products for

Shoe polish

“Boot Polish” redirects here. For the 1954 Bollywood film, see Boot Polish (film).

An open can of shoe polish with a side-mounted opening mechanism visible at the top of the photo

Shoe polish (or boot polish), usually a waxy paste or a cream, is a consumer product used to polish, shine, waterproof, and restore the appearance of leather shoes or boots, thereby extending the footwear’s life. In some regions—including New Zealand—”Nugget” is used as a common term for solid waxy shoe polish, as opposed to liquid shoe polishes.

Various substances have been used as shoe polish for hundreds of years, starting with natural substances such as wax and tallow. Modern polish formulae were introduced early in the 20th century and some products from that era are still in use today. Today, shoe polish is usually made from a mix of natural and synthetic materials, including naphtha, turpentine, dyes, and gum arabic, using straightforward chemical engineering processes. Shoe polish can be toxic, and, if misused, can stain skin.

The popularity of shoe polish paralleled a general rise in leather and synthetic shoe production, beginning in the 19th century and continuing into the 20th. The World Wars saw a surge in demand for the product, in order to polish army boots.