The Glenkaren all-natural, non-toxic premium Shoe care product has sparked the interest of many Trimly subscribers and shoppers. The question I am most commonly asked is: "Is it any good?" and "Do I need to do anything different when applying it?"Here I describe why it's well-worth using and give recommendation on the application method.

"Any good?"

As the story goes… Glen cherished his collection of quality Leather shoes, and would clean them and polish them regularly - as one should.He loved it.  His wife, not so much.  She disliked the strong chemical smell that most shoe polish gives off; and so rather than be banished from his home, Glen created a solution: the GlenKaren All-Natural, Non-Toxic, cream shoe polish.

I began using GlenKaren for the exact same reason – banished from inside my own home by my own family).  The great thing about the GlenKaren range is that the ingredients are 100% natural and biodegradable.  No turpentine or petroleum by-product is used.  The polish gives off a pleasant citrus aroma, and best of all, it gives my expensive leather shoes a premium clean, condition and polish (without the leer of aforementioned family members).  This is good news, because I am a stickler for cleaning and conditioning my leather kicks.

Leather Cleaner/Conditioner

Leather is like skin.  But unlike skin it will only remain supply and healthy by the product you apply. If you’ve invested in a pair of quality leather shoes, you should be applying cleaner/conditioner regularly.  How regularly you apply the cream will depend on how often you wear your shoes.  After every 3-4 uses is the rule of thumb I use.  If well-maintained, a pair of quality leather shoes can last for decades and still look great.

TheGlenKaren Cleaner/Conditionercontains three natural ingredients: orange oil, coconut oil and beeswax.  All three ingredients will ensure the leather stays supple and resistant to moisture damage:

The food grade orange terpenes act as a mild cleaner and help disperse the beeswaxThe coconut oil, used in many beauty products, penetrates deep into the leather and is an excellent moisturiserThe beeswax gives the shoe a mild layer of protection and acts as a dispersion agent. The small amount of beeswax can also be buffed to a soft sheen.

Multi-purpose use

The Cleaner/Conditioner is also great for cleaning and conditioning other leather items in your home – I use it on my leather car seats to great effect. For your leather shoes, they will look invigorated and have a soft shine.

How to apply GlenKaren Leather Cleaner/Conditioner

Applying GlenKaren shoe care is similar to applying other premium shoe care product. The difference between GlenKaren conditioner/cleaner and polish is that, unlike other premium shoe care product on the market, it contains no chemicals.

Tools you will need

GlenKaren Leather Cleaner/Conditioner2 x soft cotton cloth (or an old t-shirt) – one for application and one to rub/buff the leather (I purchase mine from Bunnings - about $10 for a packet of 15).

Application Method

The method below is recommended by GlenKaren on its website. Every shoe care aficionado seems to have a slightly different method, so use it as a guide.

Prior to applying the cleaner conditioner, you should use either a softhorsehair brushor a slightly damp cloth to remove dirt from the shoes.

Wrap the soft cotton cloth around your index and middle finger tight enough that it will not fall off.Scoop out a small amount so that it covers the tips of your fingers. You can always add more if required.Gently rub the cream into the leather so that it is dispersed evenly on the shoe. The leather may look a little cloudy (you can apply it in one inch circles if you wish, I tend not to at this stage).Use a clean cotton cloth to rub/buff the leather. This will help disperse the cream evenly and remove excess oil and the cloudy appearance.Wait a few hours and give it a final buff with the clean cotton cloth. The beeswax will give the leather a mild shine.Leave to dry for 24 hours before applying the GlenKaren polish paste or cream.

Summary Video - Applying GlenKaren Cleaner/Conditioner

Below I've summarised the the application method in three straight-forward steps and you can see how the shoe takes on a slight shine (it's also my first attempt at making a video for Trimly).

#TIP 1:There is about four times the amount of oil in the conditioner /cleaner than in other cream polish, so use a very small amount when starting off to avoid saturating the leather. Remove excess product by rubbing/buffing the shoe with a clean cloth.

#TIP 2:Don't forget to apply conditioner to the leather sole of your shoe if you have one.

#TIP 3:Apply the Conditioner/Cleaner before wearing your newly purchased pair of shoes. This should be applied in concert with a shoe cream and/or polish.

#TIP 4:Try to always give your shoes a quick brush with a soft horse hair brush whenever you take them off. Removing dirt regularly is an important shoe care ritual.

#TIP 5:If you get caught out in the rain, contrary to logic, apply some cleaner/conditioner before placing it somewhere warm to dry. The coconut oil will remain when the water evaporates, preventing the leather from drying out too much.

#TIP 6:Once opened, the GlenKaren cleaner/conditioner will last for about a year, similar to any other product on the market. Keep it stored around room temperature.

GlenKaren All-Natural, Non-Toxic Shoe Care range is available through theTrimly web store.

Further reading:

GlenKaren 'How to use' guide:

http://glenkarencare.com/gkcp/how-to-use/

About the GlenKaren ingredients:

http://glenkarencare.com/gkcp/

How the creator of GlenKaren polishes his shoes. This is an excellent blog to learn a bit more technical detail about leather care:

http://oldleathershoe.com/wordpress/?p=449

This is how Justin FitzPatrick, "the Shoe Snob", polishes his shoes. I thought being in the Army for six years taught me everything I needed to know. I was wrong. This blog is great and Justin is a well of knowledge and good advice:

http://www.theshoesnobblog.com/polish-your-shoes-properly

A good article by Antonio Centeno, the founder of Real Men Real Style, on why it's so important to clean and condition our shoes:

http://www.realmenrealstyle.com/shining-conditioning-mans-footwear/