Reginald Ferguson [00:00:00 - 00:00:07]: So so for review for the audience, what would you say are the three steps to shoe care? Jason Dorn [00:00:08 - 00:00:19]: I think, you know, we're fortunate enough to break it down into the three steps when we're when we're meeting last week. So I like to break it down to cleaning, conditioning, and shining. Justin Fitzpatrick [00:00:19 - 00:00:44]: Welcome to the Fashion Geek podcast. The show that helps you learn more about men's fashion and get some tips to help you dress your best. This is Reg Ferguson, fashion geek number one. And I'm a men's fashion consultant here in New York City, born and raised. My mission is to help you learn more about men's fashion so you can become fashion confident. Do you wear shoes? Reginald Ferguson [00:00:45 - 00:00:46]: How often do you Justin Fitzpatrick [00:00:46 - 00:01:52]: polish them? Do you feel you take good care of them? Do you have shoe trees? What's the oldest pair of shoes you have? Are they in good shape? Do you wear leather shoes? Do you wear suede shoes? Do you wear black shoes? Do you wear brown shoes? Do you have two tone shoes? Do you wear white shoes? Are you willing to spend a lot of money on your shoe care? My guest, Jason Dorn of shineyourdangshoes.com is here on the show because he is a professional shoe shiner and the creator of his own shoe care line. So if he teaches you a new way to shine and take care of your shoes, would you be fashion confused? I definitely was at first. Would you be fashion confident? Shine them up. Hey. Have you ever found yourself staring at the closet not knowing what to wear? If the idea of shopping for clothes makes you feel physically ill, wait till the end of the show, and I have something for you. But for now, Reginald Ferguson [00:01:52 - 00:02:14]: let's get to the show. Yo. Today, we're gonna talk with Jason Dorn, AKA Dornstar, who is the founder of shineyourdangshoes.com. And we're gonna talk about something the everyday man should have an interest in. How important is it to take care of your shoes? Jason in the building. How are you, man? Jason Dorn [00:02:15 - 00:02:18]: Well, great. Good morning. Yeah. Good afternoon. Reginald Ferguson [00:02:18 - 00:02:22]: On my side. Morning on your side. And you're live Jason Dorn [00:02:23 - 00:02:23]: Doing great, man. Reginald Ferguson [00:02:23 - 00:02:25]: Live in Denver, Colorado? Jason Dorn [00:02:27 - 00:02:36]: That's correct. I'm here at Scissors and Scotch where I spend my time shining through the week, Monday through Friday, twelve to seven in the Greenwood Village area. Reginald Ferguson [00:02:36 - 00:02:37]: That's a cool name of a business. Jason Dorn [00:02:40 - 00:02:46]: It is it kinda rolled up the tongue, and I think the more scotch you have, it might kind of slur a little together. But Reginald Ferguson [00:02:47 - 00:02:51]: So before we go into our topic, please tell us. Justin Fitzpatrick [00:02:58 - 00:03:00]: So what do you what do you do? Reginald Ferguson [00:03:07 - 00:03:09]: So what do you do? Jason Dorn [00:03:11 - 00:03:37]: I am addicted to shining shoes. I shine shoes for a living, and it's something that I also love to do. So I've been trying to shoes for about a decade now, and, I've been in the shoe industry for about twenty years. So I love it. I love every part of part of it, and I'm just very fortunate to still be doing it. Reginald Ferguson [00:03:37 - 00:03:43]: Yes. You're back. So before we go into our topic, please tell us. So what do you do? Jason Dorn [00:03:44 - 00:04:04]: So I shine shoes Monday through Friday. And, hopefully, if I get busy enough, sometimes I shine shoes on the weekends at home, bringing the work a little home. But I'm here at Scissors and Scotch, Monday through Friday in Greenwood Village, Twelve to seven. And it's something that I love to do. I'm very fortunate to still be going in twenty twenty fives. Reginald Ferguson Well, we met at a shoe event. [00:04:06 - 00:04:09]: Jason Dorn [00:04:09 - 00:04:11]: We certainly did. Reginald Ferguson 00:04:13 - 00:04:32]: Here in my backyard in Brooklyn, New York. That was cool space. At it's a very cool space. Right? So that is an area called Sunset Park, and that is a complex called Industry City. And we met at boot camp. So Jason Dorn [00:04:33 - 00:04:34]: Did a bunch of Reginald Ferguson [00:04:34 - 00:04:34]: push ups. Jason Dorn [00:04:37 - 00:04:38]: A bunch of burpees. Reginald Ferguson [00:04:39 - 00:05:11]: I don't remember that. But what I do remember is we saw each other before not even knowing that we would meet again at a seminar that you taught. You taught a seminar on suede upkeep, suede care, and I am the owner of some suede boots. And I was eager to learn and understand, hey. Can I take my shoe care to the next level? But, you know, we literally met each other in passing. Jason Dorn [00:05:11 - 00:05:17]: Just checking in. Thing in the morning. It was crazy. Just saw a sharp dressed man, and I took notice. Reginald Ferguson [00:05:18 - 00:05:58]: I felt the same way. So we we had a energy together. We had a vibe, and now here we are months later, you know, doing this call. And couldn't be more pleased. But I have to share with you along with the audience, whether you're listening or seeing this. Over the past week or so, you have really reeducated me on shoe care. And I literally took a whole bag of Kiwi products and and put them over near the garbage room just in case if someone wanted else to take them. I I just and my point is this. Reginald Ferguson [00:05:58 - 00:06:27]: My late grandfather, who I watch like a hawk, taught me how to shine my shoes, and Kiwi was the product. I mean, I think if you live in The USA, that's your product. And for you to teach me that there's a whole new world out there for products, for techniques, I I can't believe I can't believe, you know, that this is happening, but I'm happy that it's happening. Jason Dorn [00:06:27 - 00:06:58]: Well, I'm learning still every day. You know? I I still try new products every day. And first of all, I'm very honored to to share what I know with you on multiple occasions in real world and also recently, through our chats. But I think it's, you know, like, we've emphasized so many times, just keeping it simple. You know? And if you're gonna use products, maybe don't use too many products. So I think we've kind of emphasized in our chats, how important it is to just kinda keep it simple and less is more. Reginald Ferguson [00:07:00 - 00:07:33]: Well, that adage is used for so many things here in America. Right? But I have to really tell you, after attending your seminar and also, Levi's, the current shoe champion, he was doing soft leather. Right? That's what all the participants that's all we were saying. Like, wow. Less is more. Like, I know I grew up not necessarily clopping things together, but just going, hey. Gotta put some product up on here and alright. Let's shine her up. Reginald Ferguson [00:07:34 - 00:08:07]: And to me, your way is a 80 degrees different from how I grew up. So that was really one of the major points of reeducation. Also, using my fingers, particularly my middle finger, which I'm not gonna give anyone here on camera. Would you like to explain to the audience really the importance of utilizing product on one's fingers, versus a cloth, a dauber, etcetera? Jason Dorn [00:08:08 - 00:09:03]: Certainly. Yeah. I think, you know, from what I've learned from my colleagues, Stephen Skippen out in London at Gaziano Girling kind of emphasized when I was trying to learn the art of mastering the mirror shine is using your bare fingers, using your hand, using your palm, the feet of your hands, and just also the touch. You know, when you're wearing gloves, when you're applying it with a brush, when you're applying it with a rag, you're losing that connection with the leather, with the shoe. And that touch, that feel, that kind of, that touch that you can get on on feeling where the leather is at, if it needs a little bit more cream in a way or if it needs a little bit more wax, you can really kind of decipher those those little Indio, like, Synchrony's of I'm probably good for that word. Apologize. But, you did. It's okay. Jason Dorn [00:09:03 - 00:09:59]: Yeah. But but, you know, you can kind of pick up on those little differences with your with your finger, with your bare finger, your bare hand versus using an applicator. So in this instance, you know, applying, what we did was condition your boots, your old, your old Chelsea boots with some pure polish leather and conditioner, some cleaner and conditioner from pure polish and, you know, something that's safe that you don't have to worry about. You know, you can get in there and use your bare hands and apply it. But not only kind of focusing on those small areas that you're applying there, you can get that touch in in the area on the top of the shoe where it does get a little bit more wear with the flexing. You know, with every mile that you're walking, It may need a little bit more product, and you can maybe pick up on that that, that with your touch of of the bare hands. So I'm glad that you were, you know, brave enough to try it and and, have a little fun and get your hands dirty. Reginald Ferguson [00:10:00 - 00:10:22]: Yeah. Temporarily dirty because the the products are unlike the products I grew up with that it's really a slight stain on your fingers, ladies and gentlemen, easily washable versus, I think, if I had ever tried to do something like that with kiwi and, again, I'm not trying to bury kiwi. Kiwi was in my life for decades. Justin Fitzpatrick [00:10:23 - 00:10:25]: It threw it out my house. Jason Dorn [00:10:25 - 00:10:28]: Well, you can keep a cape around just to smell it, you know, a few times. Reginald Ferguson [00:10:28 - 00:10:33]: No. No. No. No. No. I was like, hey. If I'm gonna do this, I gotta do this. Right? So Justin Fitzpatrick [00:10:33 - 00:10:34]: For sure. Reginald Ferguson [00:10:34 - 00:11:01]: We're not going backwards. I like it. But I would like to, if I may, I'd like to chime in on, again, this reeducation. To your point, taking some product and using your fingers and going around in circles and creating a heat and then applying. What I what I found was that it gave me an opportunity to be really focused on the areas of the shoe more than ever before in my life. Jason Dorn [00:11:01 - 00:11:01]: Mhmm. Reginald Ferguson [00:11:02 - 00:11:12]: I always thought that, alright. Hey. I got this doer upper here. Hey. Let's go. But I think it forces me to be more intimate and to be more attentive. Jason Dorn [00:11:13 - 00:11:13]: Yeah. Reginald Ferguson [00:11:13 - 00:11:31]: And I've enjoyed that. And to your point, oh, maybe I missed a spot. Let me let me revisit. And the slightest of application of product to create this thin layer is mind blowing to me. Jason Dorn [00:11:32 - 00:12:00]: Mind blowing. But you can always apply more. You can always come back to those areas that need more. You know? But the leather is only gonna soak up so much. You know? The pores are only gonna take so much of that product. So if you overload it, it's just gonna be sitting on the surface, and that's gonna create kind of, like, day you know, maybe a a too much of a buildup that you don't really need and, you know, to emphasize again, less is more. You can always apply more later on. And and same goes for mirror shine. Jason Dorn [00:12:01 - 00:12:35]: You know, if you apply too much wax from the start, it's only gonna be kind of a unrefined base layer. So really starting from scratch, you know, cleaning off that factory finish. Some guys will strip it down with other, you know, chemicals, or solvents. But I like to just kind of, like, give it a good thorough cleaning. And then if I'm my intention is to do a mirror shine. You know? Build it up slowly instead of just slapping on too much product and and because that the shortcuts tend to come back and bite you in in the long run. Reginald Ferguson [00:12:36 - 00:13:12]: Mhmm. So let's talk about the, the boot tour, so to speak. So so prior to this interview, Jason and I met, ladies and gentlemen, for three days in stages. And, essentially, we took some Chelsea boots that I have made by Alfred Sargent, rest in peace to Alfred Sargent brand. And I took a photo of these boots because he was curious. And the first thing he said to me was, those boots are thirsty. Jason Dorn [00:13:14 - 00:13:58]: So thirsty. I'm so thirsty. You know, in that you know, we talked about conditioning and how important it is to condition your shoes. And, you know, I think that is a part of the general upkeep, you know, between between shines. You can brush your shoes out, kinda get the dust off, but conditioning your boots, is is definitely kind of one of the things that's that's kinda forgotten because we emphasize so much on the shine and and the Right. And the shoeshine thing that they do. But, yeah, I think conditioning is definitely more vital, kind of part of, keeping your boots lasting a lot longer. And in your your case, on that top of the vamp, I did notice it it was a little thirsty, in my words, that it just, you know, that's the yeah. Jason Dorn [00:13:58 - 00:14:18]: And, like, you know, that's the importance of keeping shoe trees in your shoes when you're not wearing them. The cedars kinda helps with the aromatic properties of the wood to absorb all that sweat and that moisture within the boot. So not only taking care of the outside of the boot, but the inside of the boot with the shoe trees is definitely a good good suggestion. Reginald Ferguson [00:14:19 - 00:14:26]: Well, shoe trees were in there, but, clearly, it still needed, you know, extra extra TLC. Jason Dorn [00:14:26 - 00:14:34]: Were you like, what was your normal regimen? Was, was, like, conditioning or kind of brushing in the part of your normal kit? Reginald Ferguson [00:14:34 - 00:15:02]: No. No. No. Not at all. I knew nothing about conditioning, at least the deep conditioning I feel that you provided, until we met. I was using full disclosure, I was using a conditioner called BIC four, which, Jason, simply told me that is wonderful for leather jackets and handbags. Jason Dorn [00:15:03 - 00:15:28]: I got some lying around. I still got some lying around too. Yeah. It's just a gentle cleaner conditioner kinda thing. Very, very liquidy, you know, almost to the point where it's kinda watered down. So you're not gonna screw anything up. Even if you apply too much of this, it might get kinda cloudy. But, but, yeah, there's some other to your point, there are some other creams out there and oils that, give a deeper condition. Jason Dorn [00:15:29 - 00:15:53]: But, you know, it's it's a learning process and just seeing what type of leather you're working with to start with and what is gonna react well with with that type of leather. You know, if it was tanned leather, where it's oiled oiled or pull up leather, you know, you're gonna use a different product than than using, the conditioner on the smooth leather or suede, obviously. Reginald Ferguson [00:15:54 - 00:16:13]: Well, to your point, the boots are an oiled leather. So gonna set you up for success here, Jason. Why don't you show the people watching on YouTube, as we also describe it for the people on audio, what type of conditioner did we use on my boots? Jason Dorn [00:16:13 - 00:16:24]: So we started with a nice, gentle cleaner conditioner that's a little, little better at conditioning than Big Four, from the lovely Pure Polish. Reginald Ferguson [00:16:25 - 00:16:38]: Oh, I can smell it from here even though you're in Denver. Ladies and gentlemen, it's got orange peel in it. This stuff was so aromatic. You will want to condition anything. Like, yep. It's great. It's time. Jason Dorn [00:16:38 - 00:17:15]: And you can apply it by bare hand, nontoxic, all biodegradable products. Fantastic. Made in small batches in Bend, Oregon for my boy, Andy. But, you know, a really great product, you know, that we started the cleaning and conditioning process with. We worked in small areas, applied small amounts, and worked from the heel to the toe, applied a little bit more in that thirsty area on top of the vamp. And then from there, we kinda gave it a few moments. In this case, you know, we revisited it the next day, buffed it out. You know, you're gonna wanna give that orange peel oil a few moments to kind of evaporate. Jason Dorn [00:17:15 - 00:17:49]: It's a solvent that, you know, does like any other solvent, helps spread around the good nourishing coconut oil and beeswax in there. But, but it also takes a few moments to evaporate that solvent. So you're gonna wanna wait excuse me. You're gonna wanna wait a few minutes before buffing it out. So, you wanna buff it out after that. You can apply it. You know, a hardier condition, conditioner, in this case, is Skidmore's Yep. Which is also available on Shine Your Dang Shoes as well as the Pure Polish products. Jason Dorn [00:17:49 - 00:18:39]: But this stuff is gonna give you a lot more protection with the beeswax, amount in there. So it's gonna give your boots more of a a protection layer on those oiled leather boots, that might protect you in a storm or, you know, if you're at a party, a podcast release party, and and your buddy bumps into you and spills your drink. Yeah. You know, you spill the drink on your boots. You're gonna have a little a nice layer of protection on there. But it's not gonna suffocate the pores. Like, if you're gonna put a mink oil or something more like a dubbing grease that's really hardy, and it's gonna collect every little bit of dust that comes and lands on your boot, and they're just gonna look kinda picked up. And it's gonna be harder to clean that, you know, dubbing or mink oil or, something like that, where this is gentle enough, it's just gonna absorb into the boot. Jason Dorn [00:18:39 - 00:19:04]: You can also wait a few moments, you know, ten, fifteen minutes to come back, you know, even the next day and brush them out. And this part product is gonna be enough, of beeswax on the boot where you can brush it out and get a nice, like, classy matte, healthy glow. Nothing nothing to that's gonna take you to Chinatown, but it's definitely gonna give you a nice nice healthy look. Stay now. Reginald Ferguson [00:19:05 - 00:19:08]: Wow. I bet you got a million of those. Jason Dorn [00:19:09 - 00:19:09]: Keep them coming. Reginald Ferguson [00:19:11 - 00:19:21]: So now when we use the Skidmore's, I want the audience to understand the conditioning step, we used our fingers. Jassn Dorn [00:19:22 - 00:19:22]: Mhmm. Reginald Ferguson [00:19:22 - 00:19:33]: But with the Skidmore's, with the beeswax, yes, we use what I affectionately call the shoe paintbrush. It's crazy. Jason Dorn [00:19:33 - 00:19:44]: W gotta get in touch with our inner Bob Ross sometimes. And I think, you know, having a nice little applicator brush that's kinda, like looks like a little paintbrush, it gives a little bit more fun to it, doesn't it? Jason Dorn [ 00:19:45 - 00:20:05]: I mean, it was very interesting. I first of all, ladies and gentlemen, full disclosure, Jason sent me a care package, and we're going to actually showcase a highlight of the care package before we break today. And I opened up I even did an unboxing for you, Jason. Jason Dorn [ 00:20:05 - 00:20:06]: Thank you, sir. Reginald Ferguson [00:20:07 - 00:20:17]: Shout out to my interns. We haven't released it yet. But you gave me all these tools, all these products. Again, I mean, outside of the dauber, Jason Dorn [00:20:18 - 00:20:18]: that was Reginald Ferguson [00:20:18 - 00:20:35]: the only thing I was familiar with. You know, the shoe paintbrush and all these things. So, yeah, so we whisked lightly the product, you know, onto the boot, let it sit, like you said, and then polished it. Mhmm. And then from there, we went to Jason Dorn [ 00:20:36 - 00:20:39]: A little bit of wax. Yeah. Put some wax on. Reginald Ferguson [00:20:41 - 00:20:43]: So we waxed on and waxed off. Jason Dorn [00:20:43 - 00:20:52]: We certainly did. We had a little pure polish wax paste wax polish paste. You had the brown, I believe. Media brown? Reginald Ferguson [00:20:52 - 00:20:53]: Yes. The brown. Yes. Jason Dorn [00:20:53 - 00:21:33]: And I got the plum over here. Also smells great. But yeah. So the the wax, I think this is something that people are more familiar with, that tint of kiwi that sits in their their grandfather's closet. I remember that that tint of kiwi that smelled in or, you know, had that aroma coming from my dad's closet, and every once in a while, when no one was home, and I was just sitting around with nothing to do on a summer day. I'd go smell that can of polish at a young age. So I was hooked, you know, at a young age before I had any idea of what my feet my future hold you know, held for me. But, but, yeah, I think, you know, the the paste is something that, again, less is more just like that Skidmore's, small amounts applying with a brush. Jason Dorn [00:21:34 - 00:21:45]: This amount, you know, is minute with your finger, just small little swipe and just a little trace amount on the touch touch of your finger there. Just a little tip. Reginald Ferguson [00:21:45 - 00:21:45]: Crazy. Jason Dorn [00:21:45 - 00:22:03]: Yeah. Just a small amount, and then you can apply a little bit from the heel. I like to start on the heel or the toe, and they kinda fade your way back to the areas that are gonna bend and flex more. But as you can see, like, on the toe box of my shoe I don't know if I can get in the camera there. Nice shoes. Hey. Thanks, Rob. Yeah. Jason Dorn [00:22:03 - 00:22:52] So old September. But you can start at the toe box and fade your way, you know, back towards the van. And as that trace amount of wax kinda fades off your finger, you're fading the amount of wax that you'r;e applying to the pores of the leather. So you're not not gonna have that sharp contrast from, where the the real mirror shine is that, mirror shine is emphasized on the toe, on the tip of the toe, and then fading its way back, versus having, like, a stark contrast where the tip of the the shoe is gonna be near shine and having it just stop on a, like, a hard line or something. I think it looks better aesthetically, with a nice fade. It's like going to get your hair done. You know? Getting a nice fade looks better than just sometimes, like, a harsh undercut. You know? Mhmm. Jason Dorn [00:22:52 - 00:22:54]: Even though I'm rocking a undercut. Reginald Ferguson [00:22:56 - 00:23:04]: So so for review for the audience, what would you say are the three steps to shoe care? Jason Dorn [00:23:04 - 00:24:03]: I think, you know, we're fortunate enough to break it down into the three steps when we're when we're meeting last week. So I like to break it down to cleaning, conditioning, and shining it, or in some cases, protecting the shoe. You know, something that I've learned from the get go, about ten years ago is, you know, clean the shoe, condition it, and then protect it, put some wax on it or whatever case, you know, maybe. So we were fortunate enough to have the three sessions and kind of approach it one by one. You know, cleaning, I think, you know, we had an opportunity to showcase some products. I think there's a whole spectrum of cleaning products. You know? There's extremely gentle methods. There's extremely abrasives methods, you know, with more, Archer solvents, you know, that might leave the the leather's health a little dry that you're gonna have to condition it more later on. Jason Dorn [00:24:03 - 00:24:42]: So I think, you know, less is more kind of to touch on that in all aspects. You know, the more you do to the shoe, the more, you know, sometimes it's not helpful. So, you know, the more wax you take up on a shoe, the harder it's gonna be to remove all that wax. You know? And that goes for any product. The the harder you clean the shoe, you know, the more it's gonna need a little bit, attention to bring it back to a healthy status. You know? You might be changing the pH of the leather, ultimately, if you're cleaning it too too harder with some different, types of solvents. Reginald Ferguson [00:24:44 - 00:24:54]: Here's a heavy question for me, probably not for you, and maybe it will be for the audience. Why should we no longer use Kiwi products? Jason Dorn [00:24:56 - 00:25:10]: Well, you know, I think from what I've seen, I've never actually used it. I've only smelled it. So I'm not quite sure what what it's made of. If it it is in fact water based, then it will dry out. Reginald Ferguson [00:25:10 - 00:25:14]: It is water. Yeah. That's what I heard. That's what I learned at boot camp. Jason Dorn [00:25:14 - 00:25:16]: Yeah. Levi told you. Reginald Ferguson [00:25:16 - 00:25:17]: Levi told me. Jason Dorn [00:25:17 - 00:25:42]: Yeah. Ethan, man. Shout out to Levi. What's up? But, yeah, I think, you know, there's, there's certain products that will evaporate in that tin. So even if you use it once, you pop that lid, you put it back nice and tight, you put it on your shelf, and you got your midnight green sitting in your, you know, in your drawer in the back of the drawer, and you pop it open. Let's see. Oh, man. Wouldn't you have it? Look at that. Jason Dorn [00:25:42 - 00:25:55]: It shriveled up just like we were talking about. And that's the water based polish right there for you. Just dries up and slowly starts to kinda oxidize and look kinda weird too. It looks like kinda spotty. I don't know. We'll keep Reginald Ferguson [00:25:55 - 00:25:56]: it around. Jason Dorn [00:25:56 - 00:26:29]: We'll keep it around just because you never know when those midnight shoes are gonna come back. But, you know, there's there's other products that have different solvents that won't won't evaporate like that and will stay buttery smooth until the the last little bit, you know, that you use. So, you know, that's why companies do use solvents, is that it does kinda keep it, you know, the quality control a little better. But, yeah, throw away your key and and do yourself a favor unless if you like smelling it from time to time. Reginald Ferguson [00:26:30 - 00:26:47]: No. I don't know how many tins. I think I took a photo, but I put it all in a plastic bag. I walked it over to this corner right across right across from the garbage room. That's the dedicated corner if you wanna drop off Jason Dorn [00:26:47 - 00:26:48]: the pickup. Corner. Yeah. Reginald Ferguson [00:26:48 - 00:26:49]: Yeah. The free oh, you know. Jason Dorn [00:26:49 - 00:26:52]: The weird artwork, the broken furniture. Right. Yeah. Reginald Ferguson [00:26:56 - 00:27:21]: Yeah. So I went, well, you know, maybe there's someone here on my floor who wants to polish shoes, which leads to a wonderful segue. You know, there are a lot of men out there who are buying shoes, and they're not polishing them because I think they believe they're creating some type of look, some type of patina. What do you have to say about that? Jason Dorn [00:27:21 - 00:28:21]: So in the boot community, I think, you know, StitchDown is a really cool community. You know, we obviously both know about it. Some people, some viewers might not. But I think there's a a contest, and it's every year where it's the Thunderdome. And it's you know, you buy a really nice, stitched down boot. You wear the heck out of that thing in this contest, like, parameters, and the winner is basically the most, like, roughed up boot. So I think there's, you know, that element and that kind of subculture. But in terms of dress shoes, I think the most important shine is the first shine right out of the box because not only is that shoe probably sitting for months in a warehouse, you know, it it's riding all chugging along on a boat coming over on the ocean, and then it's like, it gets into the warehouse, you know, into work into The United States, and it sits there until you click five. Jason Dorn [00:28:21 - 00:29:22]: And then it's riding on a truck, and it's coming to your house. And by the time it gets to you, it's probably been, you know, six months maybe sometimes since that shoe's been made. So by the time it gets to you, it's probably a little thirsty. So give that Chewy boot a drink because it's had a long journey, and it's now reached its own. So I think that first shine is gonna help soften up the leather, and a lot of the dress shoes that I see. You know? They're just very rigid out of the box. So the creams and conditioners and the oils that we can use to soften and condition the leather, is gonna expedite the break in process, which is gonna be, you know, just more enjoyable, not having to suffer through it. And then, you know, the the the shine, but the the waxes that we put on or some cases, you know, the beeswax and, like, a oil leather situation with the skidmore, you're putting a layer of protection on there. Jason Dorn [00:29:22 - 00:29:39]: So, again, you know, if you're going out there and you get caught in a storm or you're at your party and somebody bumps into you and spill something on you, you know, it's it's gonna give you a little bit layer of protection where you're not gonna go out there with a a basically unprotected shoe into the world where anything is gonna spill on it and create a stain. Reginald Ferguson [00:29:42 - 00:29:59]: We've been talking about products. Mhmm. How about we segue into tools, implements? So so for me, I showed you my grandpa's old school Kiwi brush. Jason Dorn [00:29:59 - 00:29:59]: Mhmm. Reginald Ferguson [00:30:01 - 00:30:16]: So I love my brushes. My brushes are certainly not going anywhere. But for people who are trying to figure out, like, how to establish a found That looks familiar, ladies and gentlemen. He's got a brush in his hand. Jason Dorn [00:30:16 - 00:30:31]: A good old horse hairbrush is probably just good to have around. You know? You got yours from your grandpa, and I think that's really cool that it's, like, it's got history in itself. It shined his shoes and boots, and now it's shining yours. I think that's awesome. You know? Reginald Ferguson [00:30:31 - 00:30:33]: It's Thank you. I love that too. Jason Dorn [00:30:33 - 00:30:37]: And it's just a testament to good quality products that are gonna stand Reginald Ferguson [00:30:37 - 00:30:37]: out. Absolutely. Jason Dorn [00:30:38 - 00:30:38]: You know? Reginald Ferguson [00:30:39 - 00:30:39]: Absolutely. Jason Dorn [00:30:40 - 00:31:08]: But, yeah, I think a good brush is a good starting point. It's gonna help you clean your shoes at the end of the day or even before an important meeting if you're like, oh, man. I got a scuff. Let me just brush brush this out real quick. You can take that brush and just gently brush it out with a horsehair brush. It's gentle enough, and the more you use it, actually, it collects those waxes and gets easier to shine a shoe. Brand new brush is actually harder to shine a shoe with. Fun fact. Jason Dorn [00:31:08 - 00:31:24]: So the more you build up those waxes, I got my my black brush shoes that I use with only black shoes, so I don't try to do that too? Yep. And then I got my brown one. Yep. So if you really wanna get into that, you know, and then I got all that, like, buildup from my hands, you know, all the Reginald Ferguson [00:31:25 - 00:31:25]: Oh, wow. Jason Dorn [00:31:25 - 00:31:31]: That's great, isn't it? It just adds a lot of patina to the brush that we can use. So all my hands Reginald Ferguson [00:31:31 - 00:31:31]: That's crazy. Jason Dorn [00:31:31 - 00:31:45]: Yeah. I love it. It's great. You can kinda see how I hold the brush. But these are the big ones. You know, you can get the smaller ones that are a little shorter. Sometimes fit into most people's hands a little more comfortably. But, like, the big daddy's, you can get more surface area. Jason Dorn [00:31:47 - 00:32:36]: You know? And then if you got, like, a nice, microfiber towel that you can just gently brush off the shoes with by hand, you know, obviously, it's not gonna be easy to brush it on your foot on your own foot. But by taking your your shoe off and holding it or putting some shoe trees on it and just kind of brushing it with a microfiber towel sometimes is is a super cheap, tool that everybody's got. And then in terms of application, you know, we talked about using our hands or applicator brush. A dauber brush is always kind of, in the toolbox of most two shiners I see. My buddy Craig uses it, and he just stuffs it right here. And I love it because it looks like he's just like brushing his beard while he's shining his shoes, and it's it's a beautiful thing. But he don't worry about it. He uses beard polish products too. Reginald Ferguson [00:32:38 - 00:32:45]: So speaking of products Yeah. Rumor has it that you have launched your own. Jason Dorn [00:32:45 - 00:33:08]: Oh, I certainly have. I got the suit cleaning kit, and it's something that I've been using quite a bit here. As you can see, I'm on my my second box. I've had these about a month now, and I've shined or I've cleaned probably about, like, 20 pairs of shoes with the, between the two boxes that I've got so far, and I'm only about a quarter of the way through this bottle. So a little bit Reginald Ferguson [00:33:08 - 00:33:09]: goes on. That in your hand? Jason Dorn [00:33:09 - 00:33:52]: There's a little cleaning solution. It's, with coconut oil derivatives, so it's a nice gentle, cleaning agent that you can use on pretty much anything. There is, you know, some skill set if you do use it on a new buck or a suede that you do have to kind of reset them now. So, less is more. I would say kinda just use it on any smooth leather, sneakers that works great on that as well as the midsoles. And this handy little brush that it comes with is super easy to use. I've used this one quite a bit as you can see, but it's still holding up. You can scrub the whole shoe with this, and I scrubbed some really dirty boots with this and the cleaner. Jason Dorn [00:33:53 - 00:33:57]: And it just basically, what you're doing is you're just putting a little bit into a dish. Reginald Ferguson [00:33:57 - 00:33:58]: Give it a Jason Dorn [00:33:58 - 00:35:04]: couple squeezes, and then you can either just use it straight up by dunking the brush in there and get it kinda frothy, or you can spray with, what I like to do is spray, water bottle spray bottle to get into the kind of the solution that's in little Tupperware dish, and that creates that suds. And that suds is what you want. All that kind of, like, suds and soapy water, dump it into the brush and scrub the whole shoe with that. You know, this brush is gentle enough where you're not gonna have to worry about really scratching many shoes, but you can, if you are concerned, maybe just kinda use it in a lightly kinda back edge, rough motion that I was teaching you about suede in our suede care class. It's just kinda gently using a brush, with that back edge, kinda gently brushing it versus whisk at a full perpendicular 90 degree angle. So that's kinda some tips there. A little bit goes a long way. Couple squeezing, into even a towel, you can manually clean, you know, your shoe by just applying couple drops to a microfiber towel and then just wipe down your whole shoe. Jason Dorn [00:35:04 - 00:35:53]: So that's kinda what I was mentioning yesterday when you're asking about it. But, yeah, it's super easy to use. You see tangible results. And I think in a world where everybody's wearing, whether they're sneakers, which is a huge, huge market, and I love it because, like, I love the versatility of wearing, you know, some, like, Dunk Low Pros or some SPs, you know, and just kinda looking kinda fresh. But I always defy. You know? But I think I think, it's a it gives you an opportunity to to work on and clean your shoes and keep you clean at home. And I think it's, you know, it's a it's a affordable price point. Right now, I'm selling it for $19.99 on shiningyourdangshoes.com, and I don't plan on raising the price anytime soon. Jason Dorn [00:35:53 - 00:36:12]: So so yeah. Good deal. $20. You know? Get it in the mail and, clean your dang shoes and see some results. And, but, yeah, I think it you know, from there, it gives you an opportunity to use other products that we mentioned before, you know, with the conditioning, with the, the polishing and more protection. Reginald Ferguson [00:36:15 - 00:36:25]: Well, I am really yeah. Yeah. There you go. Ladies and gentlemen, he's propping up the whole box there, showing the products. It's got this cool logo, Dornstar. Jason Dorn [00:36:26 - 00:36:27]: You betcha, baby. Reginald Ferguson [00:36:29 - 00:36:34]: So it's great to talk to another entrepreneur, another founder. You know? Jason Dorn [00:36:34 - 00:36:35]: Thank you, sir. Reginald Ferguson [00:36:36 - 00:36:42]: Yeah. I mean, I'm a service. You're a tangible product. I think it's super duper cool. Jason Dorn [00:36:43 - 00:37:10]: Yeah. It's something that I use, and, like, I've been using this product for years. And, you know, other companies sell a very comparable product for a very comparable price. So I think for me, it's an opportunity to get some skin in the game, let people know I'm not not fooling around anymore, and just, you know, have have something that I use that works, that I've seen work, and it's just a no brainer for me. I don't have to reinvent the wheel, you know. Reginald Ferguson [00:37:15 - 00:37:41]: What you know, I just realized. So, you know, you shine shoes for a living. You also involve yourself in shoe competitions. You also educate people on shoe care. But from your perch there, what was the worst pair of shoes you've had to take care of? Jason Dorn [00:37:43 - 00:38:15]: There's one pair that I did turn away. It was, a pair What? Yeah. I just was like, no, man. I'm not gonna touch that. It was back okay. So I'll give I'll give you kind of some, some texture to that that basically statement. I was working at Nordstrom, and I was kinda sharpening my teeth there, learning how to shine shoes after selling shoes for about fifteen years there. I was starting to kinda learn how to do shoe pair, how to shine shoes, the whole whole thing. Jason Dorn [00:38:15 - 00:39:00]: And some gentleman brought in. And keep in mind, we're charging $3.50 to clean and and shine boots at the time, and which I would keep that $3.50. And if a customer felt the need to leave gratuity, I would also be fortunate enough to keep that. And I was getting paid hourly. So it was a pretty cush job in the life of a a shoeshine guy. But at the same time, you know, charging $3.50 for cleaning a pair of boots, These boots were unique. They were a pair of elf elephant boots, like, grayish in color. But the thing that kinda got me and the reason why I said no, which I I really never do, is because they're moldy. Jason Dorn [00:39:03 - 00:39:36]: They're covered in mold. What? Yeah. And I was like, like, I smelled it, and it was just like, it smelled like a old shed, like a kind of in a really dank environment, really humid, you know, wet environment. And it just they smelled really yeah. Yeah. So I I'd had to say no. But that was that was the only time that I remember being like, no, dude. Like, I've I've taken on muddy shoes where a guy was like, yeah. Jason Dorn [00:39:36 - 00:39:49]: I had chasing people off my property, and I got the got these sues all muddy. But I won't tell you what happened to the guys, and I was just thinking, man, like, what happened here? You know? Like, so you hear some funny Reginald Ferguson [00:39:49 - 00:39:50]: Don't mind the blood. Jason Dorn [00:39:50 - 00:39:59]: Yeah. Don't mind the red stuff on there. But, but, yeah, we got the stains out for him and, you know, I I signed the NDA, so we're all good. Reginald Ferguson [00:40:01 - 00:40:05]: The moldy boots, did this individual have them on? Jason Dorn [00:40:06 - 00:40:27]: No. He dropped them off. He he was, just bringing them in for cleaning and conditioning. And I'd and first of all, I had you know, I was just getting started. I had no previous knowledge on how to care for elephant leather. That's very, you know, hardy hardy, leather. So for me, I had no idea what to do. You know? Could've slapped some pick four on it and done alright. Jason Dorn [00:40:27 - 00:40:56]: But, but for me, like, I just was like, I'm not messing with that. You know? I'm not getting paid to do that kind of thing that's above my pay grade. But to this day, like, I think if I were in the same position now as a business owner, I would be more apt to taking on the job because I could charge what I want instead of being subjected to, company's pricing structure. Understood. Reginald Ferguson [00:40:58 - 00:41:06]: What's been the best pair of shoes for you to take care of? Like, you just went like, you fell in love with it and you just went, woah. Jason Dorn [00:41:07 - 00:41:22]: Recently, probably my buddy Ezekiel from ShoeSlide, I got to work on two of his pairs of Justin Fitzpatricks, who, we both have had the pleasure to kinda, like, chat with. You were on you had him on a podcast. Right? Reginald Ferguson [00:41:22 - 00:41:25]: I had him on my podcast. He's a friend of mine. Yeah. He's local. Jason Dorn [00:41:25 - 00:41:44]: Very cool guy. Very genuine, but very Yes. Some beautiful products. And I had the opportunity to shine two of his, really beautiful, dress shoes, and I think this week were those were my two favorite this week. Nice. Beautiful patina kinda marbleized. Reginald Ferguson [00:41:45 - 00:41:46]: We're marbleized. Yeah. Jason Dorn [00:41:46 - 00:41:47]: Yeah. Yeah. So one was blue. Reginald Ferguson [00:41:47 - 00:41:48]: I've seen those up close. Jason Dorn [00:41:48 - 00:42:26]: So gorgeous. And it's almost like it you know, the, like, digital camouflage kinda has that kinda, like, blocking color blocking to it. His marbleized technique, like, with that patina almost looks like it's like digitized marble in to me. You know? It's like just kinda looking at it from an artist standpoint. But very unique patinas, and I think that's what really, is the expression of fashion. You know? The patina opportunity and the patina artists, you know, that create these, like, beautiful shoes, really just you can change all it's like putting a new wrap on a vehicle. It just completely changes it. Reginald Ferguson [00:42:29 - 00:42:36]: Any tips and tricks that you could share with the audience for shoe care? Oh, he's nodding his head, ladies and gentlemen. Jason Dorn [00:42:36 - 00:42:40]: I got them. I got some up here. Yeah. Let me shake them out of my sleeve here. Reginald Ferguson [00:42:41 - 00:42:42]: Nothing up in my sleeve. Jason Dorn [00:42:43 - 00:42:55]: What do you got? Some tricks. So I think I'm a put it on you. What would you say? Do you think, you know, keeping it simple has been working for you? Mhmm. Like, less and more? Like, the tips and tricks? Reginald Ferguson [00:42:56 - 00:43:39]: First of all, really? A question with a question. Who's doing the interview here, Jason? That's number one. But I'll I'll I'll answer you. I'll answer you. I mean, it's not a tip or a trick. It's a revelation that, yeah, less is more that I don't have to scoop up a whole bunch of product onto my fingers or even to that brush for the Skidmore's and apply it on my shoes. Like, to literally that's why I enjoy using it digitally and taking my middle finger and just spreading it around and just literally just observing acutely what I'm doing. It's amazing. Reginald Ferguson [00:43:39 - 00:44:14]: And sometimes to your point, let's say on one section of shoe, I'll see there's a little bit too much product, and then I guess to your term, I do the fade. Like, I extend it. You know, I go, oh, let me go towards more the middle of the shoe. Yeah. That I mean, listen, man. I'm in the gray stage now, so these products could last me the rest of my life. I may not have to order another set of products, particularly the kit you know, between your care package and Levi's starter Saphir kit. I'm like, I I think I'm set. Reginald Ferguson [00:44:14 - 00:44:35]: And now I'm learning about pure polish, you know, Skidmore's. I'm learning about all these. Oh, well, it's not cheap. Jason Dorn [00:45:06 - 00:45:07]: That's what I did. Reginald Ferguson [00:47:15 - 00:52:32]: I totally agree. Lightning round. Jason, why is fashion important? What difference has fashion made in your life? What's the top fashion tip you could give the everyday man so he could look his best? Yes. Well said. What does the term always be fly mean to you? I think you nailed it, Jason. Thank you so much for educating me, educating the audience. You know, this is your life's work, and I'm just really flattered that you've had a willingness to share it with me and to share it with us. Thank you, bro. Reginald Ferguson [00:52:33 - 00:53:07]: Keep shining. So you learn from Jason all the things it takes to take care of your shoes. It's a lot. Right? I said it in the interview, and I'll say it again. I was totally reeducated. I threw away all of my Kiwi products. I learned new techniques. Wonder what my grandpa would make of all this especially learning that Kiwi is no longer a premium shoeshine product. Justin Fitzpatrick [00:53:09 - 00:53:56]: Big shout out to Jason for introducing me to boot black, pure shine and skidmore. You can find Jason Dorn on Instagram at Dorn stars shines, on the web at shineyourdangshoes.com. If you want to level up your shoeshine game, then let's make it happen. Take initiative and become fashion confident in thirty days. All you have to do is email me at reg n y fashion geek dot com for a consultation. Well, that's a wrap. To my team of interns past and present who have helped make the Fashion Geek podcast what it is today, Reginald Ferguson [00:53:56 - 00:53:59] I thank you. Always be fly.