Cirage noir SAPHIR - pâte de luxe

[Betty's other half] I'm a longtime devoted Kiwi user dating back many decades to military use. But, while I like Kiwi and Kiwi Parade Gloss just fine, the brown color of the standard paste just wasn't getting me happy on my favorite 'not the finest leathers' brown brogues. I'm not a fan of creams at all so was looking for lighter paste alternatives to my favorite Kiwi brown.Right from the start of daubing on the Saphir the differences are pretty clear. This goes on much less dry and gummy than does Kiwi and you can see the Saphir condition the leather right away. One very light coat and a brush with the horsehair and it had a nice luster. A buff with nylons over then same coat and it came to an easy basic shine. I'll likely see what this does with a wet shine next on these same shoes even though I don't usually put a 'spit shine' on my brogues. This is now my 'go to' for medium brown that I don't want to darken or get too reddish. I'm interested in trying some other colors now.Note that this paste does have a different smell than Kiwi and Lincoln. I find it less turpentine but I suppose some folks might be bothered by the difference. It smells to me more of car wax than most others.Definitely worth the little extra cost if you're serious about shoe care if only for the ease with which it brings a basic shine.For those folks who can't get a shine up with this - first make sure you're trying to shine a smooth leather. No amount of polish is going to shine a rough or damaged finish. Also be sure you're clean and dry. Then apply a very light coat of polish (horsehair dauber is good) over the entire shoe and let it dry at least 15 minutes. The key here is to place a very light coat of polish evenly over the whole shoe. Brush it off lightly with a horsehair shoe brush. Then buff the shoes with a chamois cloth or a pair of nylons to a shine. Three coats should give you a bright shine. You'll have to wet polish for a mirror shine. Blocking the shoes with trees will make the process easier and help bring a better shine.

Before (toebox up) and after (toebox down) pictures above. That is after about 4 hours of polishing, with light wear in between. I would consider this a MAJOR improvement over Kiwi products, but it will not fill orange peel quickly. Details below.The pigment is excellent, and provided relatively scuff-resistant finish. It seals and protects just like it claims to. This is perfect for office dress shoes, and the polish doesn't come off on other things, so you could get away with using it on a belt.The only downside is the time commitment. It goes on thin, and really absorbs into the leather. This is not the polish you want if you are trying to get a military shine in short order. If that is your intent, use this as the bottom layer, where it will moisturize the leather and prevent creasing. Then use a thicker polish (I like Lincoln) to fill the orange peel. Once you get a nice mirror finish, use this again for the final color and finish. If you already have a parade finish and just want to maintain it for daily wear, this polish works great, takes very little effort, and seems pretty good at resisting cracking, water, and heat.TLDR: Great for business shoes. Good for maintaining uniform shoes. Just don't make this the only polish in your arsenal or you'll be shining for all eternity

This product works better than any polish I’ve used. It is solvent based, so it penetrates and conditions the leather. The solvent smell means you might not want to use it in your bedroom or kitchen.

This product will put the shine on as well as protect your footwear. I started with Saphir Renovateur then Saphir Creme 1925 in black then finished off with Saphir Pate de Luxe. The Ostrich on the left are brand new and must be conditioned prior to use if you are properly caring for them. The boots on the right are my leather work boots and are roughly 15 years old and needed reconditioning. I believe the photo speaks volumes. Great product. I highly recommend these products by Saphir for superior footwear care, conditioning, and reconditioning. The Pate de Luxe is a stand alone product for superior shine.

Great product..good price.

I was a bit skeptical, as this was the first shoe polish I purchased that wasnt Kiwi or Lincoln Brand. I have been shinning my shoes since I was in boot camp back in 1987. Since then I have had my shine game down but I never thought about the polish I was using. I used this on some very nice Allen Edmonds dress shoes and I cant believe how good the shine came out. I get that you are not going to buy more until you need some but give this stuff a try when you need to reload and you wont be disappointed.

The quality of the product is very good, it applies easily and covers well; you don’t have to use a lot to shine your shoes. The higher cost is forgotten once you use this polish. Applying this product is much easier, requiring less effort than other polishes.

Better than any other brand out there.