Two New Shoe Care Courses: “The Care” & “The Mirror”

Eighteen years have passed since Brift H was established in 2008. At that time, shoe shining occupied a completely different position than it does today. It was strongly associated with street services, and there were very few places that could be called specialist stores.

Within that context, Brift H has continuously honed its skills based on the simple idea of "providing the best shoe shining." How can we achieve a more beautiful finish? How much intervention is appropriate? Through daily on-site testing and verification, the current form has been built up through these accumulated efforts.

However, it is not just our techniques that have changed significantly in these 18 years. The environment surrounding shoes itself has changed. Leather shoes, once a necessity for businessmen, are now being worn by fewer people. On the other hand, shoes are increasingly seen as a fashion item, and are chosen with more emphasis on "how they look." Furthermore, there is growing interest in footwear as a whole, including sneakers, and an increased awareness of the care of leather products in general, such as bags and furniture.

Amidst these changes, we have also re-evaluated "The Brift," the full course we have offered. This course covers everything from insole cleaning to edge adjustment, upper care, and mirror polishing – a full-spec service, so to speak. It is a course that encapsulates Brift H's techniques and philosophy, and we have offered it as a complete package for a long time.

However, we gradually began to feel a slight discomfort with the questions: "Is every step necessary for every shoe?" and "Does everyone desire the same finish?" Therefore, starting April 1, 2026 (Wednesday), "The Brift" will be divided into two courses.

One is "The Care" (3,520 yen). This course includes insole cleaning, edge sanding, upper cleaning, and nourishing the leather according to its condition. For the finish, we intentionally do not use wax, instead enhancing the natural luster of the leather itself. This finish brings out the inherent charm of the shoe.

The other is "The Mirror" (4,950 yen). This course continues the full course we offered previously, including mirror polishing. However, instead of applying a uniform shine, we adjust the level of shine according to the leather quality, design, and customer's preferences. This process best showcases the shoe shiner's skills, and the finish is created through dialogue with the customer.

It's perhaps closer to the feeling of organizing and making what we've accumulated easier to choose, rather than changing it. If how shoes are worn changes, then the desired polishing method also changes. Brift H will continue to confront these changes and constantly consider the best approach for shoes.