Other forms: patent leathers
Leather that's so shiny you can almost see your reflection in it is called patent leather. Little girls' dress shoes are often made of patent leather.
The glossy shine of patent leather is perfect for shoes and handbags, and it's also used to make belts, wallets, and even professional wrestlers' boots. Most patent leather is black, although it comes in other colors as well. Patent leather was invented in 1818 by adding a special coating to regular leather — originally this was done this was done with linseed oil, but modern patent leather has a plastic coating.