Burgol Black Shoe Pomade 000 – Rich 100ml Swiss Jar for Black Leather

Description

Burgol Black Shoe Pomade 000 – Rich 100ml Swiss Jar for Black Leather – the wax-rich black that fills the grey back out of a worn crease

Black is the colour everyone assumes looks after itself, and it is the one I see go wrong most often. A black shoe does not fade to a paler black. It goes grey, and it goes grey in exactly the places that flex: the vamp creases, the toe box and the top edge of the heel counter, where the finish has been folded and unfolded several thousand times.

A colourless polish will bring the shine back to that shoe, but it cannot bring the black back, because there is no pigment in it at all. What you actually need is an opaque black carried in enough wax to bond down into the folded finish rather than skim across the top of it. That is precisely what a pomade is for.

Burgol make this one in Switzerland and supply it in a generous 100ml jar, which is roughly double the usual coloured tin.

Why choose this black shoe pomade?

• It replaces black rather than glossing over grey. The pigment load is high and properly opaque, so a crease that has gone silver takes colour again instead of simply reflecting a little more light. Shine on a grey crease still reads as a grey crease from two feet away.
• The wax content is what makes it stay put. A pomade is considerably richer in wax than an ordinary cream, so once it has hardened it holds its position down in the fold rather than being squeezed straight back out the first time you walk in the shoe.
• A hundred millilitres outlasts almost any pair. Black is the shade you reach for most often, and running out halfway through a pair is exactly how odd patches happen. This much product will see a household through several years of regular polishing without any rationing.
• Swiss made, with a heavier and more buttery feel. Burgol have been making these by hand for a very long time and the consistency shows on the cloth. It stays workable instead of drying to a crumb, which is what lets you lay a genuinely even film across a whole panel.
• It conditions the leather while it colours it. There are nourishing oils in the base alongside the wax and the pigment, so the hide is kept supple at the same time. Dry black leather splits along the crease first, and once it has split no pigment on earth will hide it.
• Ideal for welts, heel edges and stitching. Those narrow areas wear back to bare leather long before the uppers do, and they are the first thing a stranger notices. A pomade this thick can be pressed into them with a fingertip and it stays exactly where you put it.

How to use the Burgol Black Shoe Pomade 000 – Rich 100ml Swiss Jar for Black Leather

Black hides dirt, which is exactly why it needs cleaning properly before you start. Old polish and city grime build up in the creases, and fresh pigment laid over that will lift off in flakes within a fortnight.

1. Take the laces out and brush the whole shoe down firmly with a horsehair brush.
2. Wipe the uppers with a leather cleaner to strip old wax, then let them dry fully.
3. Flex the shoe gently so the creases open up, and work a little pomade into a soft cloth.
4. Apply it panel by panel in small circles, keeping the film thin and even throughout.
5. Press a fingertip of pomade into the welt, the heel edge and the stitching.
6. Leave it twenty minutes to set hard, then buff briskly with a clean soft brush.

My tip as a shoe specialist

Open the crease before you apply, not after. Almost everyone polishes a shoe sitting flat on the table, which means the pomade goes onto the outside of the fold and never reaches the pale line down inside it. Put your hand in the shoe and bend it forward so the creases spread open, then take the cloth across them while they are held that way. You will see how much lighter the leather is in the bottom of each fold. Colour that in, let it set with the shoe still flexed for a moment, and the difference on a well-worn black Oxford is genuinely startling.

Specifications

Jar, pigment and texture

• Volume: 100ml jar
• Shade: Black 000
• Type: Wax-rich pigmented shoe pomade
• Texture: Heavy and buttery
• Made in: Switzerland
• Best for: Creased and greyed black leather
• Also for: Welts, heel edges and stitching
• Brand: Burgol
• Cost: £14.95

Frequently asked questions

Will it cover a crease that has gone properly grey?

Yes, in two thin coats rather than one thick one. A single heavy layer sits on the surface and cracks the next time the shoe bends, whereas two light ones settle down into the fold and stay black through the winter.

Is a pomade different from ordinary black shoe polish?

It is a good deal richer. Polish is mostly wax and shine, and a cream is mostly conditioning. A pomade sits between the two, carrying real pigment in a wax base, so it colours and feeds the leather in a single pass.

Can I use it on black trainers?

On smooth leather and coated panels, yes. Keep it well away from mesh, knit and suede, where the wax works into the weave and leaves a shiny darkened patch that you will never brush back out.

Where can I buy the Burgol Black Shoe Pomade 000 – Rich 100ml Swiss Jar for Black Leather in the UK?

You can order the Burgol Black Shoe Pomade 000 – Rich 100ml Swiss Jar for Black Leather directly from Shoespecialist.co.uk. We offer free delivery on orders over £50, same-day dispatch when you order before 5pm, and a 60-day return policy.