Polishing Boots
pimp_squeak
Active member
lukewarm water and gob of polish...I use two kiwi cloths, one to get rid of all the dirt and dust, then I take a toothbrush with polish on it and go around all the catwalks. Then I wrap the clean kiwi cloth around my finger, dip in water, a touch of polish and go at it. Not really polishing but the eyes on the boots Canadian cadets get issued usually lose the enamel coating that gets put on them at the factory, quick fix=black permanent marker. It works charms..
Funny story that's kinda seperate...one kid I went to basic with used that liquid polish and his boots weren't the best but they looked decent, anyway. Graduation parade comes around and all the polish on the toe of his boot comes off as a shell. Everyone except him had a good laugh...
Funny story that's kinda seperate...one kid I went to basic with used that liquid polish and his boots weren't the best but they looked decent, anyway. Graduation parade comes around and all the polish on the toe of his boot comes off as a shell. Everyone except him had a good laugh...
CAP_FOXTROTgrl6
Active member
not burn your shoes, put windex or any of that gloss of extra spray or shiny crap on it. It give the shoe a good shine for alittle while, but it wears down the boot and and ruins it.
first get a rough rag, polish i use kiwi, and some water if u don't know how to spit. this is not a spit shine!!this is how u get that mirror look in your shoes. most people like the toe mirror shine, the shine thats at the top of the boot and the rest of the boot is just polished.
The method I am going to be describing will use the following implements:
You
Your finger
Kiwi Shoe Polish (Black) - must be Kiwi (its the best). If you want to use Kiwi Parade Gloss, then be warned that it contains paraffin which will have a detrimental effect on the quality of shine you achieve. I would suggest you use the good old, standard black Kiwi polish.
A duster or soft rag
The shoe or boot you wish to polish
Some water in a bowl if you are a wussy (more on that later)
make sure there is no durt,dust or anything in that nature on the boot. to get the mirror effect, we are talking about LAYERS of polish and LONG periods of time polishing.When you start you need to apply think layers, once you have enough layers the surface will be shining and very polished, but your not done yet. you must rub the polish in little TINY circles on the boot. you will get circle marks on there for the first couple of coats but thats normal. it will feel rough,do not press hard on the boot.use the water at this time to get it soft, if you use spit don't directly put it on the boot for it will ruin it. the more scuffs and scratches the more layers of polish u will have to use.A good indication of when enough is enough is when the surface of the toe cap is smooth: there are no scratches, potholes or anything else to be seen apart from a smooth surface. YOU WONDER HOW LONG IT TAKES? the answer is: it all depends on the shape of the boots.
to get form the smooth look to the mirror look or glass look, reduce the amount of polish you use on each layer. as you move on keep reducing the amount of polish, this will start up that mirror look.keep going with this process until you are down to a stop of polish.
once done you should literally see your own reflection in your toe, or where ever you wanted the mirror look to me. ANY QUESTIONS??
first get a rough rag, polish i use kiwi, and some water if u don't know how to spit. this is not a spit shine!!this is how u get that mirror look in your shoes. most people like the toe mirror shine, the shine thats at the top of the boot and the rest of the boot is just polished.
The method I am going to be describing will use the following implements:
You
Your finger
Kiwi Shoe Polish (Black) - must be Kiwi (its the best). If you want to use Kiwi Parade Gloss, then be warned that it contains paraffin which will have a detrimental effect on the quality of shine you achieve. I would suggest you use the good old, standard black Kiwi polish.
A duster or soft rag
The shoe or boot you wish to polish
Some water in a bowl if you are a wussy (more on that later)
make sure there is no durt,dust or anything in that nature on the boot. to get the mirror effect, we are talking about LAYERS of polish and LONG periods of time polishing.When you start you need to apply think layers, once you have enough layers the surface will be shining and very polished, but your not done yet. you must rub the polish in little TINY circles on the boot. you will get circle marks on there for the first couple of coats but thats normal. it will feel rough,do not press hard on the boot.use the water at this time to get it soft, if you use spit don't directly put it on the boot for it will ruin it. the more scuffs and scratches the more layers of polish u will have to use.A good indication of when enough is enough is when the surface of the toe cap is smooth: there are no scratches, potholes or anything else to be seen apart from a smooth surface. YOU WONDER HOW LONG IT TAKES? the answer is: it all depends on the shape of the boots.
to get form the smooth look to the mirror look or glass look, reduce the amount of polish you use on each layer. as you move on keep reducing the amount of polish, this will start up that mirror look.keep going with this process until you are down to a stop of polish.
once done you should literally see your own reflection in your toe, or where ever you wanted the mirror look to me. ANY QUESTIONS??
PershingOfLSU
Active member
Here's how my pledge class did it when pledging for Pershing Rifles.
First when you're issued the boots you get rubbing alcohol and use it to completely strip all of the factory polish off the boots. The factory polish is dull and will help to prevent a good whine. Once you've successfully removed that then we liberally applied polish to the boot with a cloth or cottonball.
Next we used a heat gun to melp the applied polish onto the boot forming a solid layer over it. Then for the next several hours using cottonballs, water, and polish you make small circles over the entire boot surface. Concentrating primarily on the toe and heel. The rest of the boot isn't supposed to be as shiny but should still be shiny by the time you're finished.
When you're done you should be able to clearly make out color and your face, if you can't you did it wrong.
You only need to do that once. The next time you I use a horse hair brush to get rid of any dirt and other debris on the boot. Then using cotton balls or a cut up plain white round neck T-Shirt you repolish using water and polish in conjunction with small circles.
First when you're issued the boots you get rubbing alcohol and use it to completely strip all of the factory polish off the boots. The factory polish is dull and will help to prevent a good whine. Once you've successfully removed that then we liberally applied polish to the boot with a cloth or cottonball.
Next we used a heat gun to melp the applied polish onto the boot forming a solid layer over it. Then for the next several hours using cottonballs, water, and polish you make small circles over the entire boot surface. Concentrating primarily on the toe and heel. The rest of the boot isn't supposed to be as shiny but should still be shiny by the time you're finished.
When you're done you should be able to clearly make out color and your face, if you can't you did it wrong.
You only need to do that once. The next time you I use a horse hair brush to get rid of any dirt and other debris on the boot. Then using cotton balls or a cut up plain white round neck T-Shirt you repolish using water and polish in conjunction with small circles.
CAP_FOXTROTgrl6
Active member
but be careful with the alcohol because it can ruin the boot if you us too much...so be careful, the amount should be so small that you shouldn't be able to feel it on your fingers. If it shows up on the boot in big water forms, don't press down, simply get a dry rag,cottonball, T-shirt,ect and slowly remove it off the boot.
c/Commander
Active member
Does Army JROTC get ACUs any time soon, or do you have to wait till they're fully fielded? Because that'll make it a lot easier for cleaning your boots.
PershingOfLSU
Active member
In our case we stripped the boot down to the base leather, which requires a good deal more alcohol then that. As stated, you should only have to do this once when the boot is new. The purpose is to remove the factory polish which will impede a good shine.
When you strip the factory polish you literally do it until the cloth you're using stops getting blacker meaning all of the factory polish has been removed.
When you strip the factory polish you literally do it until the cloth you're using stops getting blacker meaning all of the factory polish has been removed.
youngCAPcadet
Active member
Here is how my Lt told me to do it.
1-- clean off your boot
2-- apply polish to the boot, mainly to the toe
3-- using your shoe brush, brush it back and forth quickly over the toe of the boot until you have a light shine
4-- using a nylon, rub back and forth quickly over the toe of your boot, this will create a very nice shine to your boot. Using this method has gotten me 5 on every inspection
1-- clean off your boot
2-- apply polish to the boot, mainly to the toe
3-- using your shoe brush, brush it back and forth quickly over the toe of the boot until you have a light shine
4-- using a nylon, rub back and forth quickly over the toe of your boot, this will create a very nice shine to your boot. Using this method has gotten me 5 on every inspection
youngCAPcadet
Active member
no it won't Lt Melton has been doing that for 3 years, and he is still getting 5s on his boots, same pair
AirborneRangerN4y
Active member
i go to a military school and the wont allow us to use parade wax or instant shine becuz it cracks the leather. the shine is also dependant on what kind of boots you have, i have the new bates and it has the non-shine leather the i have my cocoron jumo boot that are 100% patton leather and using just saddle soap to clean them and regular black polish and if you know how to burn shine it give your cocorons a mirror finish like coreframes
youngCAPcadet
Active member
They dont let us use instant shine polish, but we all use parade gloss, the leather hasn't cracked yet
L-Cpl Archer
New Member
SHINE
all i do is the following
it works evrytime and is hard to get wrong and it stays shiny for a long time
:rambo:
all i do is the following
1. apply thin layer of KIWI parade gloss
2. with SOAKED cotton wool go round it little circles over polish until shiny
3. carry on with 1 and 2 until the shine is amazing
it works evrytime and is hard to get wrong and it stays shiny for a long time
:rambo:
With brand new shoes or boots (especially new RAF shoes cos theyre crap)
1. Break them in first otherwise you will do all this hard work then the first time you wear them they will crack like crazy!!
2. get a sander and get rid of all polish on boots/shoes and i mean all of it
3. get beeswax and melt it into the leather
4. black kiwi polish rub lots of it on with your finger just keep piling it on their once shoe/boot is covered dont put anymore on but keep rubbing it in until it goes tacky. Thats your base
5. Now with a rag, bulling cloth, duster, or just cotton wool balls slightly damp, apply a thin layer of black kiwi then with a seperate rag, etc soaked in water draw circles!
6. repeat 5
7. repeat 5
8. repeat 5
9. repeat 5
10. put a very thin layer of Brown kiwi on in the same method as you do for the black just thinner
11. repeat steps 5-10 over and over again
This will give you outstanding shine also if they are parade shoes that are worn once in a while get a pair of tights of the girls and store them inside the tights it will stop dust from getting to them, then when you need to wear them take em out wipe over and wear!!
Remember step one is the most important step!!!!!!!!
1. Break them in first otherwise you will do all this hard work then the first time you wear them they will crack like crazy!!
2. get a sander and get rid of all polish on boots/shoes and i mean all of it
3. get beeswax and melt it into the leather
4. black kiwi polish rub lots of it on with your finger just keep piling it on their once shoe/boot is covered dont put anymore on but keep rubbing it in until it goes tacky. Thats your base
5. Now with a rag, bulling cloth, duster, or just cotton wool balls slightly damp, apply a thin layer of black kiwi then with a seperate rag, etc soaked in water draw circles!
6. repeat 5
7. repeat 5
8. repeat 5
9. repeat 5
10. put a very thin layer of Brown kiwi on in the same method as you do for the black just thinner
11. repeat steps 5-10 over and over again
This will give you outstanding shine also if they are parade shoes that are worn once in a while get a pair of tights of the girls and store them inside the tights it will stop dust from getting to them, then when you need to wear them take em out wipe over and wear!!
Remember step one is the most important step!!!!!!!!
Im a pro of polishing shoes in my NJROTC class everybody called me the shoe cadet because everybody always wants me to shine their shoes well geuss what I charged everybody who wanted me to polish their shoes $5 for one par of shoes for arebig annula JROTC inspection ,but sence everybody here on the military forums are all good to me Ill share my shoe polishing secret
with everybody here on the military forums for FREE that's right FREE no money nothing just FREE! (By the way I have not yet tryed this process on boots or on coreafamed shoes only try this process on your uniforum inspection shoes only)!
Well lets begen the process shall we? O.k.The things you need to make shine shoes with out useing corafames is you get 1 can of kiwi shoe polish
some alcohol no not the stuff you drink when watching a foot ball game on tv :roll: I am meanig the alcohol you get to put on your cut ,sraps ect
well any way you get 1 bottle of that stuff remember to get the clear bottle stuff not the brown bottle stuff,now you need to get shaving cream
to brake the shoes down that is if your a new cadet in JROTC,I don't think it matters on what kind of brand of shaving cream you get at the store. And finnally you need to get cotten balls at the store and no it does not matter on what kind of brand of cotten balls you get at the store.
Alright you are ready to make shiney shoes! The first thing you need to do is get the front of your shoe wet then you put the shaving cream on the front of the where I told you to get the shoe wet at, now after you have done that you rub in the shaving cream for a min.Then you get an old Tshirt that you don't wear no more and make sure it's not too dirty or that will :cen: up your shoes anyway after you find an old Tshirt all you have to do is rub in circular motion with that old Tshirt all over everywhere you have shaving cream on your shoe,and then dry the shoes off with the same old Tshirt,and do the samething with the other shoe. Now if your a new person in the ROTC program and you just got your shoes brand new form the supply officer in your group,some times you need to go thew this process more then once depending on how hard you rub in that shaving cream. Now you have completed part one of the shniey shoe porcess onward to part 2 of shiney shoes! After doing part one you now open the top of the kiwi shoe polish and put and fill it up with water then you get out the alcohol and pour it into the cap of the alcohol bottle and then pour it into the kiwi shoe polish can top then you get one of the cotten balls and put it into the alcohol water make sure that the cotten ball is all wet with alcohol water all over it. Then you rub that cotten ball all over the shoe so it can get all that dirt and stuff out of their. Then after you do that do not dry the shoes PLEASE! Yall mess them up if you do that.
Then get a fresh cotten ball from the bag and Then get some of that kiwi shoe poilsh on the cotten ball and rub it in circular motion all around the front of the shoe after that you get some of that alcohol water and put in over where ever their is shoe polish at on that shoe tell it get's shiney if this don't work the first time do it again it will work just give it some time then after that you dry them with a fresh cotten ball and that's it you have done it you should now have shiney shoes! If you have any questions fill free to PM me anytime! 8)
with everybody here on the military forums for FREE that's right FREE no money nothing just FREE! (By the way I have not yet tryed this process on boots or on coreafamed shoes only try this process on your uniforum inspection shoes only)!
Well lets begen the process shall we? O.k.The things you need to make shine shoes with out useing corafames is you get 1 can of kiwi shoe polish
some alcohol no not the stuff you drink when watching a foot ball game on tv :roll: I am meanig the alcohol you get to put on your cut ,sraps ect
well any way you get 1 bottle of that stuff remember to get the clear bottle stuff not the brown bottle stuff,now you need to get shaving cream
to brake the shoes down that is if your a new cadet in JROTC,I don't think it matters on what kind of brand of shaving cream you get at the store. And finnally you need to get cotten balls at the store and no it does not matter on what kind of brand of cotten balls you get at the store.
Alright you are ready to make shiney shoes! The first thing you need to do is get the front of your shoe wet then you put the shaving cream on the front of the where I told you to get the shoe wet at, now after you have done that you rub in the shaving cream for a min.Then you get an old Tshirt that you don't wear no more and make sure it's not too dirty or that will :cen: up your shoes anyway after you find an old Tshirt all you have to do is rub in circular motion with that old Tshirt all over everywhere you have shaving cream on your shoe,and then dry the shoes off with the same old Tshirt,and do the samething with the other shoe. Now if your a new person in the ROTC program and you just got your shoes brand new form the supply officer in your group,some times you need to go thew this process more then once depending on how hard you rub in that shaving cream. Now you have completed part one of the shniey shoe porcess onward to part 2 of shiney shoes! After doing part one you now open the top of the kiwi shoe polish and put and fill it up with water then you get out the alcohol and pour it into the cap of the alcohol bottle and then pour it into the kiwi shoe polish can top then you get one of the cotten balls and put it into the alcohol water make sure that the cotten ball is all wet with alcohol water all over it. Then you rub that cotten ball all over the shoe so it can get all that dirt and stuff out of their. Then after you do that do not dry the shoes PLEASE! Yall mess them up if you do that.
Then get a fresh cotten ball from the bag and Then get some of that kiwi shoe poilsh on the cotten ball and rub it in circular motion all around the front of the shoe after that you get some of that alcohol water and put in over where ever their is shoe polish at on that shoe tell it get's shiney if this don't work the first time do it again it will work just give it some time then after that you dry them with a fresh cotten ball and that's it you have done it you should now have shiney shoes! If you have any questions fill free to PM me anytime! 8)
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DefiantCdr
Active member
Seriously? Polishing takes about 30 seconds if you get them past standard and take care of them. Last year during the Exam rush I didn't take polish to mine for almost 2 months and they were still above standard. the bast way to polish id regular Kiwi (not parade gloss), water, and time. As long as you dont use too much polish at a time you should be fine . Oh, and when I come home from a parade I make sure I dust them off with a Kiwi cloth and cover them. That really helps to keep them shiny!
. Oh, and when I come home from a parade I make sure I dust them off with a Kiwi cloth and cover them. That really helps to keep them shiny!
zander_0633
Milforum Gnat
Hey BTW, Wad is Beeswax? I heard the Guards outside the Buckingham Palace use it to polisch their boots until they can use their boots as a mirror! Any info?
Cadet4Tucker
Active member
I sometimes do burn shining, but most of the time i use a normal polish method. Our Lt. Col. doesn't really care, but we all have diff. uniforms.. LE1's wear regular jungle camo and black combat boots. But LE2's and up were jungle digital and dessert storm boots