How to Spit Shine Leather Shoes and Boots
Historically, the military has spent a great deal of time and energy putting a high polish on shoes and boots. That said, the military style shoe-shine is called a “spit shine,” and when it is done properly it lends a beautiful, mirror-like finish to waxed leather shoes. The quality of the final shine depends on the quality of the shoe leather, the specific paste-wax used and the amount of time and energy put into the process. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Shoe polish
- Two soft cotton cloths such as diapers
- Spray bottle filled with water or alcohol
Instructions
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1
Spread a moderately thick layer of polish over the entire surface of the shoe and allow it to dry for ten minutes.
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2
Wrap the cloth about the first two fingers of your strong hand so that it is tight and there are no wrinkles on the portion that will be in contact with the shoe.
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3
Spray the cloth with water or alcohol so that it is completely wet, but not dripping.
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4
Buff the dried polish using a circular motion with the damp cloth until the wax starts to become glossy.
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5
Get more polish on the damp cloth from the tin, adding very thin layers of wax to the shoe. Buff in using a small circular motion until you can no longer see the circles.
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6
Finally, when the shoe is fully polished, use the fresh soft dry diaper to buff the shoe to its final sheen.
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Tips & Warnings
After the initial thick coat of polish, use small amounts of polish to build up the shine. Too much polish in the later layers may destroy the base that you have established, and you will need to allow the shoes to dry and start over from scratch.
When polishing jump boots, only spit shine the hard toe and heel plate areas. Polishing the flexible leather will lend to cracking.
New shoes will not take a spit shine well at first. Do a regular brush shine for the first few weeks, then, once they are broken in, do a good spit shine on them. The first spit shine is more difficult and time consuming than others, so take the time to do it properly the first time.
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Comments
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stikfyter
Feb 12, 2009
I was in the army and shined many a pair of boots. There defineately is a hiearchie when it comes to the deepest black crystal shine on the toe, heel and shank of a pair of boots. I can say this article will get you a respectable shine on your boots. Another secret is cold water. the colder the water the harder the wax the higher the gloss. Good luck in basic training -
stikfyter
Feb 12, 2009
I was in the army and shined many a pair of boots. There defineately is a hiearchie when it comes to the deepest black crystal shine on the toe, heel and shank of a pair of boots. I can say this article will get you a respectable shine on your boots. Another secret is cold water. the colder the water the harder the wax the higher the gloss. Good luck in basic training
