Table of contents

Introduction

Many cadets have this question. Even I did. The question is: “How do I Polish my boots to get a shine?”. There are many different ways of doing this. Some say to use a brush, some suggest a cloth, while others say both. I have tried multiple methods, but I’ve settled on two methods that seem quite reliable and makes my boots polished and shiny. Polishing your boots can take quite a while, so be patient and you’ll see the outcome. It’s best to turn on your favourite TV show and watch it while polishing your boots.

What you’ll need

You will need to following items:

1. Boot polish. I recommend the Kiwi boot polish. Whatever it is, do not use instant polish. This damages the leather on your boots.
2. A cloth. I use a microfiber cloth from Daiso, and I recommend using it. You can use any cloth you want, but don’t get a very rough one as that will scratch the boots.
3. Newspapers. Get around 3-4 big sheets of them. spread this out on the floor, and a few layers thick, and also spread out widely. This is so that any water you use won’t leak onto the floor, or the boot polish won’t get on the floor.
4. Water. You can just put some water in the cap of your tin of polish. Tap water is fine.
5. Tissue or paper towels. This may seem odd, but you’ll need it. When it gets near unusable, it doubles as a way to wipe up any spilled water or polish marks.
6. A brush (optional). You’ll use this to clean your boots and remove old polish.

Getting started

Begin by dusting your boots off. You don’t want any dirt, dust or matter on your boots that will get in your way. It’s best to remove these first, either by wiping it down or brushing it off of you have a brush.

If you have a brush…

If you have a brush, you can then brush down your boots hard, to get rid of old polish and to open up the pores in the leather to absorb the new dye from the polish. If you don’t have a brush, you can skip this.

Method 1

Apply base coats

You can then apply thin layers of base coats. Using your finger (yes, it will get a bit dirty), skim a layer off your polish block and apply it on your boot in a circular motion. The main area to put your polish on is the front part of the boot, from the toe cap to the crease which is formed when you walk in your boots. That front semicircle is the most important bit.

⚠️ Do not put polish on the crease. When you move around with your boots on, the polish on the crease will crack off. Only polish it from above the crease. To be very safe, leave 1 finger spacing above the crease and start from there.

After applying multiple layers, you may see that your boot appears less polished. Don’t worry, just keep going. You will need to apply many, many thin coats first. After applying a fair number of coats to one boot, stop and change to the other boot. This allows your first boot to dry while you polish your second. After polishing your second boot for a while, check back on your first boot. If the polished area is matted/sticky/wet/rough, it’s not yet dry. Only when it’s smooth should you continue to apply thin coats.

Use your cloth

Now, after your base coats have dried, wrap your cloth around your index finger, dip it in the water (the cloth shouldn’t be sopping wet; it should have just a dot of water), then just lightly rub it on the polish block and go round in circles on your boots. Do this for a while, then switch boots and wait for the boots to dry as per normal. Note that you should only rub on the polish block every few times of circular motions, not every single round.

Use your tissues

After your boots are dry and smooth, take your tissues, wrap it around your index finger, and rub them around your boot. I usually just touch the polish block (not even rub it) to get a dot of polish, before going round the front of your boot. Don’t press hard down, just lightly go over the front. If you want, you can put a drop of water (really, a single drop) on your tissue and go round. After a while, you would see your boots more shiny.

Repeat!

After following all those steps above, repeat it another day. 1-2 times a week would be good. After a while, you can omit using the cloth, and just go straight to the tissues after using your finger.

Method 2

Applying base coats

This method requires minimal water. Rub a dry cloth directly on the polish then on boot, and keep rubbing on boot until the boot becomes smooth. Then, repeat this 2-3 times. After repeating this, put 1 drop of water (literally, dip your finger in water and put it on your boot, so only 1 drop of water is on your boot) on the boot and rub around with cloth (don’t apply polish to the cloth now).

Repeat this polishing and applying water for around 20 minutes.

Use your tissues

Afterwards, it’s time to use your tissues! Use a dry paper towel or tissue and rub around your boot. I usually fold my tissue/paper towel in half fist so it’s thicker and does not tear. After rubbing with your tissue or paper towel, you will start to see a change - the boot become shinier! Keep on rubbing the polished part of the boots with your tissue or paper towel for about 10 minutes.

Repeat!

Yes, after applying base coats and using your tissues, switch to the next boot and leave this aside. Repeat the whole process 2-3 times a day.

Conclusion

No matter which method you use, after doing it many times, you should see a definite change in your boots.

I know of a CLT that I talked to in HQ, and their boot is extremely polished. Not just the front, but the whole thing, even the sides. The method that CLT used was to melt the polish in its tin to a liquid and pour it on their boots, about twice a day for weeks. The result is that the boot looked so polish, it was like plastic. Though this will really get a mirror shine, they do not recommend this method as it is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, since boot polish is flammable. I do not encourage you to try this dangerous method.

Anyway, like I said, polishing your boots to get a nice shine on them takes time. It’s not a one-time kind of thing, so be prepared to polish your boots for a long (ish) time before you get that mirror shine. Good luck!