Waxes, organic solvents and colorant (either soluble dyes or pigment) compose this type of polish. Waxes are 20–40% of the material. Natural waxes used for the polish include carnauba and montan as well as synthetic waxes. The composition determines the hardness and polishing properties after solvent has evaporated. Solvents are selected to match the waxes. About 70% of shoe polish is solvent. [ citation needed] A variety of solvents are used, including naphtha. Turpentine, although more expensive, is favored for its "shoe polish odor". Dyes make up the final 2–3% of the polish. A traditional dye is nigrosine, but other dyes (including azo dyes) and pigments are used for oxblood, cordovan, and brown polishes.

Kiwi brands – shoe polish: Material safety data sheet. Health and Environment Resource Center. Accessed November 27, 2007. Shoe manufacturing improvements in the mid-19th century allowed for factories to produce large numbers of shoes made of leather, and later synthetic materials. This increase in leather shoe production continued well into the 20th century and led to a surge in the number of retail shoe stores in the industrialized world, and subsequently a call for shoe polish by footwear consumers. [ citation needed]Owing to its high content of volatile solvents, wax-based shoe polish hardens after application, while retaining its gloss. [2] Poorly blended polishes are known to suffer from blooming, evidenced by the appearance of a white coating of stearin on the polish surface. [ citation needed] Cream-Emulsion shoe polish [ edit ] Prior to 1906, shoe polish was not well known as a purchasable product, nor was it particularly sophisticated. While sales were not especially high, a few brands, like Nugget, were available in the UK during the 19th century. The practice of shining people’s shoes gradually caught on and soon many shoeshine boys in city streets were offering shoe shines using a basic form of shoe polish along with a polishing cloth. [ citation needed] Modern polish [ edit ] Payaso (clown) brand shoe polish from mid 20th-century Mexico, part of the permanent collection of the Museo del Objeto del Objeto.

Polish can make leather goods look like new, and it costs much less than completely replacing your shoes and purses. Leather loses its new look over time, as its outer layers slowly deteriorate. Providing regular TLC with shoe polish can keep your leather items looking great. Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the Encyclopedia Americana with a Wikisource reference These polishes may have a gelatinous consistency. They are composed of the usual three components waxes, liquid vehicle, and dyes. Unlike wax-based shoe polishes, cream-emulsions contain water and/or oil plus a solvent (either naphtha, turpentine or Stoddard Solution), so the liquid content is high. Emulsifiers and surfactants are required. These include ammonia, morpholine, and various ethoxylated surfactants such as polysorbate 80. The waxes are often some mixture of carnauba wax, beeswax, montan wax and its oxidized derivatives, and paraffin waxes. [ citation needed] Liquid shoe polish [ edit ]a b c d e Peter A. Burke (2000). "Shoe Polishes". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. doi: 10.1002/14356007.a23_575. ISBN 3527306730. Philadelphia and Its Manufacturers: A Hand-book of the Great Manufactories and Representative Mercantile House of Philadelphia 1867, Edwin Troxwell Freedley, Edward Young & Co, Philadelphia, 1867 Knight, Charles, ed. (December 1842). The Penny Magazine. Vol.2. London: Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. p.512. Northeast India Database: Shoe Polish". National Informatics Centre, Assam, North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30 . Retrieved November 27, 2007. Morris, Theodore. " Protective Coating Compositions". United States Patent 3700013, FreePatentsOnline.com. Accessed February 05, 2008.

Ramsay named the shoe polish after the kiwi, the national bird of New Zealand; Ramsay's wife, Annie Elizabeth Meek Ramsay, was a native of Oamaru, New Zealand. [14] It has been suggested that, at a time when several symbols were weakly associated with New Zealand, the eventual spread of Kiwi shoe polish around the world enhanced the kiwi's popular appeal and promoted it at the expense of the others. [15] DeMeilo, Margot (2009). Feet and Footwear: A Cultural Encyclopedia (Illustrateded.). ABC-CLIO. p.282. ISBN 9780313357152. This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. ( October 2021) William Ramsay. White Hat Tours (February 22, 2004). Internet archive version. Accessed November 11, 2007. Some products do not need high-tech ingredients to do their jobs effectively. Shoe polish is one of these: it simply contains quality waxes, oils and color pigments, which help it work its magic in a time-tested way.Many products are closely related to shoe polish, but not strictly considered as such. Other chemical products may be used to clean and shine shoes—in particular whiteners for white shoes, and a variety of sprays and aerosols for cleaning and waterproofing suede shoes. [3] A banana peel can also be used to effectively shine shoes, [27] but it is not recommended. Shoe polish is applied to the shoe using a rag, cloth, brush, or with bare fingers. Shoe polish is not a cleaning product: it is suited for clean and dry shoes. A vigorous rubbing action to apply the polish evenly to the boot, followed by further buffing with a clean dry cloth or brush, usually provides good results. Another technique, known as spit-polishing or bull polishing, involves gently rubbing polish into the leather with a cloth and a drop of water or spit. This action achieves the mirror-like, high-gloss finish sometimes known as a spit shine or bull which is especially valued in military organizations. Despite the term, saliva is less commonly used as the vehicle or diluent with polish than is water. Polishes containing carnauba wax can be used as a protective coating to extend the life and look of a leather shoe. [26] Wax serves as a protective layer and provides a gleaming look. It can protect leather from the elements, too. When using wax polishes, be sure to clean the shoes with a leather cleaner at least once a year. Sara Lee's potential monopoly (annual report) (PDF). Federal Trade Commission (1994). Accessed November 27, 2007.