In this test and review we’re testing something a little different from the land of weird food, sexy cartoon ladies and the Popsy sperm drink. And you know what? This time we’re even going to forgo the obligatory ‘wax-on, wax-off’ gag, because we think we’ve found more proof that Japan leads the way in the technology stakes.
Thanks to Nippon Shine, the top UK importers of all things JDM detailing, we’ve pulled just the thing out of the sample box…
DIGLOSS GIRAEDGE
Giraedge is a tyre shine, we know this because there’s a picture of a tyre on the blister pack. That’s about all you’ll get from the packaging though, apart from a very small statement about the adjustable head, everything else is in Japanese. The same can be said for the label on the back of the bottle.
What to do then? Well, here at FC towers, we have a handy app called G-Translate. It’s nothing to do with Google you understand, it’s actually an old ginger fella who speaks Japanese and can shout out the instructions over FaceTime.
So, there you go, while Giraedge here may look like one of those whitener doodads your mum would use when you scuffed your trainers as a kid, it’s definitely not for your vintage Stan Smiths.
With all that said though, the shoe-polish-like applicator is clearly the whole genius of the thing. It really does make application a simple ‘wipe-on and walk-away’ affair. If you were a ninja, and you had tyres to shine, this is what you’d use. End of.
As for value for money? Well, there’s not a massive amount for your cash. Most tyre shines at this sort of price point come in a 4 or 500ml bottle. Here you don’t get quite so much product, but to be fair you really don’t need it. Unlike most pump spays and aerosols, the applicator ensures zero wastage and this glovebox-size bottle will treat around 16-tyres with no trouble.
MIDGE’S VERDICT
There’s something kind unnerving about testing a product on your own car when you can’t read the instructions, but there is one thing on the package that immediately puts my mind at rest – the little logo in the bottom left hand corner that says Soft99. Basically speaking, this is Japanese for solid and reliable, like an oriental tin of Ronseal – it’ll do exactly what it says on the tin, even if you can’t read the bloody tin.
The Soft99 Corporation one of the world’s biggest detailing firms. These guys don’t fanny about with making millions every year, we’re talking billions and billions… and that’s pounds, not Yen. Put it like this, they’re one of Japan’s biggest companies, they don’t just own the boats and trucks that deliver their products – they own the factories that build the boats and trucks. Get the idea? Yep it’s obvious that this stuff is going to be good.
And it doesn’t disappoint. The applicator head setup not only makes it the easiest to use tyre shine I’ve ever encountered, but the solvent-free formula offers one of the best finishes too. I mean you can actually see a reflection in the tyre, how nuts is that?
You can use a separate foam applicator with most tyre-shines if you choose to of course, but most of the time you’ll inevitably end up with grubby mitts. Having it built into the bottle is a simple idea, but it makes all the difference. See what I mean? Technology!
In a nutshell: Easy to use, amazing finish, top notch
Price £13.99 (70ml)
For more info see Nippon Shine
