TallMenShoes.com can help you learn how to shine shoes military style, so you can ensure your elevator shoes always look their best.
The stories of the military are true. Enlistees get started early in learning how to shine their boots to a mirror polish. You don't need to have served in the army to become a veteran of polishing shoes.
Just listen to one soldier's story, and instructional.
"There I was, staring down at my lackluster boots with a sinking feeling in my stomach. It was day two of basic training and we had just been informed that we had one hour to get our boots as shiny as our cadre's (each looked as if they were covered in glass) or we weren't going to like the repercussions. Never in my life had I shined a pair of shoes and now I was under the gun, trying to inconspicuously imitate my roommate who grew up a military brat and had been doing it since he was five. I learned very quickly how to shine shoes that day. Not quickly enough, but that's another story for another time."
Chances are, unless you join the military, you will never have to face punishment for not having shiny shoes. You may, however, punish yourself if you don't polish and shine your kicks regularly. A well-polished pair of shoes makes a good impression, and can give you confidence in some intimidating situations. Nonetheless, it is a great skill to have a good practice of polishing your shoes in your man arsenal. Whether it's an upcoming wedding, graduation or simply another day at the office, a pair of shiny shoes can set you apart as a man who knows how to take care of himself.
Our elevator shoes are made from the same materials as the ones already in your wardrobe. That means you can make use of a military shoeshine kit. Shoe polish, shoe cream and other tools help you keep your elevator shoes looking sharp.
Not only does shining your shoes look good, it is a necessary part of properly caring for and maintaining a nice pair of leather shoes or boots. A regular polishing routine will help them last longer, and look better too. The polish helps moisturize and waterproof the leather, lengthening a shoe's lifespan.
Prepare to take some notes. If you don't know, or need a refresher, we'll teach you how to shine shoes, and why shining shoes is such a good idea.
How To Shine Your Shoes Like a Soldier
There are a lot of opinions when it comes to the best way to shine a shoe. Everyone has their own unique twist from using spit to using a lighter to burn the topcoat of polish (cool, although potentially dangerous). The process below is a simple one that I have used for many years and it has worked fine for me and many of my military peers.
First, you want to assemble a kit with dedicated rags and brushes specific to polishing shoes. These rags and brushes will get polish and other cleaners and won't be suitable for other projects.
Step 1: Find an old towel or newspaper to spread over the area you will be working on. Shoe polish has an uncanny ability to get smeared everywhere even when you're being extremely careful - and it's really hard to get out of carpet. It's even difficult to clean off floors once it's been smeared in.
Step 2: Clean the dust and dirt off your boots with a horsehair shine brush or damp rag. If you must get your boots a little wet to clean them off, allow them time to dry before applying the polish.
Step 3: Cover the entire shoe with a generous amount of polish, using your shoe polish brush. The polish I'm using is black Kiwi® Shoe Polish, but be sure to match the color of the polish to your shoe as closely as possible. You can find polish in a range of colors, and the basics are black, brown and tan. Make sure you get down in the seams of the shoe and attempt to cover evenly with polish. Allow 15 minutes for the polish to dry.
Step 4: Brush the entire shoe vigorously using the horsehair shine brush. The point of this is to basically brush off all the excess polish, leaving only a small film on the outside of the shoe.
Step 5: Once you feel comfortable that the entire shoe has been covered and brushed it is time to focus on the toe and heel for extra shine. Dip a cotton ball or pad into some water and squeeze out any excess moisture so it is damp, not dripping. Then get a little polish on the damp cotton. Next, apply the polish on the toe and heel of the shoe using small circular motions. Sit back, this is going to take a while. You may go through a few cotton pads or other materials as you work the polish into the toes and heels.
Step 6: Repeat Step 5 until you are satisfied with the level of shine. Remember to use a new piece of cotton each time and to remove all excess polish before applying a new coating. Also, the initial shine is the hardest, it should get a bit easier each time you do it. In basic training, my boots were fairly new, and this was my first time giving them a good shine. From start to finish, it took me approximately 45 minutes to get them to the state that was acceptable to my drill sergeant. Most of this was spent with the cotton pads shining the toe and heel. Each time I set out to polish my boots after that it took me half the time to do the same job.
Building a Shoe-Shine Kit:
Before you try to build one, if you have black shoes you can always just buy the one sold on military bases worldwide and the one I use. It is basic, cheap and has worked for me for six years. If, however, you want a nicer kit, different colors of polish, or just like being independent, there are many kits available on the market. You can also build your own with the tools you need, and replace items as necessary. Here are the items you need:
- Tin of wax polish.
- Horsehair shine brush.
- Shoe polish brush (applicator).
- Cotton balls.
- Shine cloth.
Extra Thoughts:
For those of you who are really hardcore, you can clean up the edges of the sole by purchasing Army edge dressing. It's basically black goop that goes around the edge of the sole and makes it look shiny. I'm not a fan of it, but you may feel the urge at some point.
Set a rough schedule to polish your shoes and boots regularly, such as once a month or at the end of a season. It's best to do maintenance before you give your shoes a rest, as any dirt or stains will have time to set if you wait until you want to start wearing your shoes again. Break the schedule if you get stuck in a rainstorm, end up stepping in deep puddles or have other mishaps. Get to your polishing kit pronto, once your shoes have had time to dry out.