Does anyone know a U.S. retailer for Saphir Shoe Wax?

[fluteplayer07]

I have heard from several sources that Saphir is the best. I can only find European sellers, and I don't want to spend twice the price of the product on shipping costs. Does anyone know where I can get the wax? (I want a high gloss)

Thanks,
flute

 

[fluteplayer07]

Answered my own question: Leffot in New York. But other suggestions are still appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Mysterious Mose]

I still prefer Kiwi's. I think Saphir is too creamy, I can't really brush it in, it just slides around the shoe, and when I rub it in the rag soaks it up. It sometimes leaves a sticky residue on the leather, makes it feel clammy.

But that's me,

Negative Nancy

 

[Orgetorix]

Franco's Fine Clothier carries Saphir products.

http://www.francos.com/

 

[Spatterdash]

The following is my opinion and experience only.

I've completely abandoned paste wax polishes.

They have their uses - getting out scuffmarks, giving the leather a measure of water resistance, high shine.

But paste wax clogs the pores in the leather and is the biggest cause of dried out, cracked shoes. It needs to be stripped every now and then, and few people bother. I know some people who wax their shoes once a week, when once every few months at the most is what they should be doing if they insist on using paste wax.
They should be using cream for weekly upkeep.

I now only use Allen Edmonds polish, which is a cream with a little wax in it, but is predominantly oils and conditioners. It is a Canadian shoe cream that is rebranded for Allen Edmond, and the stuff has a huge following among shoe fiends (can't recall the original name) and is available on Amazon.

It "feeds" the leather, and gives it a nice luster, softens and moisturizes the leather and protects it from age.
I can also get it in the exact color I want.
It won't give you that "ink under glass" sort of mirror shine that wax polish can, but I find that look is rather extreme, and best suited for formal wear black oxfords or military low quarters. It doesn't look that great on brown and tan shoes.

However, if I was to go back to paste wax, I'd likely use Saphir. As I understand it, Saphir doesn't have as much naptha and drying alcohol in it as Kiwi does, so it would be easier on the shoe leather in the long run.
Granted, I would still be faithfully applying cream as my usual polish.

 

[Lefty]

Have you tried Saphir Renovateur? It's a conditioner that I use the day before I polish a given pair of shoes and, IMO, is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I'm not sure if it's the same stuff in the AE polish.

 

[fluteplayer07]

Hey Lefty,
I was about to order that stuff in addition to their wax. I already have some polish from Brooks Brothers. Does the Renovateur take the place of a shoe cream? I thought the wax goes over the polish, but I've also read of people using polish solo. Now I am a bit confused...

 

[Orgetorix]

Renovateur is a conditioner/cleaner, and it's a first step you should do before you use cream and wax polish.

 

[Spatterdash]

Good call on the conditioner - nice for hiking boots, too.

 

[de Stokesay]

The following is my opinion and experience only.

I've completely abandoned paste wax polishes.

They have their uses - getting out scuffmarks, giving the leather a measure of water resistance, high shine.

But paste wax clogs the pores in the leather and is the biggest cause of dried out, cracked shoes. It needs to be stripped every now and then, and few people bother. I know some people who wax their shoes once a week, when once every few months at the most is what they should be doing if they insist on using paste wax.
They should be using cream for weekly upkeep.

I now only use Allen Edmonds polish, which is a cream with a little wax in it, but is predominantly oils and conditioners. It is a Canadian shoe cream that is rebranded for Allen Edmond, and the stuff has a huge following among shoe fiends (can't recall the original name) and is available on Amazon.

It "feeds" the leather, and gives it a nice luster, softens and moisturizes the leather and protects it from age.
I can also get it in the exact color I want.
It won't give you that "ink under glass" sort of mirror shine that wax polish can, but I find that look is rather extreme, and best suited for formal wear black oxfords or military low quarters. It doesn't look that great on brown and tan shoes.

However, if I was to go back to paste wax, I'd likely use Saphir. As I understand it, Saphir doesn't have as much naptha and drying alcohol in it as Kiwi does, so it would be easier on the shoe leather in the long run.
Granted, I would still be faithfully applying cream as my usual polish.

I've been using Kiwi regularly on all of my shoes for years (1 pair since 1997) and have ever had a single pair of shoes dry out on me. It is also usually very dry here where I live. I have tried shoe cream in the past and have found that it does try our the leather and cause cracking so won't use it at all anymore.

Interesting how no one thing seems to work for everyone isn't it.

de Stokesay

 

[Spatterdash]

You've had shoe cream dry out leather.

Okay.

Well, I've never had wax paste turn a shoe into a cracked mess, but it was much drier after many years than a shoe cared for with cream and conditioner.

Normally, when a shoe is cracked and dry, it's been in storage for a long time, and the last treatment it got was wax, but there's an exception to every rule, and a nay-sayer to every suggestion.

I was just trying to add information to the conversation.

 

[Lexybeast]

Franco's carries the waxes; I've ordered a couple from there. I'm not sure that they carry Saphir Renovateur though, anyone know where you can pick that up?

 

[Lefty]

That's where I got it. The stock comes and goes pretty quickly.

 

[Tomasso]

Saphir Renovateur.......anyone know where you can pick that up?

Here you go.

 

[Orgetorix]

Franco's carries the waxes; I've ordered a couple from there. I'm not sure that they carry Saphir Renovateur though, anyone know where you can pick that up?

They do carry it, they just tend to sell out quickly. I got some a month or two ago; you might email them and see if they have any or if they know when they'll get new stock in.

Or order from Leffot.