Collonil 1909 Dark Blue Luxury Shoe Cream – 100ml Supreme Crème de Luxe

Description

Collonil 1909 Dark Blue Luxury Shoe Cream – 100ml Supreme Crème de Luxe – natural waxes and oils for navy leather

Dark blue shoes are quietly demanding. Navy leather looks superb for a season and then drifts — the toe caps go slightly grey, the creases lighten, and the whole shoe reads as washed out rather than deep. Ordinary black polish makes it worse, because black over navy kills the blue and leaves you with a shoe that is neither one thing nor the other.

This dark blue luxury shoe cream is the proper answer. It comes from the Collonil 1909 range, the German company’s premium care series, and it is enriched with valuable natural waxes and oils for shoe care with the highest demands. It protects and pampers all smooth leathers while giving optimum colour refreshment and what Collonil call a colour-deep shine — a gloss that comes up out of the leather rather than looking like a film laid over it.

It also comes in a generous 100ml jar, twice the size of the usual 50ml pot, from a Berlin house that has been making leather care since 1909. Used the way it should be — a thin layer, fifteen minutes of patience, then a proper buff — one jar will see a favourite pair of navy Oxfords or Derbies through years of Monday mornings.

Why choose the Collonil 1909 dark blue luxury shoe cream?

Why the 1909 line is the one I keep for my own shoes:

• Natural waxes and oils. The formula is built on natural waxes and oils that penetrate the leather fibres rather than sitting on the surface, so the shoe stays soft as well as smart.
• A colour-deep shine. The gloss builds out of the leather itself, which is why a well-creamed navy shoe looks rich in daylight instead of plasticky.
• Proper navy pigment. The dark blue tops up colour where wear has thinned it, evening out toe caps, heels and creases without dragging the shade towards black.
• Suitable for all smooth leathers. Calf, box calf and high-gloss leathers all take this cream happily, so one jar covers most of a wardrobe of smart shoes.
• A 100ml jar, made in Germany. Double the size of the usual 50ml pot, blended in Berlin by a firm that has been at this since 1909.

How to use the Collonil 1909 dark blue luxury shoe cream

Brush, apply thinly, wait, buff. The waiting is the step most people skip:

1. Brush the shoes clean and make sure they are dry. If they are damp, let them dry at room temperature first — never on a radiator.
2. Take a little cream on a soft cloth or an application brush. A small amount goes a surprisingly long way.
3. Work a thin layer into the leather with circular movements. If it does not seem to be absorbing, take a touch more rather than pressing harder.
4. Use a round applicator brush to work cream into the welt and the stitching, where a cloth cannot reach.
5. Let the cream rest for about fifteen minutes so the oils and waxes have time to sink in.
6. Polish thoroughly with a soft cloth or a polishing brush — a horsehair brush gives the most even result on navy leather.

My tip from behind the counter

On navy, less pigment and more buffing is almost always the answer. If you load the cream on, the blue sits in the creases and goes chalky when it dries. I put on a film so thin it looks like nothing happened, wait the full fifteen minutes and then brush hard — that is where the depth comes from, not from the amount in the jar.

Specifications

• Volume: 100ml jar
• Type: Premium pigmented shoe cream with natural waxes and oils
• Shade: Dark Blue
• Suitable for: All smooth and high-gloss leathers — shoes, boots and bags
• Finish: Colour-deep shine
• Brand: Collonil 1909, Germany, since 1909
• Price: £13.99

Frequently asked questions

Will it darken my navy shoes to black?

No. It refreshes the existing dark blue rather than replacing it, so a navy shoe stays navy and simply looks deeper and more even. If your shoes are a mid blue, test on the inside quarter first, because the shade is a proper dark navy and it will deepen a lighter blue.

How is this different from a normal shoe cream?

Pigment quality and wax content, mostly. The 1909 line is Collonil’s premium series, built on natural waxes and oils rather than heavy solvents, and it comes in a 100ml jar instead of the usual 50ml. You will notice it in how soft the leather feels after a few treatments, not just in the shine.

Can I use it on suede or nubuck?

No, and please do not try. A pigmented wax cream flattens the nap of suede and nubuck permanently. This is for smooth leather only — napped leather wants a suede spray, a dabber or a penetrating dye instead.

Where can I buy the Collonil 1909 dark blue luxury shoe cream in the UK?

You can order the Collonil 1909 dark blue luxury shoe cream 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.