I've been using Kiwi for years because it was what my dad used and what Walmart had.  Apparently its now it is no longer the preferred polish and protectant...and now that I own more than one pair of dress shoes and a pair of work boots, I need one that is good for my J&M and Rockports (which I just read is for people 50 years older than I am, lol).

Am I thnking too hard about this and should just get the Kiwi, or is there something better?

Are there any other brands????

Saphir is the best shoe polish in the world, hands down.

Having said that...shoe care is a bit more than polish.  All polish contains s drying agent and will dry/crack leather over time.  It is important to clean and remove the old polish, condition the leather, apply shoe cream for a base, then polish...about once or twice a year.  

You can get it off Amazon.  

If they are cheap shoes anyway, polish is fine by itself.  If you want to keep them for years, do the whole bit.

This is the correct answer.

Kiki sucks, Lincoln is what the squared away use, spit polish then wax for the mirror shine. Or just scrub it on, brush it off and lightly buff (old t-shirt or pantyhose) for a less flashy look..
lighting it on fire real quick in the can makes it easy to apply (put out with lid)

I just use the manufacturer's polish. Guaranteed color match.

I still use Kiwi, now using their Parade Gloss.  

Around here, Kiwi is all that is available.

As was stated farther up in the thread.  Kiwi wax based polish will dry out your leather.  Its great for a spit shine but not so good for keeping your shoes soft and supple.  Look at a creme based polish.   The creme will put the moisture back into your leather and will also alow the leather to breath better then a wax polish.  There are several brands out there.  You can usualy find a creme based polish at your local western store or at your local shoe repair shop.  Most high end reatilers like Nordstroms, Macy's, Dillards, ect will also have it.

I like Lincoln for black and kiwi for brown

I tried Kiwi parade gloss, Lincoln, and Kiwi at the Citadel.

I still use regular old Kiwi.

If you want that true “mirror shine” to last pm or mention me and I’ll tell you how.

ETA: above because it’s a lot of work to maintain. If you’re not gonna touch them up extremely regularly don’t bother in the first place. My method will end up looking rough if not maintained.

Saphir

renapur, it wont make the leather super shiny but will condition, soften, and add water resistance. I use the stuff on anything from shoes to car seats, it will make any leather product feel and look much more premium.

Kiwi.

To chime in again, with a thought-

This topic is relative to your specific shoes.

Are we talking something in the $200 range or something in the $800+ range?

There is a world of difference in the quality of the leather and the tanning methodology between those two ranges of shoes.  One will be a chromium tanned leather that is functioning with a largely painted on type of dye finish that is then buffed hard to shine up.  You will see this as the corrected grain leather looks a bit too flat and shiny.   There is nothing inherently wrong with corrected grain leather...but there is no sense in putting in real effort as they are designed for mass fast production, not longevity.  You buy new ones and toss them...

If we are talking vegitable tanned leather that is used in higher end shoes...that's another animal where you would want to go the extra mile and make sure they last a lifetime...which they can if treated well.  Removing old polish, cleaning them, conditioning the leather, using shoe cream, and finally a light polish...plus the normal not wearing in the rain, drying between wears, and so on.

Saphir makes everything you need to do all of the above...but I wouldn't invest time in cheap shoes beyond some Kiwi and a brush.

Same