Flamable trick... Use a hairdryer! If you turn it on your polish it will melt it nicely and you can do it with the polish on your boots/shoes and not worry about burning them!
Anyone else use Lincoln Wax? Best stuff ever! And it doesn't stink as much as Kiwi

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My steps for great shine:
1. Strip only shoes (no boots!!!) with rubbing alcohal the strongest you can find. Yes this may turn them gray/white, that's ok, it's supposed to.
2. Get some polish (Kiwi first coat usually) and rub for several hours. And I mean hours. Watch some movies. Melt it in with a hairdryer. Rub with a brush, rub with a cloth, the point of this is just to build up the layers.
Now for the real shine part (and once you've completed 1 and 2 you don't need to do them again ever)
3. Place a fairly heavy coat all over shoe, let dry while coating other shoe. Then...
4. Get polish on your cloth, dip it in water and rub in teeny tiny circles until the shine comes through.
5. And repeat.
6. Buff quickly with a piece of nylon pantyhose (get your gf to buy it if you're ashamed lol). Keep the nylon piece (cut off a part of a leg) in your pocket and carry it to inspection with you. Just before you fall in give your toes a last scrub.