Frequently asked.

Once you book online, we email a prepaid, tracked shipping label. Pack your shoes in any sturdy box and book a free door collection through the courier — or drop the parcel at any local depot. We insure every pair in transit, both ways.

Most pairs are returned within seven to ten working days of arrival at the workshop. Patina, recolour and full restoration work may take two to three weeks. We always confirm timelines on receipt and before any work begins.

Use the diagnostic tool on our home page or simply book the Comprehensive Service. Every pair receiving any service starts here, and we will assess your shoes on arrival and recommend additional work — patina, glaçage, repair — if appropriate. You will always be consulted before further work begins.

Visit our booking page. Select your service, tell us about the pair, give us your collection address, and we'll respond within one working day to confirm timing and dispatch a courier label. The whole process takes about two minutes.

Yes. Every pair we transport is insured both ways, on every leg of the journey. The courier we use is tracked end-to-end and provides delivery confirmation; we provide our own insurance on top of theirs for the full retail value of the shoes.

Glaçage is the technique of applying multiple ultra-thin layers of high-quality wax polish to the toecap and heel of a leather shoe to create a deep, glass-like mirror finish. It is patient, hand-executed, and best suited to classic styles such as Oxfords, Derbies, monks and wholecuts — shoes with uninterrupted leather panels and clean design lines. Our glaçage service includes the Comprehensive Service as its foundation. From £50.

Patina describes the application of darker polishes (or in more substantial work, the full stripping and re-dyeing) of a leather shoe to introduce tonal depth, aged character and unique colour variation. The result is a more interesting, dimensional and personal pair. Subtle antiquing from £55; full strip-and-dye recolouring from £80.

All of them. Calf, suede, nubuck, shell cordovan, reptile, exotic, oiled and waxy leathers. Constructions including Goodyear welted, Blake stitched, hand-sewn and bespoke. Our cobbler has thirty-five years of experience across the gamut.

We work exclusively with Saphir Médaille d'Or — the gold-standard French shoe care house used by leading shoemakers worldwide. Specialist treatments are matched to your specific leather type.

Yes. We regularly service bespoke pairs from George Cleverley, John Lobb, Edward Green and others. Each bespoke pair receives the care and technique its original maker would expect.

Yes. While our pricing structure is built around premium men's shoes, our cobbler is equally experienced with women's footwear. Please write to us at info@spitshine.co.uk with photos and we will provide a tailored quotation.

It depends on use. A pair worn most days benefits from a Comprehensive Service every six to nine months; a pair in a larger rotation can wait longer. The leather itself will tell you — when the upper begins to look thirsty, the colour goes flat, or scuffs no longer respond to a basic polish, it's time. Suede pairs benefit from more regular conditioning than smooth leathers.

Repairs are priced on quotation as the work varies significantly between pairs. Common services include full or half resoles, heel rebuilds, Goodyear welt repair, Dainite and Vibram outsoles, Topy plates and Lulu/Triumph metal toe plates. We assess each pair on arrival and confirm the work and price with you before any work begins.

Yes — and we recommend it. Combining a resole, heel rebuild or other repair work with a Comprehensive Service or Glaçage is the most effective way to fully restore a pair. Pairs return looking and feeling top to toe like new. Add notes to your booking, or simply select multiple services in the booking form.

Yes — this is much of the repair work we undertake. Goodyear welt construction is the gold standard of British shoemaking and our cobbler is fully experienced in welt repair, full re-welting, and resoling on the original construction. We work on Northampton-made pairs (Crockett & Jones, Church's, Tricker's, Edward Green, Cheaney, Loake, Barker, John Lobb) as well as continental Goodyear welted shoes.

Yes. We can convert leather-soled shoes to Dainite, Commando or Vibram rubber outsoles for added grip, longevity and weather resistance. Particularly relevant for British winters or for pairs you want to wear more often. The original construction is preserved — we replace only the outsole itself.

Yes. If we believe a repair is not worthwhile — the work would cost more than the value of the shoe, or compromise its longer-term integrity — we will tell you. Our priority is the life of the shoes, not the sale of the work.

Yes. We run regular B2B accounts for hotels, members' clubs, retailers, gyms, golf clubs, office-based businesses and private households. Visit our B2B Services page or write to info@spitshine.co.uk for terms.

Yes. White-label is one of our standard B2B options. We can also support you with consulting around circular fashion, sustainability proposition development and operational design (smart lockers, scheduled pick-ups, 24-hour service).

Yes, where the operational arrangement supports it. Hotels with regular evening collection and morning return cycles can offer guests a true overnight shoe shine. We discuss this on a per-property basis to find the right operational rhythm for your concierge team.