Shiny shoes (how do I do it?)

[JohnRich 4]

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Never heard of coraframs, eh? Polished shoes...what a crock of retarded shit.

I never heard of them. Are those the military shoes that have the permanent mirror shine on them?

That's it. I think they're called Corfam.

I couldn't afford those as a young married Marine with a baby, so I was stuck polishing real leather. Everyone else in formation with me was single, and put out the money for the corfam shoes. So mine looked like crap standing next to rows of those corfam mirror shines, and I'd get gigged for it. Even though as far as leather goes, I had a damned good shine. I found a trick though. Just before inspection, I'd rub some baby oil on the shoes, which would make them just as shiny as corfam. That would last long enough to get through inspection, and then I'd remove it, because the oil quickly attracts dirt and looks like hell if you walk around too much.

Oh, the bullshit I used to put with in the USMC...

[Andy9o8 0]

I was taught by my USMC veteran dad how to shine shoes the RIGHT way (basically, see all the above posts). You know what? It's all bullshit, at least for civilian wear. Dude, get the liquid stiff in the bottle with the felt-tip applicator. Takes about 5 minutes to do 2 shoes. Let dry overnight to cure. Works like a champ, and lasts just fine. You think the dickheads in the office will notice the difference?

[bob.dino 0]

Y'know, I've heard that raccoon fur brings a shine out nicely.

[NickDG 23]

Two words - Mop & Glow . . .

Got me through fours years in the USMC!

NickD BASE 194

[racer42 0]

Might I suggest Central Shoe Repair right here in downtown Alamo Heights(San Antonio) I have a single pair of black oxfords they have kept going for quite some time now.

Kev

L.A.S.T. #24
Co-Founder Biscuit Brothers Freefly Team
Electric Toaster #3
Co-Founder Team Non Sequitor
Co-Founder Team Happy Sock

[AggieDave 6]

Kiwi, stay away from Kiwi. Lincoln black stain wax is the only way to go. There are a 1000 ways to spit polish shoes and get a perfect shine, the moral of the story is to use a quality wax/stain (like Lincoln) and take the time to build a really good base. Once you have the base layer it won't take time at all to shine up a good "2-bar." (A "2-bar" is a shine so nice you can see both lights shining in it from a 2-light office light bar, with no distortion or blurriness).

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[AggieDave 6]

Whoa, you're in AH? I was in the Quarry this weekend trying to get the hippies to help me in the stores. I have some family that live just a bit further north on 281 and have friends that grew up in Alamo Heights (luckily they're not your stereotypical AH folks).

Huh, if I had known that I would have called you up to join us for burger's at Chris Madrids on Saturday.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[labrys 0]

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use a moist cottenball

Most of the tips here have been great, but if you can bring yourself to try it, heat the wax, add a little water, and use a tampon instead of cotten balls to apply the shine. I was taught to do that in boot camp and it works really well. Depends on your ability to embrace your feminine side

Owned by Remi #?

[br0k3n 0]

buy yourself a can of Electrolube - Acrylic protective laquer.. that will put an instant mirror finish on a pair of black shoes

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--+ There are 10 types of people in the world: Those who understand binary, and those who don't.. --+

[velvetjo 0]

Unless your boss is yelling in your face that it looks like you shined your shoes with "a chocolate bar & a brick", I wouldn't worry about it.

If the boss is yelling at you about your shoes, you've got bigger problems than you realize.

Lance

[racer42 0]

Yeah Dave,

I live about 3 blocks from the Quarry. Chris Madrid's is an old haunt of mine. PM, and I"ll give you my cell#, but most Saturdays if the weather's good, you know where I'll be.

Blu Skies

Kev

L.A.S.T. #24
Co-Founder Biscuit Brothers Freefly Team
Electric Toaster #3
Co-Founder Team Non Sequitor
Co-Founder Team Happy Sock

[waltappel 1]

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Y'know, I've heard that raccoon fur brings a shine out nicely.

Walt

[waltappel 1]

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I was taught by my USMC veteran dad how to shine shoes the RIGHT way (basically, see all the above posts). You know what? It's all bullshit, at least for civilian wear. Dude, get the liquid stiff in the bottle with the felt-tip applicator. Takes about 5 minutes to do 2 shoes. Let dry overnight to cure. Works like a champ, and lasts just fine. You think the dickheads in the office will notice the difference?

No, the office dickhead will not know or care. For some reason I just don't think I can get myself to go that route, though I do appreciate the fact that you took the time to make the suggestion.

Walt

[waltappel 1]

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Might I suggest Central Shoe Repair right here in downtown Alamo Heights(San Antonio) I have a single pair of black oxfords they have kept going for quite some time now.

Kev

I took the shoes to Houston Shoe Hospital here in Houston. They do good work on repairs, but I was a bit disappointed with the shine the put on the shoes.

Thanks for the suggestion. I do go to San Antonio occasionally, but not enough to drop shoes off for a shine and pick them up within a reasonable time.

Walt

[waltappel 1]

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Kiwi, stay away from Kiwi. Lincoln black stain wax is the only way to go. There are a 1000 ways to spit polish shoes and get a perfect shine, the moral of the story is to use a quality wax/stain (like Lincoln) and take the time to build a really good base. Once you have the base layer it won't take time at all to shine up a good "2-bar." (A "2-bar" is a shine so nice you can see both lights shining in it from a 2-light office light bar, with no distortion or blurriness).

Kiwi is all I have ever used, but it sounds like I should check out the other options. Is Lincoln a paste, like Kiwi?

Walt

[mnealtx 0]

First off...NEVER use your buffing brush (Rectangular brush) to put polish on the shoes with - either use a cloth wrapped around your finger, or a dauber brush (small round brush with handle).

Supplies: Polish, cloths, hard/soft boot brushes, dauber brush, water, rubbing alcohol

Once you've got the shoes clean...

1. Use the dauber or cloth to put a heavy layer of polish over the whole shoe.

2. Either melt the polish with a lighter or put in a preheated oven (maybe 125 degrees or so). Let the polish melt over the leather.

3. Using your stiff boot brush (shorter, harder bristles), brush the crap out of the shoes to force the polish into the pores or the leather. This is what builds the base for your shine. You can get the start of a shine just from this.

4. Wrap the cloth around your finger (an old cut-up tshirt works well) and dab it in the polish - you wont need much. Dab all that into the water/alcohol mix in the polish can lid (1 capful alcohol and 2/3 full of water). Work in small (maybe 1.5 inch) circles.

At first, you'll use a little more polish and a little more pressure. As you work the polish into the pores, the leather will become "slicker" and you'll use less polish and less pressure. Finishing off, you'll use virtually no polish or pressure.

You can do a quick touch-up with a SOFT boot brush to knock off any dust. A strip of t-shirt as a buff cloth works very well.

Cheat/tip: Get one of the wife's old knee-high nylons and carry in your pocket. Stretch it between your fingers and thumbs (both directions - you want it to look like a scarf, not a rope) and use a good amount of pressure to buff the shoe. It'll melt the surface of the polish and smooth out any scuffs you make have picked up before that big meeting.

You can go from flat, dull black boots to a mirror (and I *do* mean mirror) shine in about an hour a boot with this method.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[Scoop 0]

OK, so for the first time ever I was trying the 'melt the polish with a lighter' method.

Who knows how to get Kiwi polish out of carpet

My boots do look awesome though and thats cool cos I got a presentation night tonight

[mnealtx 0]

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OK, so for the first time ever I was trying the 'melt the polish with a lighter' method.

Who knows how to get Kiwi polish out of carpet

Ice, maybe?? That, and you may have put a bit TOO heavy a coat on the boot if it dripped off.

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My boots do look awesome though and thats cool cos I got a presentation night tonight

Glad it helped!

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[Scoop 0]

Trouble is because I use my boots as normal patrol boots they get smashed to bits from climbing over walls, fences and wrestling with naughty people so everytime its like starting from scratch again.

I have cleaned paint out of the carpet with white spirit before and didnt stain the carpet s I wonder if thatll work again. Hmmmm

[mnealtx 0]

Since they're working boots.... don't strip them unless you HAVE to. Just clean them off and polish. Once you have a good 'base layer' (the melted in polish), it takes very little work to get them right again - maybe 15 minutes per boot. The trick with the knee-high nylon will smooth out a lot of the everyday nicks/dings, as well.

I definitely don't recommend the floor wax or paint solutions... they're ok for "inspection gear" that you'll wear for an hour and not hardly move in, but on working gear, it cracks.

White spirits (I'm guessing rubbing alcohol or the like?) should do the trick with the carpet, I would think...

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[plutoniumsalmon 0]

in a bind use banana peels and a paper towel

Pointy birds
Oh pointy pointy
Anoint my head
Anointy nointy

[Scoop 0]

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I definitely don't recommend the floor wax or paint solutions... they're ok for "inspection gear" that you'll wear for an hour and not hardly move in, but on working gear, it cracks.

I would never ever use floor wax or paint. Yuk, cheating and I dont think there isnt one person who wouldnt notice that in an inspection.

THe lots of wax and hard work method seems to have done the trick. I always used to build up layers without that initial thick base.

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White spirits (I'm guessing rubbing alcohol or the like?) should do the trick with the carpet, I would think...

Certainly has done the trick. White spirit is the daddy of household cleaners. No home should be without a bottle or two

[Hambone 0]

If your shoe shop isn't putting a good enough shine on it...find a new shoe shop...If you are in the atlanta area, i suggest Bennies Shoes. they are a little more expensive but they do great work! I am wearing a pair of newly soled and polished bennies shoes now. Also a great place to buy shoes. they are over off of piedmont.

Yeah...You need to grow up. -Skymama