What's the proper way to shine shoes?

Question

I am a uniformed worker and want a really good shine. Do you put on the polish and then buff with the cloth and then brush, or do you put on the polish, brush and then use the cloth. Any suggestions. The shinier the better!

Answer 1

Here's how they taught us to do it in the navy:

Use a soft cotton cloth and wrap it around the first two fingers (index and middle) of the hand you're going to polish with. Dip your two fingers into some water (some people put water in the lid of the polish can) and then smear them around on the surface of the polish to get some polish on the cloth. Then start rubbing the polish on in circular motions on all parts of the shoe. Get more polish on your fingertips as needed. As you rub it on, smooth it out with the cloth.

The parts of the shoe that really stand out are the toe and the heel. Spend a lot of time in these areas. Redip your fingers in the water and rub lightly in a circular motion for several minutes. Add more polish if it seems to need more and continue rubbing until you're satisfied with the shine.

If you're in a hurry and just want to get the shoes black (or whatever color you're using), you can apply the polish onto the shoes using the same method as above, but without doing any polishing. Then, you use the brush to smooth out the surfaces of the shoes and to remove any extra polish.

Also, you use the brush in between polishings to remove any dust or dirt that may accumulate.

Answer 2

I was in the military too and I used to apply my polish to my shoes and then use a lighter to melt it in. If you're not comfortable with that, you can also melt the polish in the can and then apply it to your shoes. Use the brush after you've applied the polish. You won't have to use as much elbow grease and you get a really good shine.

Answer 3

kiwi makes a great polish called parade gloss works great