Alright, if you were in the Corps at one point and actually cared for your senior boots, I would appreciate some positive feedback on boot shining as well as conditioning.

Well actually, the shining part I have down pretty well, but the conditioning part is new to me. I already slathered on melatonian (colored boot cream, red mahogany 12)and got it to the color I desire. I have been using Lincoln brown polish. I haven't applied any of the melatonian conditioning oil (mink oil for some) and would like to know where and how much I should apply. Should I have done that first, or is it the last thing I do? I've heard of cadets applying it to the leather sole of the boot too. Recommended?

Are you trying to figure out how to polish your boots or another pair of shoes?

I'm trying to figure out how to properly use the conditioning cream on my senior boots. Shining them isn't the issue, but I am always open to suggestion and advice that can make my boot shining more efficient

Then just say you're a rising zip that needs help with his boots.

Is this what you're talking about?

http://www.shoetreemarketplace.com/mobile/product.aspx?ProductCode=401001&404;http://www.shoetreemarketplace.com:80/Meltonian-Conditioning-Oil-p/401001.htm=

If so it only goes on the sole. You should've been told that when you picked your boots up. You also have access to people that just spent a year wearing their boots.

we used Venetian boot creme for our boots, which polishes and takes care of the leather.

I have the neutral for sale so if you are interested email me

jeff @ behavioralskills dot net

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You also have access to people that just spent a year wearing their boots.

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the current crop of cadets wearing boots took very little effort in shining them, my niece included. I am extremely disappointed in the care and shine of the senior boots.

If you spend $1200+ for boots you should polish and care for them daily and take pride in the appearance of a highly shined pair of boots.

My boots haven't been shined in 30 years and they are shinier than majority of the class of 16's boots

I used the same approach with my boots as I did with my spits, minus the initial coats of leather dye. I used the oil/lotion/gel/dye stuff when I first got them to get the desired color. The debate between Lincoln and Kiwi is as old as time, but I'm a Kiwi guy. Catch with either is you can get two different things out of one can. You get low grade wax when you swipe but get the higher quality oil when you press into the can. I actually kept a can for swiping/wax and a separate can for oil. Don't use a t-shirt to shine. Go buy a pack of dust free cloths. Wal-Mart, Kroger's, whatever. They're in the cleaning section. You can wash them with your clothes and the pack will last you forever. Blue or pink are the best. I dunno why. They just are.

Once you get the color you want, you've gotta start putting on brush coats to establish a base. Use the small round brush to apply. Use a clean rectangular brush to brush off. Tape up your laces first. Painter's tape is fine. Every 4-5 coats, put them on and walk around to avoid excess buildup that leads to cracking. There's also a sanding step that requires 1600 or finer grit. Light (and I mean light) sanding after every 5-10 brush coats helps to smooth the layers of wax and eventually give you the mirrored look.

Once you finish your brush coats, go into the shining part. Don't dip your rag into water and don't put water in the lid of the can. Go buy a cheap spray bottle. Put a towel down on the floor to avoid messes. Start with a couple of wax coats. You'll find the right water:polish ratio over time. The rag should smoothly roll across the surface without leaving excess water beads. Cover every inch of the boot. Don't neglect the barrel.

Then, one more sanding session and you're ready for oil. Get to a clean spot on the rag, mist spray a couple of times and then press downward into the can. You'll notice a different look on the rag, but the oil is there. Small circles, maintain good water: oil ratio. Again, whole boot.

To get rid of the shining swirls, wet down a cotton ball and do small circles back over the shined boot. Either blow the water off with an air compressor or you can just grab a straw and try not to hyperventilate. Haha.

Now do that every night while studying. The summer is the best time to establish a long lasting base. Kiwi doesn't shine leather. Kiwi shines kiwi. Stay away from lighters.

I had really squared away boots from the toe box up to the top of the barrels. I used to use a leather conditioner lotion I got from Hollicks for the inside and the outside every 2-3 weeks. I used a combination of meltonian red mahogany and burgandy to get a slightly darker shade. I would do 2-3 polishes with red mahogany for every burgandy. I found the darker burgandy shined a little better. I did not use any of the colored hard wax polishes like Kiwi, but I did occassionally put on a coat of neutral on top on the lower part to help with water protection and give a little extra shine.

It was my opinion that using brown wax polish, like Kiwi, lead to uneven coloring of the leather. Because I used the cream, it was harder to get a mirror shine, but I think it looked better than having brown patches that were shiny.

I can't speak for the mink oil. I suppose its purpose is to waterproof like was mentioned above. If that's the case, I would definitely use it on the soles. You could use it on the upper, but that could cause problems when polishing. I think the boot cream polish has enough water resistant elements in it for the use of most zips walking to class in the rain. We used to use a silicone sealant for our soles that came in a glass bottle with a brush. I heard they stopped making

One tip I recommend if you're really interested in making your boots look squared away is to go to Home Depot or some auto/hardware store and buy a white grease pencil. The threads on the lip of the soles are going to get polish on them no matter how careful you are, and they're going to just get dirty over time. Use the pencil on those threads and it really makes them pop, and it's very noticeable when you stand next to folks that don't do it.

Also, take an old t-shirt and roll it into a log shape so it's probably 10-12 inches long and several inches in diameter. Stick that in some pantyhose all the way to the end, then twist it at the open end of the pantyhose and fold the pantyhose back over, and repeat until you run out of panty hose. Use that to buff your boots and even out uneven applications of polish. It works well inbetween polishings to buff up the shine a bit, but it doesn't replace polish. You really need to put a lot of polish on it, and polish at least weekly.

Hell, I have forgotten most if not all the details of what I did. For some reason I remember cotton balls.... lots of cotton balls, doing small circles..... lots of venetian too.

I bought a neutral wax for my boots to get the shine better once I like the color I get with my burgundy cream. I agree that the colored waxes cause an uneven coloring as well. Also use the shirt in hose to buff

I think what you'll find, and it's becoming evident even in this thread, is that there are a bunch of different approaches to it. Everybody finds what works for them and results are all that matter. The one constant already displayed is that there are no shortcuts. Just old fashioned work. If your boots are a point of pride, though, it will turn into a normal task and seem less like work. Crappy looking boots are wildly unacceptable.

I was the sixth owner of my boots, and they were the best looking of any I saw my zip year. They had been lovingly cared for and shined by each owner, and I continued the treatment. I sold them, and they may still be walking the campus.

I agree with comments regarding the lackluster appearance of most senior boots these days. That is an observation, not intended to be an insult.

Without combat boots or low quarters to polish are the Cadet's senior boots the first set of footware they have to polish on a regular basis?
Something I hadn't even considered.

Are they not wearing actual leather low quarters any more? Did they go to patent leather?

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Are they not wearing actual leather low quarters any more? Did they go to patent leather?

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You mean like the shiny plastic shoes little girls wear to church on Easter? Dear god........

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Are they not wearing actual leather low quarters any more? Did they go to patent leather?

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Women cadets wear patent leather, male cadets wear leather low quarters.

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Are they not wearing actual leather low quarters any more? Did they go to patent leather?

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Women cadets wear patent leather, male cadets wear leather low quarters.

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Females still have leather low quarters. Their heels are patent leather.

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Are they not wearing actual leather low quarters any more? Did they go to patent leather?

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Women cadets wear patent leather, male cadets wear leather low quarters.

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Females still have leather low quarters. Their heels are patent leather.

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My niece '16 didn't shine her shoes so I figured they were patent leather

Pretty sure that's only for their heels, when they wear their skirts.

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Pretty sure that's only for their heels, when they wear their skirts.

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It is.

I'm going to have to remember this stuff once I finally get my boots.

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I'm going to have to remember this stuff once I finally get my boots.

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Think some time on your face will help set that memory in.