Boot Shine Tips?

[JoeyMac]

I have my class A uniform inspection this weekend, and would like to see what some of you do to get the best shine - whether it be sharing your a step by step process and/or what products you use.... any tips will be much appreciated.

[Just KC]

I just picked up my boots this weekend and they wrote step by step instructions on how to shine them to academy standards. I will share them with you in just a bit

[Five-0]

Give a trustee 5 bucks. OOOOORRRR....Make sure you have all the loose dirt off the boots. Apply light coats and remove using hot water and cotton balls. After the 3rd or 4th coat they should be mirrors. If you use too much polish it will only take longer. This will take about an hour if done right.

[Coloradocop]

First, if you have a new set of boots and want to get the best results with your polish, you may need to "strip" the boots (removing whatever it is they put on the leather at the factory). Essentially, all you need to do for this is dip some cotton balls in rubbing alcohol, then rub the boots for a while... Some folks do this from time-to-time to remove gummed up old polish and start over fresh. Personally, I don't like adding a drying agent (alcohol) to my leather more often than necessary.

Anyway, now that you've done that, and allowed the boots to dry, it is time to start with your polich. I start by applying light coats of polish with an old cotton T-shirt (one finger dab), letting them dry for about 5 minutes, then buffing them with a boot brush. After I get a light base on the boots, I start using cotton balls... Dip the cotton ball in water as warm as you can get from the faucet, then get a small dab of polish on the cotton ball... Now polish this into the boot with a circular motion ("wax on"). A NOTE ON THIS STEP: I've found, pesonally, that my end result is always best if I am using a ratio of a lot of water (saturated cotton ball) to a little polish... as was mentioned above, if you overdo the polish you will only delay/complicate a good end result. Anyway, after doing this, repeat the process until a mirror shine occurs.

During the course of this polish (which will probably take about 45 minutes per boot the first time around, and 5-15 minutes per day to maintain afterwards) you may notice an excess buildup of polish(or a splotchyness <--- yeah, that isn't a word... and if it was, I'm sure it was spelled wrong), and this tends to occur for one of two reasons. Either you didn't strip the boots properly, and the polish isn't adhering to the leather. OR, you may have used too much polish too quickly. If you get this excess buildup, try buffing it down with the boot brush, then continue as planned.

To recap:

1) Strip boots
2) light shine with T-shirt/boot brush
3) Cotton balls and warm water to finish.

Or, you can get out of the academy like the rest of us, then you'll never have to do that shit again!!! Also, this phrase will mean more to you later in your career: "you can't polish a turd"

[pc830cop]

ColoradoCop gave you exactly what I used to teach my recruits at MCRD minus the alcohol (some idiot in the past tried drinking the rubbing alcohol and it has been banned in the recruit px).

CC does everything I personally do but I also use a lighter to melt the wax into the pores and my last layer of polish the night before the inspection is a clear or neutral polish.

DON"T USE THE BRUSH if you want a "spit shine"

[JoeyMac]

Sounds great... thanks guys thus far!

[Coloradocop]

Hey, just thought of something else... Don't use Parade Gloss... I don't know what it is about this stuff, but no one I know has ever been able to get a spit shine with it. Regular good ol' fashioned Kiwi Black works just fine.

Oh, and as mentioned by PC830, the boot brush isn't desirable if you want a spit shine (which I'm sure is what you are seeking for your inspection). As I mentioned, I usually start a new pair of boots with the brush, just to get things going smoothly... But the spit shine always comes with lots of time in the later steps.

Let us know how your inspection goes!!! And, just to get you in the mindset: "why in the hell is there lint in your pockets, does your mother still need to dress you every morning? For shitsake, I could rappell off of that string on your shirt recruit, who the hell do you think you are? Are you the mayor's son? Are you some kind of anarchist infiltrating the ranks of the police force? Who the fuck are you eyeballing?... get on your face and start pushing!!! The fucking janitor pulls more rank around here than you guys, so don't think I won't shit can this entire class if you don't shape up right F-ing now!!!" Gee, I miss those academy days

[bmf95b]

Join the ARMY..........SPIT SHINE........ aint that right, TOP !!!

[K9ForLife]

KIWI Liquid Dye and Liquid Polish. Great thing about K9. No one cares what we look like.

[TheOldRhino]

Here ya go

[Hannibal]

All of the above methods are correct, except they left out the most important part, the beer-timer. It should take you about three beers per boot. On initial shine (new boots) you may need to add another couple of beers.

[AlDeputy]

Only thing I can add is that when you strip your boots, I always applied a coat of leather die to the boots.

[StanSwitek]

Give a trustee 5 bucks.

Sage advice!

When I came on we had a trustee on my department name Moe. He shinned shoes in the gym. Best shoe shine I have ever seen bar none. Moe charged $00.75 for shoes, $1 for combat boots, $2 for motor boots. We even had one of those big elevated shoeshine chairs with the feet like you see in the airport.

Moe was a really nice guy except when he drank then he got really mean. Moe would do 30 days at a time, get out, be drunk within an hour of release and back in jail within hours. Often Moe went the hard way buy he always said he was sorry.

My first few years on the job, I thought Moe was a full-time city employee. Hell, he was there every day shining shoes. Thise cycle continued for well over 30 years till sadly Moe passed away several years ago. Our shoes never looked quite as good after that.

[snuffy2202]

If you really need a great shine fast, try using a heat gun to melt the shoe polish on the shoe or boot. Then use the cotton ball and water on it. Unbelievable shine!

[JoeyMac]

They are looking good so far. Thanks again!

I will update you guys as too how well to goes.

[Coloradocop]

They are looking good so far. Thanks again!

I will update you guys as too how well to goes.

Post pictures... We'll do a cyber-inspection for you

[Jks9199]

KIWI Liquid Dye and Liquid Polish. Great thing about K9. No one cares what we look like.

Polish? Boots? In my current assignment, I only buff 'em once in a blue moon. In patrol, I used to keep a "high buff polish" instead of a spitshine for day to day wear.

For what it's worth -- I've used both plain black and the Kiwi Parade Gloss to obtain a spitshine without problems. Maybe it's in the technique or something like the water softeness?

[JoeyMac]

Post pictures... We'll do a cyber-inspection for you

No money = No camera . Thanks for the offer though.

I'm a college student + a reserve officer.

[OffDuty]

ColoradoCop is spot on. I also use a lighter to first melt the wax into a liquid to apply it on.. Then after that dries and has a haze, I work the lighter (using those long outdoor ones is best) I move it lightly over the boot in my hand (upside down) to melt it into the boot again, then let it dry and rebuff.

Damn mirrors, I tell you they are. Mirrors.

In addition, the Kiwi parade gloss does have a brighter shine. I also find it doesnt coat as well for durability, but same rules to apply it. i would start with a good kiwi black base, then use the parade gloss for the top coat or two.

Or pay a trustee. LOL

[Jackalope]

Join the ARMY..........SPIT SHINE........ aint that right, TOP !!!

The Army no longer issues black boots. No more shining for us (except for me, I'm still wearing black ones).