How to Give Boots a Military Mirror Shine

While the U.S. military is famous for many things, those shiny boots must be near the top of the list. Regardless of their hard work tromping through the mud and hours spent supporting the tired feet of our troops, military boots never fail to shine. If you are wondering how it's done, a few simple tricks can help you get the same military spit shine.

Things You'll Need

• Soft-bristled brush
• Several soft cotton cloths
• Large cotton balls
• Rubbing alcohol
• Wax shoe polish

Instructions

1. Use a soft bristled brush to remove any debris from your military boots. If necessary, wet your brush or use a damp cloth to really get them clean. However, make sure that they dry completely before adding polish.

2. Dip a cloth into your boot polish and apply a light layer of polish evenly to your boots. Don't worry too much about getting a shine yet, as the shine comes with multiple layers of polish. Allow your layer of base polish to dry about ten minutes before continuing.

3. Dampen a large cotton ball with rubbing alcohol. You want the cotton to be wet. However, not dripping. Rub the cotton over the polish in circular motions until the wax polish takes on a bit of shine.

4. Use a new cloth to apply your second layer of polish. Make sure you cloth is soft cotton, such as an old t-shirt of a cloth baby diaper and wet the cloth with water first. Wring out any excess water and wrap the cloth around your index and middle fingers. Apply a very light layer of polish using circular motions and again, allow to dry.

5. Buff the polish again with a cotton ball and rubbing alcohol. Repeat the polish application and buffing process until your boots take on that military shine. Once complete, use a clean dry cloth for the final buffing and enjoy your mirror shine.