Cheaney x Saphir Polishing Event

Joseph Cheaney & Sons has established an irrefutable reputation for its aftercare services and knowledge of how best to look after your shoes. By stocking products from renowned shoecare manufacturer Saphir, we are ensuring that anyone who purchases shoes from us is using the finest products available to prolong the life and improve the appearance of their cherished footwear.

This relationship culminated in the first shoe polishing event of its kind on Friday 17th February 2023, where lucky ticket holders were invited to celebrate the opening of our new store on Cheapside, London, with an interactive polishing masterclass.

Cheaney’s affiliation with the City Of London dates back to when the company opened its first retail stores, the first two being in the Square Mile. This contemporary new unit on Cheapside, a bustling shopping hub, is a confirmation in bricks-and-mortar of the evolution of the company and its dedication to producing the finest quality shoes, still made entirely in our own factory in Desborough.

Having had success with classes in the past, this was the first time that we offered our participants the opportunity to take home the products that they used in an exclusive Cheaney x Saphir travel bag, including everything they’d need to keep their shoes in good nick in the future: Saphir’s highly-regarded Renovateur cream and Pate de Luxe polishes sit alongside a set of horsehair brushes from Cheaney and a branded shoe horn.

We were thrilled to welcome ticket holders into the store with a welcome drink known simply as a ‘Gin Cocktail’, a recipe dating back to the early 1800’s and one of the oldest documented cocktails. They were then free to peruse the current collection and look around the new shop before the main event started.

We run these masterclasses not only to explain the best practices in looking after your footwear, but as a way to engage with our customers and answer any questions along the way. Attendees were shown first-hand how to apply the Saphir products and follow along on their own shoes, as well as hear explanations on why aftercare is so crucial and the specific uses of each product: starting with the Renovateur cream, followed by a pigmented 1925 cream, and finally a nice polish to leave their shoes looking great.

All the while, our dedicated staff answered questions on all manner of shoe-related queries, with assistance from special guests Jonathan Church, joint managing-director of Cheaney, and Martin Grey, retail executive and certified shoe legend.

Time flies when you’re having fun, and the hour-long session we planned soon turned into a 90 minute polishing party. Light-hearted, jovial, educational and full of curiosity, it was incredibly gratifying to us to host such a fun group of people, and we would like to thank them all for spending their well-earned Friday evening with us at Cheapside.

Special thanks to Saphir for supporting the event and providing their excellent products. We’re very much looking forward to our next class, and if you would like to attend, please click here to sign up to be notified of the next date.