Technique for gloss shoe/boot shine?

THE SPIT SHINE

Asking how to get a pair of boots to shine like black glass will instantly collect everyone in earshot for a quick debate. There are a number of ways to do it and much debate over what works best, from flaming polish to cotton balls and real spit (all of which work).

A black glass level "spit" shine requires that a very smooth shell of wax has been built up on the leather. To get that perfectly smooth shell, the pores of the leather must be filled and the normal irregularities on the surface filled in and smoothed over. The debate is over how to accomplish that.

Some types of boots, such as oil tanned or silicone treated, will never take a spit shine. Some boots, such as Corcoran II Field Boots, can only be spit shined on the toes and heels; the rest of the boot must be done with a conventional brush shine.

First, if your boots are new, give some serious thought to breaking them in first. They actually change shape and it's best to work on a stable platform.

Here's a method that works:

Wash your hands. Your skin contains natural oils and you can't polish a boot that has oil on it, nor can you polish a boot with the oil on your skin.

Step 1: Clean the boots. For a new or relatively clean pair, all you will need is a damp cloth. If they're really dirty, put a small amount of saddle soap on a soft shoe polish applicator, dip it in water, and lightly scrub the boots. The saddle soap should foam a bit. Wipe off the soapy water and dry the boots with a clean towel. If they're oily, you'll need to wipe them with mineral spirits.

Step 2: If the boots already have old layers of polish on them, strip the old polish off using mineral spirits on a clean cloth. If you use "paint thinner", read the label to make sure it is indeed mineral spirits. Provided it is mineral spirits, the cheap stuff works just as well as the major brand names - be sure to use it in a well ventilated area.

Step 3: If any areas show anything but deep black leather, dye the entire boot with black shoe dye. Kiwi works great.

Step 4: Using any cotton cloth, rub in a relatively thick layer of shoe polish onto one boot. Again, Kiwi shoe polish works just as well as any I've tried. Get the big tins, as you will use a lot of polish. Remember to apply polish to the tongue of the boot, and also to the edge of the sole and heel. Use a toothbrush to apply polish to the "seams" where the sole meets the upper shoe leather.

Step 5: Here's the hi-tech part: After you have applied the polish to the boot, take a hair dryer using the hot setting, and slowly blast hot air over the boot. You will see the polish melt briefly. This melts the polish into the leather and seals the pores. Some folks use a match or lighter, but that tends to burn the polish and excite the neighbors.

Step 6: Let dry and brush (horsehair shoe brush works best)

Repeat steps 4 thru 6 for the other boot, then repeat steps 4 thru 6 three more times, so that you have melted four layers of polish into the leather and built up a good, smooth base. You should have a pretty decent shine at this point, but not the "black glass" shine we're looking for.

Step 7: Put on the boots and walk around a bit. Flex the "cracks". This will flake up excess wax in the creases - just give them a quick brush and walk around a bit more. Take them off and dust away any flakes.

For the most part, this takes care of polishing all but the heel and toe. You'll be able to get them to glass-up better on the following steps, but that's quickly lost anywhere your boots flex during normal use. In order to get the black glass effect (i.e. when you look into the toe cap you can see your own reflection), you need to have good base layers to polish on.

Now comes the spit shine. To do this you need the following 3 items:

A very high quality polish such as Kiwi or Lincoln Stain Wax.

A damp 100% cotton cloth, cut into a square the size of a handkerchief. An old T-shirt is ideal. Better yet is one of the tan colored buffing cloths from a typical shoeshine kit. It must be 100% cotton. Polyester will strip off the polish, which is the last thing you want at this stage. Put away the horsehair brush, you won't be using it from here on.

Clean water to keep the cloth damp. A spray bottle works really well. Some folks prefer spit or beer for their additional lubricant properties, but I'm not that dedicated - and not sure there weren't ulterior motives on the beer claim.

Put a small amount of polish on the cloth at your fingertips and begin lightly coating in little circles, working a section at a time. Do not press hard, you only need to have a slight pressure on the pad of your finger.

The first thing you will notice is that while polishing, it feels "rough" and is almost putting pressure back onto the cloth. This is because you need to lubricate the polish being applied. This is where your small amount of water comes in. Put just enough on the cloth to allow the rubbing to feel smooth. Start applying the polish again in a circular motion.

At first you will think a shine will never appear, but keep doing those little circles on the section you are working on. Eventually you will see a mirror shine begin to appear through the haze of polish. Do not brush. Just keep rubbing. How long? Depending on the prep work, an hour or so per boot. The good news is that once you've achieved a real black glass shine, it only takes a coat or two to refresh it after a drill.

This process takes a bit of practice. In time you will develop the technique that works best for you. You will also find by experimenting that variations on the little circles, such as back and forth buffing with the damp cloth, work better on certain areas of the particular boot you are shining. Turn the cloth to get a clean surface occasionally.

Use polish sparingly - the layers must be thin, or else the polish you just applied will strip off ruining the shine you have so far. Keep the cloth damp using your spray bottle or whatever. The purpose of the water is to make the polish stick to the leather not to the cloth. It is the thin layers of polish that gradually fill the tiny holes and bumps in the leather, producing a smoother and smoother shell that shines like a mirror.

Options: Unfortunately, wax is really a liquid and can soften and dull in direct sunlight or hot conditions. If your boots get rough duty (or you tend to run into things), you may want to give them a final liquid coat of KIWI Premiere Shine Ultra-Brilliant. It provides some protection for your hard work. Don't bother until the boots are at there best shine, as liquids will not fill in the pores and irregularities. I'd also suggest skipping floor wax, and other similar "tricks" - they wreck your boots and any good NCO will spot it in a heartbeat.

You need a pretty good base of wax on the boots to get a high-gloss shine, but once that is there, it is easy.

Put a rather generous layer on your boots, and get a Black and Decker heat gun (basically a very hot hair dryer). Use this to melt the wax. The first time you do this, most of the wax will soak into the boot and it will look a bit dull-gray; after a while, it will not soak in and you will get a wet-black look. This is when you can get the very high-gloss finish.

Water is the key. Dip a wet cloth (an old t-shirt works great) in water and get a small amount of kiwi on it. Rub small circles over the boot until you get the shine you want. Keep the rag damp. It will take a while, but the shine is nice.

As long as you dont scuff up the boots, you will also be able to renew this shine with water and a little kiwi without doing the whole process. I averaged once a week with the whole process, then each night a touch-up.

Needless to say, I much prefer the new suede desert boots :)

I was not in the Navy, but in the Army. If you are using Kiwi black shoe polish in a can, I found that the best way to shine my jump boots was the burn the surface of the polish for about 3 seconds. Blow out the flame and let the polish cool off. Put a small amount of cold water in the lid of the can of the shoe polish. Then place an ice cube in the water. Use an old or new, cloth baby diaper. Wrap a portion of the diaper around your index and middle finger or index finger. Which ever is comfortable for you. Dip the diaper in the ice water and squeeze off the excess water. Then dip the damp diaper into the polish. Just use a little bit of polish not a lot. Apply the polish in a circular motion all over your shoe or boot. Keep working polish into boot until you get your desired gloss or shine. Keep alternating between the polish and the water working in a circular pattern. If you can help it try not to use a shoe brush. It has a tendency to leave streaks on your shoes/boots. Hope this helps. Happy shoe shining!

Came across this and had to chime in. Alot of people are right on their answers but are leaving out things that could save you time like buying a 3rd pair of boots. Spit shine 1 pair and only use them for ceremonies and inspections. Break down the 2nd pair using automotive wax removing wipes. Their like baby wipes and only cost something like $3.00. If the boots are brand new, and heres a funny trick....take a hot shower in them. The pores open up and the boots will shape to your feet. Now you'll use less mole skin on those 12 ruck marches. Polish the 2nd pair with liquid conditioners to keep them like a glove. The 3rd pair becomes the back up to either which get jacked up first! Another good trick is the blow dry or cheap heat gun. But dont ever put thick coats on! Thin coats heated in and buffed with water and a cotton rag. Only use alcohol & water if you have wax build up. Buff with brush to a better shine and repeat.Use a nylon as the final buff. Did this for 4 years in the ARMY and taught other soldiers the same. Done right, your boot will look like black wet rain boots! Last tip to really save you some time if you have the extra $10 bucks is to have a shoe shine guy shine them for you first and you just keep up the shine. They wont come out as define as by your hand...but they will save you time and effort.

Floor Shine Shoes

This technique is guaranteed to make them shine like glass. Take an old (or new cloth diaper) and get it damp with some tap water. Get some polish on your damp rag and apply in a circular pattern until the polish disappears. It will take you a couple of hours, but shining your boots after that will be a breeze. Remember to keep your rag damp - that's the key.

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RE:

Technique for gloss shoe/boot shine?

A long time ago a navy man showed me how to gloss polish my dancing ropers, he's long gone, can anyone detail technique?

Depends.... on who you are (Military, Police, Rancher, Horseman, etc) and how you wish to use them. I do note that in the past, when serving in military reserve components, I read the 1976 Esquire magazine article on the Lucchese Boot Co. when it was still a family enterprise. At the time Sam Lucchese stated that he felt most polishes available, Kiwi, Esquire, Lincoln, etc, were not as good for leather as the cream polishes, Propert's, Meltonian, and so forth. Why? The more popular brands, usually in a flat can, were made from, or contained, the by - products of the petroleum refining and distillation process. These "petro" products gave a nice shine, but, the oil distillates were, in the long run, bad for the leather, leading to faster drying out, etc. Experience taught me to follow the clean, brush, and apply, brush again, and buff with baby diaper, or cheesecloth, for a really serviceable shine. Otherwise, gooood luck t' y'all.

How To Shine Boots

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