The Shoe Snob is now offering a new service at Gieves & Hawkes at No.1 Savile Row. Offering artisan shines for those who wish to set their shoes apart from the rest.

Taken from my background in shoemaking, I have added to London, what we believe to be fairly uncommon: the opportunity to get a shoe-shine in the artisan/military type of way. When I first learned how to make shoes, my first 2 weeks were literally just polishing finished shoes by hand. Not only did this teach me the art of patience and discipline, but it helped me realise that the polishing of the shoe, is one of the most important parts of the shoemaking process, yet is also a part that may go frequently overlooked and unappreciated. However, few people seem to realise that leather is not naturally shiny, nor beautiful and it takes a good 1-3 hours (depending on leather and state of shoe) of hand-polishing to give it that $3000 mirror-looking quality.

So for those of you who truly care about your shoe’s lifespan and looks, come pop in to leave your shoes for a great mirror-like shine!

Visit Justin’s blog at the-shoe-snob.blogspot.com