Yuya Hasegawa's Ardent Shoeshine Dojo Part I

This is the "Yuya Hasegawa's Ardent Shoeshine Dojo" series. In the sixth installment, Yuya Hasegawa talks about the "third process" of shoe polishing. Yuya Hasegawa talks about it passionately.

In this series, he has been explaining the process of shoeshine in great detail, and now it is time for the typical process of shoeshine. This is the "dust removal," the third process out of a total of 16.

A horsehair brush is the best brush for removing dust from shoes. The reason why horsehair bristles are good is that they have long bristles and can penetrate into the nooks and crannies of the shoe and sweep the dust away.

Why not pig or nylon brushes? Some people may ask, "Why not pig's hair or nylon brushes? However, the horsehair brush's moderate softness and firmness are so easy to use that it is no exaggeration to say that it is for dusting, so we certainly recommend a horsehair brush.

Before brushing, there is an important step. Put in the shoe tree. We recommend you to use a sponge shoe tree.

The tip is made of a sponge, so it can be used for any type of shoes, and the most attractive feature is that you can apply cream while rubbing it into the leather. If your shoes are not of a special shape, such as Bespoke shoes, you can be sure to put a sponge shoe tree in the shoe tree.

First, clean the entire shoe of dust, and then carefully brush the crevice of the sole (especially the tread) to remove any dust that may be inside.

It is like brushing the back teeth with a toothbrush. You can't get rid of the dust just by brushing, so please be sure to do it thoroughly.

Next, scrape the dust out of the gaps in the tongue. Also, if the shoe is not designed for laces, brush the entire shoe thoroughly. For example, loafers may have a surprising amount of dust inside the saddle. Monk-strap shoes, for example, should be brushed with a long horsehair brush to remove dust from the leather covering.

If you do not sweep the dust before using the cleaner, the fine dust will get into the grain of the leather when you wipe with the cleaner and will not be removed. As the saying goes, "When the dust settles, the leather dries out.

An English gentleman once said in a magazine that the secret of shoe care is daily brushing.

That's all for this article! In the next article, we will go on to the fourth step, "Prepare the cobweb". We will continue the deep, hot, and thick work in the Shoeshine Dojo.

I know that you will be busy with your daily life after the New Year, but let's keep your feet in good shape and spend your time in a clean and fresh way! See you soon! Oshinin Oshinin Oshinin!