I recently found myself in a bit of a pickle. I borrowed someone’s patent leather boots for Halloween and scuffed the hell out of them. I was dressed as Old Gregg (how’d I do?) a respectable and humorous costume that demands the wearer tote around a large bottle of Bailey’s; there was an inverse relationship between the amount of cream liqueur I had left at the end of the night and the amount of scuffs on the boots. I was, frankly, too scared to give them back, so I delayed doing so, which is neither sporting nor decent.
It turns out, though, that you can get scuffs off of patent leather really easily as long as you have the right tools. Once I tried a few methods, the marks were gone and I was able to return the boots without their true owner having any idea what they’d gone through.
What doesn’t remove scuffs: Soap and water
The first thing I tried was soap and water, which I’d read would help get the scuff marks off. It really didn’t do anything. I was hoping it would, since soap and water is accessible for pretty much everyone, but it didn’t do much besides clean the shoes. The black lines remained. If you’re going to attempt this, use something stiff, like a scrubbing sponge, but be advised that you can actually rip up the patent itself, making the whole situation worse. In my experience, cheaper shoes get torn up easier, but logically, you don’t want to risk it on expensive ones, either, so unless it’s dire, avoid doing this.
What does remove scuffs: Nail polish remover
A few places I consulted recommended nail polish remover, so that was my next step. I also saw recommendations for using shoe polish, but that can get expensive and might not be worth the investment if you’re just trying to fix some cheap shoes. My nail polish remover cost me all of $2, but there’s also a decent chance you already have some in your home. Obviously, if you have plain polish on your fingernails, put gloves on before attempting this. Sacrificing a manicure for your shoes is a Sophie’s Choice situation and we just don’t need to do that.
I opted to use a paper towel to scrub the nail polish remover into the scuffs, not wanting to use anything too stiff or hard that might tear at the patent. There was already one rip in it, which I presume was my fault, and I especially didn’t want to make that worse. At first, nothing happened, and I was worried the whole exercise was doomed, but then, I noticed the tip of one scuff mark was disappearing.
Credit: Lindsey Ellefson
Scuffs are typically line-shaped and I found that moving my paper towel in the direction of the line was pretty useless. Approaching perpendicularly and scrubbing across the line worked much, much better. I tested this on all the scuffs, finding a higher success rate in going against the grain, but this isn’t a one-and-done approach. Each mark required 10 or so passes before it disappeared. It did take a while, but the lines were completely gone when I finished, so don’t get discouraged if it’s requiring more elbow grease than you expected.
Obviously, nothing could be done about the torn-up section, but rubbing some of the nail polish remover over it did sort of smooth it out and remove the black scuffing around it, making it less noticeable. There is no need for shoe polish and do not waste your time with soap and water. Nail polish remover is the answer.
What you need to get scuffs out of patent leather
Let’s put your materials in one place to make this easier.
I used an acetone nail polish remover from the dollar store, which contained vitamin E and moisturizer. Pure acetone can be a little harsh, so try to find one that’s strengthening. This one from Target ($1.49) has the same ingredient list as the one I used.
While you’re at Target, pick up these exfoliating cotton rounds to scrub the nail polish remover in without causing damage ($4.49)…
…and these nitrile gloves to protect your manicure, if you have one ($5.99).
