Otter Wax
An all-natural formula that combines carnauba wax with shea butter makes Otter Wax Leather Salve another great choice for dry, worn-out shoes that need restoration and protection as much as a polish.As stated in the intro, shoe polishes tend to fall into two categories: creams and waxes. Softer creams nourish and hydrate, but don't deliver a long-lasting glassy shine like waxes do. Waxes, on the other hand, don't condition leather as well, tending to mostly sit on the surface of your shoes where they provide that great shine. For something that can do both, Otter Wax Leather Salve is a great alternative that conditions and restores leather while also polishing and protecting it.
Otter Wax products are made in Oregon of all-natural ingredients. Its Leather Salve, in particular, uses carnauba wax and shea butter — no silicone or petroleum to be found here — which are great organic ingredients for hydrating and conditioning dry, worn leather. This unique formula basically delivers a one-two punch: The shea butter penetrates deeply to nourish the hide, and the carnauba wax can be buffed up to a shine while protecting the surface of your shoes similar to wax polishes.
Like Lincoln Stain Wax, Otter Wax takes a little more work to use than creams, although it's a bit softer and easier to apply than most hard wax polishes. The extra effort is worth it and lets you achieve a glossier shine than is possible with most purely oil-based conditioning products like mink oil. I've never used Otter Wax for shoes, but I do use the company's fabric wax (a beeswax-based solid), so I can attest to the quality of Otter Wax products.
At $10 for a two-ounce tin, Otter Wax is more expensive per ounce most of our other picks aside from Renovateur. A tin should last a while, though, unless you have a lot of shoes you need to polish. Although once you use it to restore your old Oxfords, you might start discovering other things you own that could benefit from an Otter Wax application. And while it's great for dress shoes, Otter Wax is just as useful for work boots, bags and purses, and other leather goods.
Pros: All-natural ingredients, made in the US, organic carnauba wax and shea butter formula hydrates and conditions leather extremely well, provides a better shine than purely oil-based products, and it can also be used on a variety of other leather goods
Cons: Only available in neutral tone, and it's relatively expensive per ounce (but still quite affordable)