon_smile:


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## twheaten (May 11, 2008)

*Question for Canadians*

Roger, LawManG:

Just curious as to where you've found Collonil for sale? I'm in Toronto and need to get some decent supplies but can't find anywhere that carries a decent range of brushes and better quality polish. Any suggestions.

Thanks.


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## nobody (Oct 26, 2007)

*Related Question ---*

When using colored shoe cream [typically Meltonian, sometimes AE] I apply and rub it in with a rag, in invariably the finger or 2 that is encased in the rag is rendered an awful brown or black, and the stain is tough to get off.

Am I doing something wrong? I never like using daubers only as they don't get the cream worked into the leather. What do you all do to avoid the brown/black fingers?


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## Roger (Feb 18, 2005)

nobody said:


> When using colored shoe cream [typically Meltonian, sometimes AE] I apply and rub it in with a rag, in invariably the finger or 2 that is encased in the rag is rendered an awful brown or black, and the stain is tough to get off.
> 
> Am I doing something wrong? I never like using daubers only as they don't get the cream worked into the leather. What do you all do to avoid the brown/black fingers?


Superthin latex gloves.


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## Apthorpe (Apr 8, 2008)

Thanks Roger and brokencycle.

Roger, do you use colored or neutral wax given that you applied color with the cream?


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## brokencycle (Jan 11, 2008)

Apthorpe said:


> Thanks Roger and brokencycle.
> 
> Roger, do you use colored or neutral wax given that you applied color with the cream?


You're welcome. For what it is worth, I use a cotton ball to apply the polish.

Also, I'm not quite as OCD as Roger. I shine them every 2-3 wears typically, and use conditioner 10-15 wears. I use very little polish.


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## Roger (Feb 18, 2005)

Apthorpe said:


> Thanks Roger and brokencycle.
> 
> Roger, do you use colored or neutral wax given that you applied color with the cream?


Colored wax. I almost never use neutral cream or wax.


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## burnedandfrozen (Mar 11, 2004)

Oh man is my head spinning now! I've never used wax since although it's said that wax produces a better shine, it dries out the leather. So I've used nothing but creams since I'm willing to forgo a little shine in exchange for longer lasting leather. Maybe a cream/wax solution like mentioned here is the way to go, or just an occasional wax?

Thanks,

Mark


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## Apthorpe (Apr 8, 2008)

Yes the strongly held and wholly incompatible opinions on wax are a bit confusing, but it suggests the mean (well represented, I think, in Roger's method) is probably the way to go.


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## pcunite (Nov 20, 2006)

Roger said:


> For what it's worth, here again is my shoe-polishing regimen:


Roger you have a good regimen. I do the following:

1. Clean the shoes with damp cloth.
2. Apply leatherique.com leather oil. Let sit overnight.
3. Remove leather oil with leatherique pristine clean.
4. Apply shoe cream. Sit for 15 minutes or so. Buff with horse hair.
5. Apply wax. Let sit. Buff with horse hair.


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## EAP (Jan 19, 2007)

Roger said:


> OK. Let me try one last time. The A-E _Premium Shoe Polish_ (in the tubes) contains _no_:icon_smile: wax (unless they have changed it very recently). It is, instead, Collonil shoe cream that is a water-based product...


I'd concur water-based simply because I wear an old pair of jeans while polishing shoes, and they routinely becomes stained with the product. However, after tossing into the wash the AE cream is always removed.

Similarly, I aways follow the cream-wax regimen - cream for color, followed by (AE neutral) wax for protection and shine.


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## StickPig (Feb 8, 2008)

After an hour of trying to get any shine out of the AE Premium Polish on a new pair of AE Park Avenues in merlot, I'm convinced it has no wax whatsoever. I guess I need to find some neutral wax if I'm ever going to get these thingsto shine.


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## wgiceman (Jul 24, 2006)

Is there any harm in using the neutral wax over any color shoe? (Instead of purchasing several different colors of wax. I only say this because I already use the AE premium polish. I would simply add the waxing portion of routine)


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## brokencycle (Jan 11, 2008)

wgiceman said:


> Is there any harm in using the neutral wax over any color shoe? (Instead of purchasing several different colors of wax. I only say this because I already use the AE premium polish. I would simply add the waxing portion of routine)


I will be using neutral polish on my Broadstreets. I can't see why, except you might not get as great of a shine out of it.


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## dcjacobson (Jun 25, 2007)

> Now, some may accuse me of being OCD about this or consider the whole deal overkill


No! How on earth would we ever get that idea?


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## Apthorpe (Apr 8, 2008)

wgiceman said:


> Is there any harm in using the neutral wax over any color shoe? (Instead of purchasing several different colors of wax. I only say this because I already use the AE premium polish. I would simply add the waxing portion of routine)


Roger above indicates he uses colored instead of neutral wax. The reason may be, as indicated by Continental Fop about a month ago in a post titled "'Natural' Shoe Polish," that a neutral wax gives a shoe gloss but lacks the depth of a colored polish. But please report your results if they are favorable as I would prefer to have a single tin of neutral on hand instead of three or four colored waxes on top of an equal number of colored creams.


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