Comments on: How to Shine Shoes

on 9/15/2009 The first thing you should always have on hand is a shoe shining kit. Now, this does not need to be an expensive kit that you purchase all together. You can purchase each piece and throw them all into an empty shoe box if you wish. It really doesn’t matter either way, but keeping everything together will cut down on time. Make sure that you have liquid polish with an applicator built-in, paste polish, a horsehair applicator, a horsehair brush, and buffing cloths. If you are rushed for time you will only need the liquid polish, the brush, and a buffing cloth. However it is great to take the time every now and then to try the paste polish.

for more tips about how to polish the shoe please visit:

http://www.pier55.com/beauty-fashion/fashion-accessories/essential-tips-for-shining-shoes/

on 8/3/2009 well i will impliment this method,good stuff

on 6/25/2009 I like your instructions on this article along with the pictures. It is clear and concise. Now, I know how to keep my shoes looking new longer. Thanks.

on 11/27/2006 if you use leather luster make sure all the waxs are off then apply a thin coat with a one inch foam paint brush that can be bought at lowes for 48 cents then put in the over for five minutes then take them out and put in a place where they can dry in piece after they dry apply apply a somewhat thick coat make sure you don't over lap when you put the coats on or you will get lines that are very ignoring you must go to the very next to the very stroke make sure you don't put to much if you do it correctly that should make it look plastic but if it looks like crap buff the whole shoe with the steal wool and do another some what lite coat if its to thin then it will not be as shiney but ou could just do all thin coats but it would take forever make sure when you clean your shoes use pledge not windex becaus ewindex makes it dule and pledge make it shine due to the oil in it and if it scuffs buff the shoe with steal wool and apply another coat if the shoe is about year old you want to buy a product called zip-strip which can be bough from www.leatherluster.com except for the foam brush do not use the applicator that it came with buy the one inch foam paint brush at lowes if you follo wthese instructions then you should be safe these were taught to be by a marine DI who when i first saw his leathr luster and his spit shines thought that they were plastic so belive me follow these instructions

on 11/27/2006 I know the best way to spit shine. first you need to apply a coat of leather die to your shoe or boot this works the same the leather die helps the polish stick to the shoe so that polish doesn't crack of then take some regular kiwi and rub it into the whole shoe you should do this in lite coats for about three coats then take a litter then quickly go over the whole shoe make sure the flame touches the polish but don't let the actual litter touch the polish then wait about twenty-seconds then do a very quick coat with parade gloss and your shoe will shine make sure your rag is not dry so it wont scratch the polish and make sure you go fast so you make your own friction after that all you need to do is spit shine into till your shoe is completely smooth I do what i call the tv test if you c an watch tv in it perfectly thet they are done and if done right wour shoes will look like corfram and i can prove it because i've gotten inspected an accused that my shoes were fake and if you need proof of my shoes come down to walter hines page high school at the page njrotc.

on 10/19/2006 NEVER USE KIWI PRADE POLISH, i kid you not, dont fall into that trap at first you will use it and you will be amazed but after a few coats your boots will start going waxy and hazzy, I thought i would try that **** in basic tranning but i quickly learned that that stuff is crap, and you end up getting your boots tossed accross you gear.

on 8/25/2006 I'm the shineboy at a prestigious country club and the method I use is not only fast, but works great.

Use a horsehair dauber (small round brush) to liberally apply polish to the boot/shoe. Once the entire surface is well coated I use a 1000F Heat Gun from Lowe's or a really high temperature hairdryer works too, just not as fast. Heat the shoe and wax until it looks like a liquid mirror then allow to cool and dry for 5-10 minutes until completely cool to the touch. For faster shines I put the shoes in a mini-fridge behind my counter. At this point I either apply another layer if needed or buff to a high shine on a horsehair wheel but you can do the same with a horsehair hand brush. Use only Kiwi can polish. Parade gloss, original blend, or premium paste are just variations of wax mixtures and will only slightly effect the shine. Parade gloss creates the toughest and longest lasting shine and the price difference isn't much.

on 8/9/2006 I use bee's wax to give my shoes the best shine ever.
1. I put some pure bee's wax on a spoon then heat over a candle till it melts.
2. Once a liquid, I pour the wax over the part of my shoe that I am wanting to polish.
3. I smooth over with the back of the spoon till smooth, you may need to reheat the spoon more than once.
4. I leave it sitting for at least 20 minutes for the leather and wax to cool, then I get a cotton cloth or duster and wrap around my index finger.
5. I dip my finger into warm water and apply a small amount of polish onto the cloth.
6. I rub in small circles evenly over the section of shoe, and do so until it has gone shiny and lost the original dullness.
7. To get a better shine repeat 5, 6 over and over again.

on 8/8/2006 1 First, rub the dust off the shoes.
2 Get Kiwi Parade gloss (it is the best).
3 Get a sock and put your hand in it and rub a fair amount of polish onto the sock and onto the boot in a circular motion. Repeat for a better shine.
4 Afterward, get a clean part of the sock and soak it in water so it is dripping wet and rub hard in a circular motion. Use more water if necessary.
5 When a deep shine appears, get a cotton bud and dip it in water and lightly rub around in circles again.
6 By now the boot should be very smooth, if not, the next bit will get it smooth.
7 Get a pair of nylon tight, cut knee length and grab each end and pull back and forward on the top of the boot where you have just polished. Pull hard and fast for an excellent finish.

on 8/8/2006 You need Kiwi, not gloss, just Kiwi. Add thin layers using a cloth, then fill your can with water, and rub two hours to get a glassy look.

on 8/8/2006 1. With a cotton wool pad, eg from a makeup removal kit, wipe shoe down with water.
2. Apply a very small amount of polish onto the toe cap with a cotton wool pad and lots of water, rub in a circular motion until it blends in. (do this 5 times).
3. Again, apply a thin layer, but this time take a lighter to the area, hold over the area for 5-10 seconds until you start to see the shine, then instantly rub in lightly with a soaking cotton wool pad.
4. Repeat until desired shine is achieved.

on 8/8/2006 Get a cotton ball or pad and rub of the dirt on the shoe's toe cap. Run the cotton ball/pad under the tap. Put a tiny bit of Kiwi shoe polish on your cotton ball/pad and rotate in little circles all over the shoe's toe cap and then squeeze the water out of the ball/pad and rub into shoe. Leave to dry. Finish with a shine like glass.

on 8/8/2006 Wrap an old rag around your middle and index fingers. Get a little bit of polish and dab it in a bit of water. Rub this on your shoe in little circles all over. Do this until the rag has no polish on it. Then, with a different part of the cloth, gently rub away the circles. Repeat this after leaving the shoes set overnight. When the shine is really good, put beeswax on the toe cap. You will not have to shine your shoes again, as beeswax stops them from getting scuffed.

on 8/8/2006 What I do is to first apply the shoe polish with a finger. I then let it sit overnight to dry. The next morning I take a used nylon tight, cut off to half an arms length. I then buff the dry polish. I take 100% cotton balls or an old 100% cotton T-shirt, I put water in the lid of my can of KIWI and then add a couple of drops of rubbing alcohol. This speeds up the process. One has to be carefully not to add too much. I then drip my cotton balls or T-shirt in and apply in small circles. The first time takes a while. Usually I watch a movie while doing this. After I have a good shine, I then finish by running water on the boot and rub in circular motions with the shirt or cotton balls. The shoes come out so good one can read a newspaper in the shine. It comes out like glass. It works like a charm. This worked so well many military members came to me to show them how to get such a great shine.

on 7/26/2006 There is no quick fix to get your parade shoes really shiny. If you're in the Cadet forces, the Warrant Officers know the tricks (they tried them when they were Cadets), so don't bother.
You need:
Kiwi Black Polish, your new Parade Shoes, lots of cotton wool. I like Tesco's 'My Baby' as it's ultra soft. You need a small tub of water. You may also wish for a TV or some good music to make it more fun!

Assuming you have brand new parade shoes, remove the shoelaces. Tear some cotton wool and roll it into a ball. Dunk it quickly in the water. This will make it damp enough that if you apply pressure water will drip out. Rub it in the tin of Kiwi Black Until you have a thick layer on. Rub in small circles about the size of a 10p piece all over the shoe. Don't change your cotton wool. Keep rubbing and rubbing. Eventually you'll notice where the polish was on the cotton is faded almost to nothing. Now dunk the cotton in the water again, and rub back over the shoes. Do this until you can't see the circles of polish any more, from any angle. Repeat this about 5 times, and your whole shoe is protected, but probably not too shiny.

Now you've protected your shoe, you can shine the toes. Use a fresh piece of cotton now, and the same process. For the toes though, you won't need so much polish for each layer. An area the size of a garden pea, and not very thick should do. About 15 good layers will shine your shoes enough for you to do your makeup in! It takes between 3-5 minutes per layer. There's no quick way out, but you save time by not having to correct bogus tips that mess up your shoes.