Here in South Africa Kiwi is actually a synonym for shoe polish. Here kids wear school uniforms, with mandatory black leather 'smart shoes' which usually get a daily polish... so most of us are very nostalgic about the brand.

About eight years ago I decided I was done w mediocre, juvenile footwear. I got a pair of goodyear welted boots and haven't looked back. It's no comparison. It looks 10,000 times better and by taking care of the leather and keeping the boots looking good, I can take some level of pride in it. I get the occasional nice compliment, and it's so nice to look down at your feet everyday and think, 'Oh boy, those look good.' Plus, it allows you to elevate the rest of your wardrobe--in fact, it encourages it.

Recently I walked into a Tesco on St. Mary's in Cardiff. The security guard at the door smiled and addressed me as 'Mr. Shiny shoes.' I smiled,... he smiled. But it dawned on me that I was an endangered species, hence the remark.

Prestige these days, is a pair of white Nike Air Force Ones, where the flex is wearing a box fresh pair, as they start to disintegrate and become irredeemably tatty within a matter of weeks and, visibly creased within just minutes of wear. Asside from the poor quality materials, they also have no utility when worn for fitness.

Same as you migrated from Kiwi to Saphir. But still a shame to see go. As you said, sign the UK are becoming a bunch of dossers, dressing like children. Apparently we can now wear full tracksuits and caps to the office and restaurants... I'll pass and still dress up, showing those around me respect and myself!

I'm an American who grew up in Malawi and attended British schools. Black oxfords were part of my daily uniform and Kiwi was readily available in even remote village shops. The Kiwi brand was advertised almost as much as Coca-Cola there, and my love of dress shoes and shoe care started there. I've also moved to Saphir now for the same reasons you've stated. Really interesting commentary overall. This brought back memories. Thank you.

Kiwi's recent announcement was terrible news. I had wondered why it was such a struggle to obtain kiwi Parade Gloss. At 31 I'm still relatively young and I just do not like wearing trainers. Trainers are for training.

It is sad but hope is not lost whilst channels like yours exist. Keep it up, sir!

I can't remember the last time I saw someone in the street wearing leather shoes/boots. Trainers trainers trainers (and people don't seem that fit!)! What a sad state! I think there's a degree of mental discipline to owning and maintaining a leather shoe, indicative of personal standards and ethics. And there's deep satisfaction to beautifully maintained shoes. I still wear my grandfather's brogues and my son wears my father's - pretty cool and worth a bit of sweat. The fact that no one may see you WFH is no excuse to let standards drop!

As a long time subscriber I, too, have been using Saphir for some years now, on your recommendation. However, I recently polished my dress shoes to a mirror polish for my daughter's wedding and I used Kiwi Parade Gloss to do it. Surprisingly, or maybe not, I was the only one there with a mirror polish and it was commented on by quite a few guests. I may well buy one more tin of parade gloss if I happen to find one before they all disappear.

Having used Kiwi myself for years, I transitioned to Saphir two or three years ago. It's definitely a better polish but not everyone can afford it. There are lots of reasons for and against this decision by SC Johnson but we will adapt, improvise and overcome!

I’m from Seattle. I grew up in a military family where my father taught me to shine shoes with Kiwi products. As I grew up I switched to Saphir and love it. Sad to see the decline in Kiwi. Thanks for the video. Even though most guys wear athletic shoes, I still prefer my oxfords and wingtips.

At a recent house, I sale stumbled upon a big box of shoe polishes and brushes, including kiwi and meltonian shoe cream. The stuff I grew up with. In every shade you can imagine. Heaven! All my dress shoes have cedar shoe trees in them. I have a pair of Ferragamos that are over 20 years old and look brand new.

How the world is changing. I am sat in my van having a quick coffee watching this video before starting work in a city building. A lady has just got into her beautiful Audi with three smartly dressed children, presumably to take them to school. The lady is wearing a dressing gown and slippers 😂. Things are definitely changing. Happy new year Ash. 😂

I can see my father with four pair’s of shoes in front of him every morning polishing away, before my brothers and I would go to school. All this after coming home at six in the morning from a night shift, this image has always stayed with me, and instilled in me you can always spot a gentleman by looking down at his shoes.

Kiwi used to be the go-to for the American military as well for boots/shoe shining. I grew up with the military and my father (a retired Marine) taught me how to shine boots at an early age. he then gave me his shine kit when i joined the Army. I actually made money shining other's boots when I served. After the Cold War the US Military went to a "suede" boot that requires no shining.

With the switch from black to tan boots in the US military and the general rise of casual attire for the workplace I assumed that Kiwi's worldwide sales took a hit. Sad to see them pulling out of markets, I spent hundreds of dollars and hours using them to shine military footwear back in the day.

Sad but true, when I retired a couple of years ago I sold off many pairs of my dress shoes on eBay but I held onto a few pairs of my favourites and wear them whenever I get the chance. I’ve even recently bought a couple of pairs of Cheaney loafers…it’s a hard habit to break.

Accurate analysis. The withdrawal of Kiwi from the UK may be a sign of the times, but I mostly see it as the competition slacking off. I do fear for western society though, as the willingness to do uncomfortable but worthwhile things in general seems to be on the decline.

When I joined Air Cadets in 1974 (in Canada), I struggled to get a good spit shine on my boots. Months later, a senior cadet gave me great advice when he said that the polish that I was using, Nugget, was sh** and that i should use Kiwi. I immediately changed brands and my shining problems were over! I loyally kept using the Kiwi brand through a 35 year career in the Army. I love the brand. Great post. Thanks.

Let's thank Nike & Co for destroying in the name of profit sartorial wear. Buying out smaller companies and imposing gross athletic attire to the people is more then a trend its destroying the fashion circle to never return. One needs to buy clothes, shoes and stock necessary items for care to have enough for life.

I have worked from home since the pandemic started but watching this channel has given me the jolt to make sure that I wear real clothes while I work from the desk in my kitchen.

Even though I don't require dress shoes myself, I think your comments reflect the current trend in modern society. Standards just aren't there anymore in so many areas , particularly people's appearance. I find that sad, as many life skills are lost through this. A particular bugbear of mine is handwriting. The current generation don't need to really write with pen anymore. Subsequently their handwriting skills are pretty awful. When you look at the writing of a generation or two ago , simple formal documents are beautifully written. This was just an everyday skill that is now gone. The act of using a fountain pen has now become a rare art. Keep up your good work Ash.

I didn’t think I’d be so sad about this development to be quite honest 😢. Glad you can still find it in stores here in the U.S. However, still not a great trend

My dad used Kiwi since i was a kid in the 1970's. I do use Kiwi as of right now. Most of my dress shoes are Florsheims. I can buy better or more expensive brands of shoes but I pretty much grew up with Florsheims since I was a little boy.

I believe the discontinuation of Kiwi shoe polish is world wide depending on local sales. I hope SC Johnson (current owner) keeps it going in Kiwi Shoe polish in it birth place - Australia. Here down-under (AU/NZ) we can still buy parade gloss, though some searching is needed. Of course I now use Saphir products, 😀Thanks to the *The Chaps Guide* of course there will be people that can't afford Saphire, and have to opt for the £2/$2 version instead, imagine using £2 polish oh John Lobb City II or Loake 1880's black capped oxfords?

By watching KZfaq videos I decided to upgrade my image at church and for special occasions. I decided on what is termed the "Italian Style" which is not as formal as the classic British style. However, having a nice polished pair of shoes makes the outfit. Of course, I get a lot of compliments. It truly puts you at the "top of the" heap.

Nice discussion! I personally love dress shoes but here (in Austin, Texas) I see less and less of people wearing them at work in offices. I still see dress shoes at shows and parties (weddings, Christmas, etc)…

Welcome back, Ash! US viewer and really enjoy your refreshing videos and channel. I personally recommend Saphir polishes. They are a bit more expensive but I really like that they are all natural. Keep up the great work my friend.

I also moved from Kiwi, when I joined the Ambulance service where mirror shined boots take a lot of bashing and the Kiwi was too fragile for daily use, so I switched to Cherry Blossom which has a softer finish and it is more easily repaired. Now I use Saphir on my dress shoes. My local cobbler has asked me to try out a couple of alternatives to Kiwi, as he has a lot of cadets who are customers and so far none of them have the hard finish that Kiwi offers.

Ash, I like you have switched over to the French brand of Polish. I have always wore dress shoes when I did wear New Balance for a while they wore out fast broke down and made my feet hurt. I recently turned a fellow associate onto Allen Edmond dress shoes. Once he got measured at the store and bought a pair he said he couldn't believe how comfortable they were and why he had never wore them before. Hopefully we can turn more people. Keep up the good work cheers Ron

A few years ago (whilst polishing my shoes) I noticed that Kiwi polish was made in Indonesia and Cherry Blossom was made in the UK. I rang the phone number on the Cherry Blossom tin and found it was actually made in Derbyshire. In conversation with a member of the technical staff I discovered that they make "own brand" polish for a well known (I won't mention the name) British shoemaker who I use. I have just looked on their website and note that they seem to have a good range of products so why not use them.

Sizeable Loake shop opened on London’s Jermyn Street! They now have two shops on the road!

I learnt how to polish shoes (always with Kiwi polish) from my Dad who would polish the family’s shoes every Sunday morning before church. I still keep the tradition alive. I must confess to moving to Saffir after one of your videos so one less sale for Kiwi I am afraid. I wear formal shoes less often these days but I would never wear trainers outside if I am in a formal environment.

We always referred to the container as ‘a tin’ of shoe polish, never heard it described as a pot. Great video 👍

It keeps my "Cowboy" boots looking great here in the US. Also use their dye on the sole edges and heal. Hope they stick around and nice shoes come back.

Interesting to hear...it's going on in the states too for some products. I enjoy your information and considered Loakes based on your past videos. The price point new went above 500 pounds and that was an extra 100 pounds over some Italian brands. ( I know used can be sought...but new is easier when buying foreign made items) One wonders if the recent PM/market issue brought some price increases...along with as you say, COVID changes.

I have the same thinking involving shoe-shining wax; the Kiwi brand was all I used going back to my entry into the US Army in 1983 at eighteen. However, I recently started using Tarrago shoe cream, a Spanish manufacturer, on a new pair of boots I bought in the color Brandy, as it was introduced to me by a friend. I still use Kiwi with my black shoes and boots, but it may change if Tarrago impresses me as I shine my new boots as a test.

Commenting from Australia, one of the main reasons dress shoes have fallen out of fashion here is that footwear companies failed to observe that their young customer's feet are getting larger! I recently visited a busy foot locker store here in Perth to try on a pair of cross trainers and I would estimate that the smallest pair of feet I saw being fitted that morning would have been a size 11, with quite a few 13, 14 and 15's thrown in for good measure! With traditional footwear manufacturers having failed to adapt, sports footwear is now the only reliable game in town if you are encumbered with lager sized feet. I personally have been trying very hard to purchase a pair of English Derby brogues in size 14, but it's currently just not feasible to do so on this side of the world. Loake tells me they no longer manufacture any gents shoe over size 13 and Barkers (whilst listing a few shoes in the larger sizes) most always has an out of stock notice against those particular designs on their web-site. The very same problem is experienced with the retail of quality off the peg suits, since most fashion outlets only cater for slim petite individuals who are not generally representative of our local population! It's very amusing (but also pretty sad) to visit one of the larger mining and trade exhibitions held here in Perth. Most of our young local sales reps will be seen squeezed into the most ill-fitting apparel and will look for all the world like a brace of trussed up chickens! The more relaxed suit styles of he 1930's era would be much more appropriate for our larger sized folks and whilst they're about it, the directors of fashion might arrange a comeback for the fedora hat, which would be much appreciated in sunny climes such as Australia! My simple suggestion then is to manufacture footwear and clothing to meet the needs and size of a population which actually exists. In a western society, that will increasingly require lager footwear and clothing sizes to be made available for us chaps of decent stature.

Great topic for a video Ash. Got some new footwear recently and indeed will be getting new footwear at the end of the month. Have used colourless up until now but thinking of our basing black to go with the footwear I'm collecting in three weeks.

Interestingly, Peter Bultitude who is G&G's in-house finisher and patina artist also finds Kiwi dark tan an irreplaceable shade in his polishing palette. Great overview Ash, very thankful of your return!

I am a frequent user of Kiwi as well. It is sad to see that the UK is losing the Kiwi products. I hope this great brand will stay alive here in the US. I moved to the States 8.5 years ago and use the products ever since. I take great pride in shining my dress shoes. I do not go so far to have a spit shine. I grew up in Switzerland and checked the website of the supermarket chain I bought shoe shining products in the past. Their variety of colors and products has been reduced to a fraction of what it once was. The need for dress shoes and shoe care products seem to decline all over the world.

I found out that SC Johnson is discontinuing Kiwi tinned shoe polish about three weeks ago! I've been using Kiwi for years, I've written to SC Johnson to see if any one is taking on Kiwi to keep it alive! Kiwi is OK for people that are on limited income that can't afford the better or higher end shoe polishes!

You can't beat Kiwi Parade Gloss. I noticed in Tesco and some other shops a couple of months ago it had vanished an it didn't register. Whilst I've a 100% non-military background, I like to look smart for work, in at least a jacket and tie if not a suit. It's a good job that I find polishing shoes very relaxing. Usually I am the only man with a tie on and definately the only person with polished shoes. My son is 6 and I polish his shoes every day to show him that you go out to work or school as well presented as you can. I did bull them up but it's a thankless task with the playground, but I recently inherited a huge horsehair polishing brush my granddad when he was in the Coldstream Guards in WW2. It's superb. About 4 passes and they are gleaming (after a polish on then polish off...Kiwi of course). I've also got my other grandad's WW2 RAF polishing brush. As you say, no excuse!!!! Great to see you back in action.

Hello , enjoyed your talk immensely. It’s Sunday morning here in the USA and I’ve gotten dressed for Church . I’m wearing a pair of spit shined Bass Weejuns , although not quite so formal as wing tips , I love to wear them. They were all the rage among teens of the sixties ( I’m in that dwindling age group just prior to the Woodstock generation) These days to find anyone wearing a sport coat or suit with tie within the pews is almost never to be seen. “Sloppy”seems to have become increasingly the dress code for males. Thank you for reminding me that I shouldn’t fret over the widening pyramid base. As much as it is in my power to dress as close to the apex as I can, I should, at least in a formal venue. Blessings to you, Rob

I still have that cadet photo somewhere. Probably at Mum's. Great to see your channel back in action, Ash 👍.

I'm still 'on the economy' IIRC, especially now I'm retired, and use KIWI for my shoes, dress boots and cavalry boots. As time passes I might upgrade to other brands, but for now I'm sticking to my Old Familiar. I learned by doing my dad's dress boots/shoes for his Army days. Thanks for the heads up. Incidentally, I find the smaller cans here in chain stores for $3.19 each in a few places, $4.39 in other stores. I pick up slightly used or even NEW polish and even entire kits in resale shops for very cheap. And thanks for the heads up, I'm getting some Parade Gloss today while shopping.

People used to walk from place to place over longer distances a lot more than they tend to do now. So back then, buying quality footwear to comfortably do so was important. Wearing more in the way of formal clothing as well meant that quality footwear usually involved investing in a good pair of dress shoes or boots, as they also needed to look good with a suit. This resulted in form meeting function, with them needing to be regularly polished to effectively maintain them for comfort, long term use, protection from the elements, and to keep them clean and looking good. Now, with more people either staying at home, or when they do need to go out, walking out of their home box into a box with wheels to another home, business, shopping or leisure box, then back again, without having to walk very far at all, combined with the casualisation of modern attire, footwear consisting of either a variant of trainers (or even bunny slippers at times), made primarily for comfort at home rather than walking anywhere outside seems to have become the norm. On a very tight budget, I myself like to wear new/old stock surplus Army/RAF cap toe oxfords to walk around in when out and about (in size 11 1/2 large/wide), as they're quite cheap at around 30-40 pounds, are in my actual size, and are still so much better than the comparitively short lived, ill fitting, uncomfortable, ugly, and generally poorly made approximations of dress shoes available from other cheap shoe manufacturers for around the same price point or less. That they also look good with a suit, collar and tie when polished up is a bonus. If I was a car, they would be my go to affordable and hard wearing tyres for reliably travelling long distances.

Amazing. When I was in the Air Force, I always went to the shoe shine stand to have my boots polished.

I have to admit, the last time I wore my black Oxfords, was about 6 months ago with a suit. But, I wear pretty much my brown brogue boots nearly every day and give them a good polish once a week. I use the Cherry Blossom brand.

As a teenager I loved being a punk with ripped jeans t shirt etc, but my D .M.s always had a good shine. My dad said look after your shoes and they will look after you. To this day I keep on top of polishing my boots and shoes. Nice to think these days I am still alternative by preferring the suit and polished footwear!

Like you Ash, I learned to mirror polish my boots and shoes with kiwi polish in the military. I still use it on my dress shoes since Saphire is expensive and difficult to find where I live. Sad to hear kiwi is disappearing from UK markets.

I remember using Kiwi shoe polish - back in the 1960s. After then dress shoes became obsolete. I collect vintage hats and have a Bowler from the 1920s. It is a neat hat that reflects the sensibilities of days gone by. The same is true for dress shoes.

Hi Ash, I just found your channel about a month ago, and have been going through so many of your videos. I was worried at first because I saw you hadn't uploaded in awhile and thought this was just another abandoned channel but was pleasantly surprised with all the recent uploads. You have quickly become one of my favorite channels for menswear, men's style, and all things chap. (after all if one is looking for British style, one only need find a brit) I look forward to yet another year to set ourselves apart as the intentionally well dressed chaps we are.

What is really troubling is that since the work at home has become big. Talking with managers and business owners here in Canada production and quality if work has dropped. As well according to a couple studies drug addiction and suicide has gone up at an alarming rate. 😑 I have always used kiwi since I rarely even see another brand here and love the mirror shine on my tac boots and dress shoes. Thanks for the great videos cheers 🍻

There are so many possible factors involved with the demise of Kiwi in the UK, including how the business is run and its need to change its marketing and displays, and the trend to shop on the internet. In the US, the Kiwi display is generally located attached to the side of an end cap. It is easy to walk by without seeing it. How many people have to ask a clerk where it is after shopping there for years? This is my first visit to your channel. Thank you for sharing your expertise. I don't know if being stylish with polished dress shoes is going out of style or not. I watched your video today because I am in the process of setting up an executive training program on etiquette and protocol. The first day we focus on appropriate clothing and everyone must go out and purchase formal attire, if they don't already have it. I have collected a complete dress shoe care kit for men's and women's shoes. The second day we focus on formal dining. Many people tend to focus on comfort rather than style and dress shoes don't appear to be very comfortable. Many people don't move out of their comfort zone easily. The focus of etiquette must be to be comfortable in every setting. Isn't that why wedding attire has gone from dress shoes to sneakers, and the father and daughter dance video goes viral?

I’m with you on the polished dress shoes Ash, I have several pairs of dress shoes as well as more casual types, I enjoy an hour or shoes polishing them now and again, very relaxing. Enjoying your work .

I can't speak for the UK, (or really anywhere with accurate numbers) but my take on the decline of Kiwi is related only to the casualization of menswear. When dress shoes stopped being required footwear for a large percentage of the population, shoe polishing declined - as you said. But those remaining interested in quality shoes have moved away from Kiwi for quality reasons. It simply isn't as good as many other brands. I too used a lot of Kiwi on my dress shoes and work boots when I was a navy man, and used them for awhile after my discharge. But good shoes are too expensive to use cheap polishes. I suspect the main reason Kiwi was adopted by the militaries back in the day was availability. They simply were able to produce enough at a low enough cost to satisfy the need. And when it comes to military footwear, polishing was mostly for appearance and water protection. Petroleum based products are fine for that.

First, "Brown shoes don't make it!", I've worn Black Jump Boots for over 40 years. The ONLY polish I have known is KIWI . I have used Lady Esquire to change (dye) a pair of Wellington boots from brown to BLACK. I thought Trainers is the new replacement for near all shoes now.

Amen! I ONLY used Kiwi during my National Service in South Africa, 1979/80. Have been BATTLING to find some here in Ireland..

thanks for the vid, have been using Kiwi polish for over 50 years! hello from America

I shall be on the hunt for Kiwi neutral polish later to stock up for the years ahead!

Another great video and insights! In the desert Southwestern region of the US whereI l live and work, business casual tends to be common and involves long sleeved shirt and jeans although New Zealand fine wool trousers do in fact feel like you’re wearing cool-to-the-touch air conditioned clothing on our hottest days (over 44C). What I’ve found in business meetings is that with a pressed shirt and pressed jeans, wearing a pair of polished dress shoes makes for a stand out appearance that clients and colleagues notice and will often comment on. Casual is OK but schlubbery is definitely not the way to engender trust. A good pair of polished dress shoes can make a huge difference.

I dont particularly wear dress shoes anymore but I do wear dress casual boots now with saphir ! Never wore sneakers unless it's gym time

I detest the current fashion of wearing tennis shoes ubiquitously. The only place I wear mine is to the gym and the car wash. Leather shoes set a man apart. I have over a dozen leather dress shoes in various colors and styles. For my money, Saphir has the best conditioner and polish for leather shoes.

I still wear dress shoes at work but most of my work colleagues wear casual shoes. Good video.

Well done, so pleased I found this quality channel. From San Antonio, keep up the great work!

This video was a real wake up call. I'm not in it for a mirror shine, but I'm going outside to polish my shoes today. Thanks for an extremely interesting video.

Before I got smart I used to apply the dark tan to my Dad's Korean War era bomber jacket that I retrived from the cellar and subsequently wore through early manhood. Cleaned it up nicely - gave it a warm sheen. 🤠

A sad indictment of modern society. A lot of people now don’t have the slightest clue in how to dress or simply don’t care. They dress as though they’re destitute and have no money.

Very interesting. Thank YOU.

When attending grade school in the 1950's, Mom took me to the Foot-So-Port Shoe store in Milwaukee, WI. Their shoes were manufactured in West Bend, WI. I have AAA width, 11 1/2, as an adult and need arch supports. The shoes were well made, but not trendy in style. Dad taught me to shine leather shoes and boots. Hand apply KIWI Mink Oil on Sorel (Canadian), felt pack hunting boots. Use KIWI polish on dress and others. Shoes are taken to a shoemaker for heels and soles as needed. I'd get years of wear from a pair. I was able to buy a can of Kiwi months ago at Tony's in Westfield, NY. He took over the family shoe repair business and knows Foot-So-Port Shoes and other brands. Been living in NW PA. First job was in retail, then offices. Went through the casualization of men's office attire. Always keep my shoes shined. Guess one could tell I worked in an office seeing my shined, Steel Toed, Red Wing, Mahogany colored boots when on the production floor. One constant in life-changes. Thank you for the interesting video and comments. Regards to all and keep shining your shoes! PS. My Red Wings need shined, not that I wear them much now days, it's the principle.

Sad times indeed.

I was looking für the most black polish for shoes since years. It was harder and harder to find it. Kiwi. Perfect video, to give right words for this legend. Thx.

What a sad day for people who polish their shoes! I use Safir for my posher shoes, because it’s easier to get a deep shine, but with Kiwi I know that I’ve done my best to look smart. 😮

I also started off with Kiwi yet came to appreciate Burgol and Saphir for their even more distinguishing and beneficial properties.

In India it's mandatary to wear formal shoes to office work.

I started attending church services last year, so for Sundays I am back to wearing suits, neckties, and dress shoes, and as a result there has been a spillover to the rest of the week with sport coats and blazers. I have never been able to kiwi my own shoes, so I have a guy that does that, giving me mirror shines. Very sad to see this option leave us, just as I was saddened to see the loss of dress shoe varieties offered by Johnston & Murphy.

I felt a disturbance in the force when they changed the design of the lid on Parade Gloss, which I’d used on my uniform footwear as a copper since 1986, and dress shoes off duty. I still like smart shoes for my retirement job, but after a brief dalliance with Cherry Blossom Regimental Gloss I too have discovered Saphir. The pride in achieving the perfect shine never diminishes, and although I feel a sense of wistful nostalgia at the withdrawal of Kiwi from the UK market, I know my shoes are still going to stand out from the average with the Saphir polish.

I still wear leather shoes but mostly loafers as opposed to lace ups. Wing Tips never were my preference. Having grown up a fan of The Beatles in the sixties when it came to leather footwear Beatle Boots were for me. And now at 70 I still have several pair in various colors as well as a sueded pair. They still look marvelous as dress wear. Polish is always a must for me as I do still make use of leather footwear.Here in the States Kiwi is also my go to product. I use to could get Ox Blood and Tan in Kiwi but it isn't as plentiful anymore as black and brown. So Kiwi may be pulling out here soon also. The variety is less. So I still see leather footwear just not the formal business verity that use to be. While the Wing Tip may have been considered functional and practical at one time I never considered it or the Oxfords attractive. So I think leather will still be around in footwear. Only it's status as proper business attire will change.

Totally agree about the Kiwi Dark Tan, I’ve used it to tone down the rather “vibrant” tan of my Loake Burford for long while. Better get another couple of tins if I can, sharpish.

In the US it is apparent that leather shoes of traditional construction are still desirable as a personal statement but also that there is an emerging large portion of our population which unfortunately can not afford, certainly can not justify and would not buy such shoes. The reasons are many but the economics and sociology are mostly the cause. For this reason, I think Americans tread softly on this issue, along with substandard housing (if any), transportation issues, poor schools and marginal law enforcement. With so many needy or underserved, it can feel odd to saunter about in finery. These are not my personal issues but they do affect many and their choices. Sad to see Kiwi off. I have a small cache and should be good for the next fifty.

During our first week in Navy Bootcamp in 1966 we were issued among other personal sundries, a shoe shine kit with Kiwi polish. I had been using Esquire polish previous to this while at home and when I inquired about that, I was told that the Navy had balked on the use of Esquire because "it contained sand".

Went through the mirror shine shoes in my teens after St Johns Ambulance Cadets, then as an adult. We had our dress uniform for parades and Church ceremonies, which included mirror polished shoes. In a way it is sad but I do not own any formal shoes, I did make effort to be smart at work because even a casual suit gave a good impression on colleagues when I had to visit another site but I also had to wear safety shoes/boots for visits to the shop floor along with hard hat and high vis. It was just a pain to get some footwear that fulfilled the HSE requirements and looked smart, the shirt and tie and suit where easy but the shoes where not and I gave up on polished footwear.

Here in the U.S. I have difficulty finding Kiwi in supermarkets. Colors seem restricted to black and brown. I remember noticing the change in the 1980's while working in downtown Boston. Women would be seen walking to work in office attire and wearing sneakers while carrying their "shoes" in a bag. I need a new pair of Bass Weejun loafers, I will probably have to go online. I have worn "Weejuns" all my life, I resist changing.

Thanks Ash for the heads up on Kiwi. Now I understand why I've had trouble finding it in my local supermarkets. Think I will have to join you with switching to Saphir ( especially after you mentioning that it has more natural ingredients). I pretty much wear nothing but shoes these days. My trainer collection has now dropped down to a mere two pairs! I make sure my shoes are always clean and polished, but I only 'bull' my formal oxfords. Can you still get a high gloss using saphir? Or will I have to find another alternative for that job? Keep up the most excellent work by the way 😉👍

My father was an officer pilot in the Canadian military and taught me at an early age to polish his boots with Kiwi. When complimented on his fine shine he took great joy in saying his 7yr old does them! Then when posted to southern England, and boys private school, I had the pleasure of daily polishing my uniform shoes for myself!🍁 A priceless education.

I notice this too with professional sport team coaching staff. Coaches are now casually dressed than the traditional suit

In Chicago we still wear nice shoes.

I imagine you will be able to order Kiwi on Amazon. I personally suggest Lincoln wax, Kangaroo wax, and Saphir products. I like a high shine on my dress boots and shoes. Field boots are a matte finish.

I remove snow in the winter. Waterproof boots always end up wet after a few hours. I switched to 9" tall all-leather jungle boots by McRae. My feet have never been drier! There are only two spots on the top of my foot where my socks start getting damp. -- I'm trying to seal that with beeswax/linseedoil. Boots shine right back up every time. Other guys complain that their leather boots shrink from the calcium chloride and are ruined. I'm sold on Kiwi polish and old-school weatherproofing in general!

To be honest there are better wax polishes around. Saphir and, particularly Lincoln Stain Wax give a better finish.

I think your video really accurately outlines where the dress shoe is going. Kiwi is the baseline shoe polish and likely what we all started off with. However, like you I moved away from Kiwi a while back, I take good care of my dress shoes and want the best products to ensure they last. So Kiwi is a victim of both those who had to wear dress shoes, but only through obligation and didn’t spend a lot of time and effort on them, and have since moved to other shoes. And those of us who really love good shoes and buy polishes and creams direct from the shoe companies themselves or go to Saphir. Tbh most guys I know that like shoes buy Saphir these days. So poor old Kiwi couldn’t get a look in at either end of the market. As for dress shoes themselves, sadly I only dress up once or twice a week post pandemic…on the plus side it means I’m not constantly having to get my shoes resoled! Silver linings and all that.

Loake has just opened a bricks and mortar shop opposite my office here in George Street Sydney. Possibly a brave move, some would say foolish. I'm hoping it is the start of the revolution!!

Yes Sir, I too used KIWI to spit shine my combat boots in boot camp and my military career in the US Army, as a fellow veteran I thank you for your service, God bless the BRITISH ISLES !!!! A DISABLED VETERAN.

Enjoyed the content. I too will always have and wear well polished shoes. Popular brands in India used to be “Cherry Blossom” & “Kiwi “.

I am glad to see this. Kiwi polish has been diminishing in value and quality for a long time and I am glad to see smaller companies overtaking.

Thanks for that informative update, Ash. It is always appreciated. By sheer coincidence, today I took delivery of three tins of Saphir (correct spelling) polish, and a copy of their beautifully produced colour chart with almost 100 different shades of shoe polish and creams. With this colour range in mind, as our esteemed host and chief guide on our pathway to chap nirvana, I am a little surprised that you use Kiwi Dark Tan for all of your darker brown shoes, including your ox bloods. Please, Ash, just consider the good money you have spent buying top quality shoes for the benefit of their different subtle hues, and now they all exhibit the same subtle shade of reddy brown for want of the modest cost of the correct shade of Saphir polish. To put it another way, you wouldn't put non colour-fast clothes in the wash with your white shirts. As for Kiwi in the UK, their business model in recent years appears to have taken the route of least resistance; resting on their historic laurels and then offering fewer and fewer wax colour choices in response to challenging market conditions. Therein lies the path to failure. By contrast, Saphir have strengthened their brand with a more eco-friendly formula, an extensive colour range, and they have gone further upmarket by offering speciality waxes, creams and products for all shoe and leather care needs, including Amiral Gloss for the ultimate mirror shine. What better publicity do they need than endorsements on popular KZfaq channels like this one? Cheap isn’t necessarily cheerful, and when you consider how long a tin of shoe polish lasts, a quality one from Saphir will mirror shine an awful lot of shoes for less than the price of two pints of beer. And those shoes will still look fantastic long after nature has taken its course once those beers have been consumed! Finally, while much is being said about the decline of suits, ties and dress shoes in the face of the present WFH culture, my view is that present dress codes have now reached the nadir of informality and that an upswing will gradually take place for no other reason than it is in our psyche to dress up for special occasions, and to impress other people. Men, especially, will want to dress differently when going out, attending business meetings, and functions such as weddings. Few things will make us feel more self-conscious than realising we are being out-dressed by our peers in the room. This sets in train the idea to raise our game and to sartorially compete in future.

as long as their are formal situations = job interviews , funerals , weddings, dinner dates and dancing their will always be black leather dress shoes

I've just ordered a dozen tins of Black Parade Gloss online and I'll be ordering Dark Tan and Mid Tan as well.