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How to
Give Your Shoes That Military Mirror Shine!
Steps
- Brush off any dirt or dust on the
boot, from heel to toe with the hard-bristled
brush.
-
Wrap the duster cloth around your index finger,
making sure there are no wrinkles. Apply a medium
layer of polish to the boot using the duster and
your finger. Rubbing in until a faint shine starts
to show.
-
Once the faint shine comes through and the polish
has been worked into the boot, take your index
finger and the cloth and dip it lightly into the
water, and start rubbing it into the boot over the
polish in small circles about an inch wide. Keep
doing this until a greater shine comes through and
the swirls start to disappear.
-
Leave it to dry for a few minutes, and then once
dry, take your index finger again and apply a
thin layer of polish to the boot, start
rubbing it in until an even better shine comes
through, then apply the water to it using the
method in Step 3. Leave to dry again.
-
Take the damp index finger and apply a tiny dot of
polish to the boot and work in till it shines. Make
sure that the cloth is very damp but not dripping.
-
Repeat Step 5 until you get the desired level of
shine.
-
Take the duster (fold it into a smallish rectangle)
or soft shoe brush and buff the boot all over until
it starts to shine as much as you want it to be.
-
Repeat until happy with results
More Tips
-
Make sure that the polish you use is a Kiwi brand,
as other brands will probably tarnish your boots
and contain chemicals that will make them crack
-
You can also use vinegar instead of warm water for
improved results.
-
In step 6 you should apply maybe about 8-9
layers as it gives best shine.
-
Apply the polish to the sole edges as well. Boots
look much neater and greater if they are cleaned
literally from ground to top.
-
You may also want to consider using cotton wool
unless your duster has been boil washed because of
the yellow dye in the duster.
-
To get a gleaming shine, use Kiwi boot polish - it
contains silicone, which makes the shoe/boot much
shinier - but will make the boots crack IF they are
the base layer.
-
Another option is to use Leather Luster. This is a
product that you paint on to the boot and allow to
dry. This will give you an almost "instant" mirror
finish with low maintenance. However, this finish
will crack and will be next to impossible to
remove. It should only be used on surfaces that
will not bend.
-
Another point to think about is to melt the polish
onto the boot/shoe - sit the polish tin in hot
water to soften to a thin paste and rub in.
-
Old stockings are the best to use for buffing -
just make sure they are old and not your mum's!
-
The back of a teaspoon can be used to press normal
polish into cracks in the boot before adding a coat
of parade gloss to give the shine.
Warnings
-
Do not use alcohol as it can strip the already
existing polish of the shoes!
-
Be wary when using Kiwi Parade Gloss as the
silicone in the wax will create large, deep
scratches in the polish if and when you scuff your
shoe
-
Do NOT ever use a lighter to try to melt the
polish. If you're melting the polish you're doing
it wrong anyway, and you'll just burn your boots.
Things You'll Need
-
Tin of Wax-based Polish Kiwi Shoe polish
-
Yellow Dusting cloth
-
1 Soft Bristled Shoe Brush
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1 Hard Bristled Shoe Brush
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Cup of Water
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Use old tights, you won't believe the
difference.
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