How to spit and polish shoes the military way:
If you haven’t had the pleasure of serving in the British military and taught how to spit and polish your shoes in order to obtain that mirror finish – here’s how:
- Insert shoe trees and remove laces. Displace any dirt or dust with a horsehair brush. Any stubborn dirt can be removed with the help of a warm, damp sloth. But allow the leather to dry before proceeding.
- With a soft cloth apply some cream in a circular motion to the entire shoe but concentrating on any areas showing signs of creasing and abrasion. Then allow to dry a little before proceeding to stage 3.
- Apply a good quality wax polish with a soft cloth or brush in a circular motion to bring back the colour and shine. Select a wax polish slightly lighter than the colour of the shoe to avoid altering the colour. Then vigorously buff the shoes with a horsehair brush and finally briskly rub with a soft cloth to bring back the shine.
- Apply a few drops of water or spit to the leather and then repeat stage 3. The water and wax combination will gradually fill the natural leather grain for a smooth finish. It’s best to build up the layers using a minimum amount of polish and liquid but applied vigorously. Finally buff the shoes with a soft, clean, dry cloth. The trick is to use plenty of elbow grease and effort and gradually a mirror finish will appear.
