Boot cleaning / polishing / care of

[rwgill]

Rather than using a knife, use ultra fine steel wool.  It's available at most hardware stores, usually in the paint section.  Use it lightly along with hot water.  Make sure that you rinse off the shoes/boot well before polishing.  You sometimes leave little bits of the steel wool on the shoe/boot.

 

[Kat Stevens]

Hot running water and a scoth brite pad will work.  Be prepared to pour the polish to them later.  Take the opportunity while they're wet to break them in, too.  If you wear them for the first time after getting a good shine, they'll look like the centre of a fried marble in about 30 seconds.

 

[NL_engineer]

Well write a complaint to Logisticorp about it, but still you have something on there and stripping it will remove it.  I never had a problem with mine. But then again mine are over 20 years old and I did have to strip them once as I cheated on my ISCC and put some gloss onto them to keep the shine up.  Works great if you don't wear them but cracks to high heaven once you do.  Hot, hot water with vinegar in it and a scrub brush. there are many other ways you can do it but since I don't know what coating you have on it I would recommend that see a shoe store about something to strip it back to the leather.

I think something like a UCR will work better.

Well my oxfords are still sitting in their box (with no chance of being worn)

 

[40below]

Rather than using a knife, use ultra fine steel wool.  It's available at most hardware stores, usually in the paint section.  Use it lightly along with hot water.  Make sure that you rinse off the shoes/boot well before polishing.  You sometimes leave little bits of the steel wool on the shoe/boot.

Funny, I had this same problem with a pair of Florsheims that I bought recently. They were apparently treated with some sort of no-maintenance finish that repels salt while at the same time gives them a kind of crappy half-shine (at best). Maybe shoe makers are doing this routinely for people who can't be bothered shining their shoes. Anyway, when I tried to polish them, the Kiwi wouldn't stick as described. I used some very fine steel wool (grade 0000) that I use on my wood furniture, it's almost like cotton wool in texture, and it was enough to strip the coating then they finally took a shine. You could probably use the next grade up, 000, which is a little rougher, most hardware places sell it and even Canadian Tire, IIRC, but I wouldn't use a kitchen scouring pad because you might really gouge the leather.

 

[Guardsman]

Thanks for all the tips. The blade and hot water seemed to work, only scrapping very lightly. When ever it started to peel I'd add more polish and if it kept dpoing it I'd put the boot down for about an hour to let it dry off, then wipe off the excess and start over. Finally the boots are almost up to standard. Thanks again for all the help and useful tips, it was very much appreciated!

 

[daftandbarmy]

Thanks for all the tips. The blade and hot water seemed to work, only scrapping very lightly. When ever it started to peel I'd add more polish and if it kept dpoing it I'd put the boot down for about an hour to let it dry off, then wipe off the excess and start over. Finally the boots are almost up to standard. Thanks again for all the help and useful tips, it was very much appreciated!

Good Lord. I wonder if they calculated the cost (in time) of shining these things properly into the overall budget for the 'Oxford Project'. I'm sure we could cure Cancer if we pooled all the time and effort wasted due to a defective product  ;D

 

[pstrois]

Ok, this is a big issue, DEU boots, Ive heard many story's about the best techniques to go about to make them shine. All of them are extremely time consuming. .. exept maybe painting them, but be ready to answer some questions if you do that.

Alright So I had a paradeless and inspectionless summer, so I decided to re-do my Parade boots.

Remember that if you do what I tell you , you will destroy your current finish and hafto work extra hard this week. But It could work if your boots are cracking alot, or simply chipping away. I used to be in cadets and find that the new model vibram boots are realy tough to get a good base on.
So
I worked a little and this method will give you certain good results.

First you will need a Mop Sink close by,

Use HOT water and a Heavy bristled Nylon brush! And a small dull bladed knife.

GIVER! SCRAP THEM BOOTS!

Make shure all the polish is off them( or it will render your work useless), Use your finger-nail to check.
GOOD LIGHTING HELPS FOR THIS

NOW!

Get your Scotch Bright pad and Buff the leather, work it untill it seems worn, Especialy the toe cap. Dont worry this will make a poreous base for the coats of polish to adhear to.

RINCE with HOt water!!!


NOW!

Apply a light coat of polish, leave it on boot for the night and the following day, brush shine when you shine your Combats' AZN
Repeat this step untill you can tell that the worn leather on your cap is nicely brush shined and seems ready for SPIT.

Ok!!!!
If your still with me..

GO TO CANEX or wherever you get your polish, Get a new can of polish(make shure your can is not stale canex screwed me a few times, so now I check) AND RAG!!! VERY IMPORTANT! NEW= No dust Crap... = NICE SPIT!


Alright!

Now Spit like usual.. no secrets here..

Light coats
and time, get rid of them clowdy spots,

After each coat, put your laces on and walk a bit, polish will crack naturaly,,, RINCE WITH COLD WATER

NOT HOT.. HOT WILL SCRAP YOUR BOOTS!


VOILA!

DEs super belle bottes de parades..

Sorry for any typing mistakes..


thanks for any feedback!


pstrois!

 

[Eye In The Sky]

They are actually called ankle boots vice DEU boots, and capital letters used in written correspondence are usually interpreted as yelling.

Here is another variation of what you've posted, and the one I am using on my new ankle boots from LogistikUnicorps:  http://www.stompersboots.com/extras/spitshine.txt

While I am sure your boots look great in your opinion, I for one do not want to gouge the sh*t out of my boots with a heavy nylon brush, as I know the polish makes them shiny by filling in the little holes, cracks, etc in the leather.  I'd not want to potentially add more scratches to the leather. 

 

[IntlBr]

Spend the summer with the Ceremonial Guard. 

 

[pstrois]

Dont be a worry wart Eye in the sky, I wasint yelling at you..........................
.......................

Now I have a few points that were brought to my attention while reading the article you refered me to....

First!

the article itself dates from 1999 in which case the newer VIBRAM soles were not in service yet...
Anyways.


Secondly!

Step 4:
Now here comes the technology: After you have applied the polish to the boot,
take a hair dryer using the hot setting, and slowly blast hot air over the boot.
You will see the polish melt briefly as the hot air does its thing. This melts
the polish into the leather.


Ya shure,, a hair dryer is big 21st century technology eh.
That actualy dry's the leather and makes the boot crack. Been there done that .. Burn shines or any kind of heat will scrap boots

Thirdly!

There usually comes a time, when the old polish is chipped, flaking off in places,
and/or has major scratches, that your only option is to strip the polish off the
entire pair of boots and start afresh. US military tradition requires the old
polish to be stripped on a regular basis. Canadian and British tradition is to
build up layers of polish over the years. Choose your tradition!


Well how about ... This is not about technology or tradition but simply physics.
How to make the least amount of layers on your boots with them sticking permanently and not flaking off....

8)


Cheers

La vie est belle

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Dont be a worry wart Eye in the sky, I wasint yelling at you..........................
.......................

Who said I was worried.  I don't worry.   :   If I did, it wouldn't be by you, or about boot polishing or capital letters on a website.  I was subtly trying to point out that your post was presented stupidly IMO.  You missed that.

Technology?  Tradition?   ???

Anyways, I've already used way too many keystrokes on this one. 

Play safe!

 

[pstrois]

I reply,
If you beleive that because I posted with capital letters Stupidly posting .. Perhaps you should rethink your attitude on life, and perhaps get off that computer from time to time and actualy spend some time off this site. Sorry No offence, but I truly think your lacking intergrity,  by thinking you have put too many keystrokes on this thread, If but all I should be the one not responding to that.

Anyways Il be around, reading, pondering  and probably posting stupidly some no good keystroke limit slurrs


Bonne soirée camarade

 

[Eye In The Sky]

I was subtly trying to point out that your post was presented stupidly IMO.  You missed that.

I said presented stupidly, and I also said IMO, which I am entitled to, just like everyone else, yourself included. 

I won't be enticed into your *sticks and stones might break my bones* game.  I spend lots of time off my computer, this site and you have no idea what my attitude on life is Pierre, sitting up there on PRETC as you await your Lineman 3s course, having been in since what, January 13th of this year? 

It was constructive criticism, not a personal attack.   :

Try using the Spell Check feature, it works.

 

[xena]

I used to be in cadets...

http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/76543.0.html

 

[Towards_the_gap]

You should get out more. Barrie has an awesome nightlife I hear.

Boots really aren't that big a deal in the field army (real world).

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Boot polishing has been done to death on this site. No need to flog another thread on the subject.

Locked

Milnet.ca Staff

 

[clarkey211]

hey i recently bought some grafter boots, but after endless polishing whenever i wear them the polish just flakes off,
anyone got any ideas on how to prevent the flaking??

 

[Gunnar]

I'm not military, so take this for what it's worth....

I wore mine in the shower, and cleaned off all the old polish with a brillo pad.  Then started applying polish from scratch.  Soon, after many, many small circles, I was able to get that mirror shine.

Polish still tends to flake from flexure points however.

Hope this helps.

 

[clarkey211]

nahh i think there are better ways of doing it cas im not to partial to putting my boots in a shower tbh lol, but thanks for the idea

 

[Nfld Sapper]

What has to be done is all the old polish must be striped off, try doing a search of this site it is mentioned somewhere.