THE CABINET IN THE CORDONNERIE
ON SAPHIR MÉDAILLE D'OR, THE FRENCH INSTITUTION BEHIND THE WORLD'S FINEST SNEAKER CARE PRODUCTS
IN EVERY SERIOUS SHOEMAKER'S WORKSHOP, THERE IS A SHELF. NOT THE SHELF VISIBLE TO CUSTOMERS. THE ONE BEHIND THE BENCH, WITHIN REACH OF THE CRAFTSMAN. THE PRODUCTS ON THAT SHELF ARE NOT SELECTED FOR PACKAGING OR BRAND RECOGNITION. THEY ARE SELECTED BECAUSE THEY WORK. BECAUSE THE FORMULA IS CORRECT. BECAUSE THE RESULT, APPLIED TO FINE LEATHER, IS CONSISTENTLY SUPERIOR TO EVERY ALTERNATIVE.
ON THAT SHELF, IN WORKSHOPS ACROSS PARIS, LONDON, NORTHAMPTON, TOKYO, YOU WILL FIND SAPHIR MÉDAILLE D'OR.
WHAT SAPHIR IS
SAPHIR HAS BEEN MAKING LEATHER CARE PRODUCTS IN FRANCE SINCE 1920. THE MÉDAILLE D'OR LINE IS THEIR REFERENCE RANGE, FORMULATED WITHOUT SILICONE, WITHOUT SYNTHETIC COMPOUNDS, USING NATURAL WAXES, OILS AND INGREDIENTS THAT PROFESSIONAL SHOEMAKERS AND SERIOUS COLLECTORS HAVE TRUSTED FOR GENERATIONS. THE FORMULAS HAVE NOT CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY. WHEN SOMETHING WORKS AT THAT LEVEL, THE CORRECT RESPONSE IS TO PRESERVE IT. THE BEESWAX. THE CARNAUBA. THE TURPENTINE OIL. THE MINK OIL BASE OF THE RENOVATEUR — THE CONDITIONING CREAM THAT THE INDUSTRY REFERS TO, WITHOUT IRONY, AS LIQUID GOLD.
WHY SNEAKER CARE IS DIFFERENT
THE CARE REQUIREMENTS OF A LUXURY LEATHER SNEAKER ARE NOT IDENTICAL TO THOSE OF A DRESS SHOE. THE MATERIALS ARE OFTEN THE SAME — FULL GRAIN CALF, SUEDE, NUBUCK — BUT THE SNEAKER ENCOUNTERS DIFFERENT CONDITIONS. MORE FLEX AT THE TOE. MORE LATERAL STRESS. MORE CONTACT WITH SURFACES THAT A DRESS SHOE WOULD RARELY MEET. SAPHIR MÉDAILLE D'OR DEVELOPED THEIR SNEAKER CARE RANGE IN DIRECT COLLABORATION WITH LUXURY BRANDS FOR EXACTLY THIS PURPOSE.
WHAT THE CARE RITUAL MEANS
THERE IS A PARTICULAR SATISFACTION IN MAINTAINING SOMETHING CORRECTLY. NOT THE SATISFACTION OF NOVELTY. THE SATISFACTION OF CONTINUED QUALITY. OF A PAIR OF SHOES THAT LOOK, AT TWO YEARS, THE WAY THEY SHOULD LOOK AT TWO YEARS: RICHER IN THE LEATHER, MORE SETTLED IN THE SOLE, THE SURFACE DEVELOPING THE DEPTH THAT ONLY COMES FROM CORRECT MAINTENANCE OVER TIME.
THE SAPHIR RITUAL IS NOT COMPLICATED. A LIGHT CLEAN AFTER WEAR. A CONDITIONER APPLIED WHEN THE LEATHER BEGINS TO LOOK DRY. A PROTECTOR BEFORE EXPOSURE TO RAIN. A POLISH WHEN THE OCCASION DEMANDS IT. TWENTY MINUTES, DONE WELL, EXTENDS THE LIFE OF A PAIR OF PREMIUM LEATHER SNEAKERS BY YEARS.
IT IS THE PLEASURE OF CARING FOR A GOOD THING. OF UNDERSTANDING THAT THE OBJECT IN YOUR HANDS WAS MADE TO LAST, AND THAT YOUR MAINTENANCE OF IT IS PART OF THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN MAKER AND OWNER. 1812 ENGLAND STOCKS THE SAPHIR MÉDAILLE D'OR SNEAKER CARE KIT. THE PRODUCTS WE TRUST ON OUR OWN LEATHER.
