Posted on Sep 21, 2018
SSG Carlos Madden
7.33K
86
21
5
5
0
Eaf9b857
This might be for the older troops out there who came up with black leather boots (RIP) that needed daily maintenance, but I'm curious what brand of wax you found best for shining boots? What's your method routine to clean, wax, and shine boots?
Do any units still have black boots that need shining?
Posted in these groups: Paratrooper boots a01 495x507 BootsAfp getty 511269685 Dress Uniform
Avatar feed
See Results
Responses: 13
HN Student
5
5
0
This post looks a bit older but I actually do high end dress shoe shining (for both civilians and military) and although I know everyone in the military swears by kiwi and I’ll agree it works just fine it is far far far from the best product for shining anything or caring for your shoe leather. I use saphir products and they are ten times better for your shoes and an easy shine than kiwi or Lincoln or angelus or any of the other baseline waxes (ten times was merely an arbitrary number don’t take it too literally). So that’s my personal advice if you enjoy shining shoes and don’t mind spending more money to take better care of your leather boots or dress shoes.
(5)
Comment
(0)
SSG Carlos Madden
SSG Carlos Madden
>1 y
Thanks for the response. I've actually never heard of Saphir.
(2)
Reply
(0)
HN Student
HN (Join to see)
>1 y
SSG Carlos Madden glad to help, if you wanna see some great videos of someone using it look up Elegant Oxford on YouTube. Methods will change from using Kiwi so it’s best to watch how someone with experience applies it. (Important note: using the saphir conditioner is great no matter what sort of wax you put on afterwards and will increase the longevity of your shoe, it is known in the shoe shining world as “liquid gold”)
(2)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
1SG Civil Affairs Specialist
5
5
0
The old Kiwi and a bit of water.
Got to soften them up in the bathtub and saddle soap them down first.
Two, maybe three coats the first time, after that, pretty easy to maintain unless you tore them up training or in the motor pool.
(5)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
SPC Trainee
5
5
0
Using a drop or two of water and using a circular motion to rub the polish in. Then after getting the whole boot, taking the brush and lightly grazing it taking a soft cloth and touching up the areas that needed it. This method always has kept my boots looking clean and glossy.
(5)
Comment
(0)
SSG Carlos Madden
SSG Carlos Madden
6 y
Honest question: the army still has PVT's shining boots?
(5)
Reply
(0)
SPC Trainee
SPC (Join to see)
6 y
SSG Carlos Madden No, I wish. My father was in the service and he taught me to shine his boots from a young age. The only boots I shine now are my cowboy boots.
(5)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small

Join nearly 2 million former and current members of the US military, just like you.

close