How many of you used to shine or still shine your boots?

ENS Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 02:48:34 -0400

How many of the Rally Point members used to shine their boots? How many of you still do? Please post your pictures below along with any stories you may have!

The single pair of boots on the wooden desk were an FCC's boots. I shined them when he went home after jokingly saying, "Martin, I expect my boots to look like yours by tomorrow!" He showed them off like a Christmas present on Monday!

P.S The above pictures are mine.

Response by TSgt Joe C. made Aug 22 at 2016 2:51 AM

TSgt Joe C. — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 02:51:59 -0400

Used shine quite a bit ENS Private RallyPoint Member

Response by SPC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 22 at 2016 2:53 AM

SPC(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 02:53:19 -0400

While these were before my time, my DS made us clean our tan boots on a daily basis

Response by CSM Richard Welsch made Aug 22 at 2016 2:57 AM

CSM Richard Welsch — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 02:57:54 -0400

That display of your boots and dogtags look nice,Great idea.
I don't shine my boots anymore but I do shine my shoes.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Aug 22 at 2016 3:17 AM

Capt Seid Waddell — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 03:17:39 -0400

We had to spit shine our boots when I was in.

Response by Cpl Jeff N. made Aug 22 at 2016 6:42 AM

Cpl Jeff N. — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 06:42:05 -0400

I shined them every day of my time in. We had the black leather boots (sometimes with the green jungle sidings). I remember being at Parris Island every night with the command "port side shower up, starboard side shine'em up". There we would sit shining boots and brass. That is a thing of the past now. Tanned boots and anodized brass. I don' think there is anything on the uniform that needs to be shined today, perhaps wiped off. My son left Parris Island in 2010 with no Kiwi Polish or Brasso in his sea bag. I got a chuckle out of that.

Response by CPT Aaron Kletzing made Aug 22 at 2016 7:52 AM

CPT Aaron Kletzing — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 07:52:07 -0400

Those are some good looking boots!! :)

Response by SGT David T. made Aug 22 at 2016 7:54 AM

SGT David T. — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 07:54:24 -0400

I shined boots before we transitioned to the ACU. Now I shine my shoes since I don't normally wear boots anymore.

Response by CMSgt Mark Schubert made Aug 22 at 2016 8:01 AM

CMSgt Mark Schubert — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 08:01:19 -0400

I used too - but I don't wear anything "shineable" anymore (all suede shoes/boots).

Response by COL John McClellan made Aug 22 at 2016 9:09 AM

COL John McClellan — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 09:09:30 -0400

Ohhh yes! Shined boots for all but the last few years of 31 years...starting as an ROTC Cadet! Learning to apply a proper "spit shine" was a bonding exercise for new Cadets and one of the ways you learned and adopted Army Values like Duty, Loyalty, etc.

Response by MSgt James Mullis made Aug 22 at 2016 9:34 AM

MSgt James Mullis — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 09:34:25 -0400

I always hated spit shining my boots. As an Airman in the early 80's, I remember being called to my Squadron Commanders office to be congratulated for winning a best maintained vehicle competition. I had spent the morning cutting weeds on the fence-line of the bomb dump and my boots and uniform showed it. After dusting myself off, I grabbed a can of black toner/spray paint and quick shined my boots. It was the best shine I ever had, until the paint started peeling off.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 22 at 2016 10:01 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 10:01:17 -0400

I remember the days of spit shining boots. Thanks ENS Private RallyPoint Member

Response by Maj Marty Hogan made Aug 22 at 2016 10:23 AM

Maj Marty Hogan — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 10:23:14 -0400

We were the suede type boots now- but my motorcycle boots are normally very shiny. Old habits...

Response by COL Mikel J. Burroughs made Aug 22 at 2016 10:24 AM

COL Mikel J. Burroughs — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 10:24:22 -0400

ENS Private RallyPoint Member Absolutley. Spit shine them right up until the time I moved over to Desert Boots! Was darn good at it too!

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 22 at 2016 10:52 AM

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 10:52:50 -0400

I did at shore commands. Even then I had a special pair for honor guard. Then I went to a ship and started catching the toes on knee-knockers and the underside of the ladders and every other possible boot-gouging surface. So, shining them didn't last long. Just a buffed glob of polish every now and then to fill in the holes.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 22 at 2016 12:01 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 12:01:07 -0400

I used to back in the day when we were wearing BDU's , kinda miss that part of being a soldier.

Response by SN Greg Wright made Aug 22 at 2016 12:25 PM

SN Greg Wright — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 12:25:52 -0400

What, that's optional now?

Response by TSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 22 at 2016 2:08 PM

TSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 14:08:27 -0400

I was never very good at it. but yeah I remember doing that. at the time of the uniform transition I was super excited about not shining boots anymore. but I miss it these days.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 22 at 2016 2:23 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 14:23:46 -0400

Shined a many a pair, still have one pair in the closet. As an engineer we had a special formula that we used, once the boot was shined to wipe over the toe and heal to make the shine hold up even after washing wet cement off them.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 22 at 2016 2:36 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 14:36:12 -0400

Definitely remembering doing that, don't have any pictures to post on here, I use to be on the 101st Division Honor Guard we had boot shinning down to a science.

Response by CPT Tom Monahan made Aug 22 at 2016 4:09 PM

CPT Tom Monahan — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 16:09:22 -0400

I did and thought it was a huge waste of time for a Battle Dress Uniform.

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 22 at 2016 6:02 PM

SCPO Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 18:02:10 -0400

I'm older than 65 now...I WEAR SLIPPERS MOST OF THE TIME!!!

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Aug 22 at 2016 6:21 PM

CSM Charles Hayden — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 18:21:25 -0400

ENS Private RallyPoint Member Those 2 Buckle boots had 'rough-out' bottoms. I managed to spit shine them for hand-carrying to guard mount. The shine started cracking with the first step. Never-the-less they always earned supernumerary for me.

Response by MSgt Richard Rountree made Aug 22 at 2016 6:22 PM

MSgt Richard Rountree — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 18:22:02 -0400

Used to. Now it's just clean and black. The shine (on the left boot) doesn't last more than a few seconds on a motorcycle without a heel shifter...

Response by SGT Philip Roncari made Aug 22 at 2016 6:53 PM

SGT Philip Roncari — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 18:53:49 -0400

The last times that I remember spit shinning boots were NCO academy Ft. Hood 1968 and guard mount sergeant Ft. Polk La.I have to admit I do still spit shine my dress shoes that I wear with suits for weddings and such funny how the old vets will pick up on it right away led to some great reminiscing of the old days.

Response by PFC Jessi West made Aug 22 at 2016 7:00 PM

PFC Jessi West — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 19:00:56 -0400

I wore the desert tans.

Response by SGT Jerrold Pesz made Aug 22 at 2016 7:19 PM

SGT Jerrold Pesz — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 19:19:49 -0400

I rarely wear boots anymore but I still keep my shoes as highly shined as I can get them.

Response by LTC Stephen C. made Aug 22 at 2016 9:41 PM

LTC Stephen C. — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 21:41:31 -0400

ENS Private RallyPoint Member, when I finished jump school at Fort Benning, GA in 1970, I purchased a pair of Corcoran jump boots, and always had a pair until I retired in 1998. I still have the last pair I purchased. I'm shown here at Fort Benning on 10APR70 with my brand new Corcorans, just prior to shipping out to Fort Bragg, NC.

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Aug 23 at 2016 5:38 PM

CSM Darieus ZaGara — Tue, 23 Aug 2016 17:38:30 -0400

I wish that the chosen pair was not that of a Fallen Warrior.

Response by SGT Patrick Reno made Aug 24 at 2016 11:17 AM

SGT Patrick Reno — Wed, 24 Aug 2016 11:17:02 -0400

My fingers start to cramp up just thinking about it.

Response by Cpl D L Parker made Aug 24 at 2016 10:36 PM

Cpl D L Parker — Wed, 24 Aug 2016 22:36:31 -0400

I had an inspection were I was wearing my Creighton shirt and spit shined shoes the other Marines were wearing their boot camp issues shirts and corfams shoes. The inspector walked right by me!!!

Response by 1LT Peter Duston made Aug 25 at 2016 1:08 PM

1LT Peter Duston — Thu, 25 Aug 2016 13:08:33 -0400

77 years old - used to shine first my brown boots then black boots and still shine my black boots we wear unbloused while standing in the snow in a cemetery serving with the USAF Honor Guard as a bugler. I can still do a pretty good spit shine..

Response by 1LT Peter Duston made Aug 25 at 2016 1:08 PM

1LT Peter Duston — Thu, 25 Aug 2016 13:08:36 -0400

Response by SSG Lewis Smith made Jun 21 at 2017 12:59 PM

SSG Lewis Smith — Wed, 21 Jun 2017 12:59:01 -0400

That was the standard and expectation.

Response by SGT Steve Hines-Saich B.S. M.S. Cybersecurity made Jun 25 at 2017 8:33 PM

SGT Steve Hines-Saich B.S. M.S. Cybersecurity — Sun, 25 Jun 2017 20:33:02 -0400

Joined in 03 we were still shining boots. I also had drill sergeants in AIT who made sure I knew how to iron BDUs.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Jun 25 at 2017 9:25 PM

CSM Charles Hayden — Sun, 25 Jun 2017 21:25:22 -0400

MSgt James Mullis Vehicle maintenance? Korea, 1954, action over, CS coming back into the Army. T-43, "my" 3/4 Ton Dodge truck, w/ a gasoline heater for the cab on the left fender, always looked GOOD!
The small PX @ HQ, IX Corps stocked Neutral KIWI Polish!

Response by SPC John Parmenter made Jun 25 at 2017 9:57 PM

SPC John Parmenter — Sun, 25 Jun 2017 21:57:48 -0400

YES! Best looking boots in Wildflecken. More recently, I got a pair of Corcorans to wear with my "Veterans Costume" at the local Veterans' Day Parade. They take a real nice "sponge shine" but wouldn't have cut it in my Army days.

Response by WO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 25 at 2017 10:24 PM

WO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 25 Jun 2017 22:24:55 -0400

Ha, yep! I joined in the black boots days. Jump boots in the closet, too. It's a skill I still use on my dress shoes and biker boots, today.

Response by SGT Matthew S. made Jun 25 at 2017 10:35 PM

SGT Matthew S. — Sun, 25 Jun 2017 22:35:27 -0400

I learned to polish boots in Basic, and got relatively good at it. Don't have any "polish" boots these days, but I taught my wife how to shine (and still help from time to time) the boots she wears when she works EMS.

Response by 1LT Peter Duston made Jun 26 at 2017 10:32 AM

1LT Peter Duston — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 10:32:42 -0400

Being old and nostalgic, reminds me of the song the piano player at "der Sepple" in Heidelberg would play when we GI's would drop in for a beer (or many) back in 1958-60.
"When I was just a PFC, I ask my Sergeant, what will I be. Will I make Corporal or SFC? This is what he said to me: "Oh re-up, re-up for all the benefits, the future's not ours to see, so re-up, re-up!"
Now I am just an old spec-3, I asked my Sergeant, what will I be? Who makes my bed and shines my shoes? Here's what he said to me: "Oh Mox Nix, Mox Nix, the Army can go to Hell, so bring me "ein Bier" Mox Schnell, Oh Mox Nix, Mox Nix!" " all to the tune of a '50's song Que Sera...

I was reminded by the who shines my shoes line!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Response by Cpl Cid Silvano made Apr 18 at 2019 8:35 PM

Cpl Cid Silvano — Thu, 18 Apr 2019 20:35:03 -0400

Yep, Every day. Made them boots shine like glass.

Response by HN Private RallyPoint Member made May 14 at 2020 10:48 AM

HN Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 14 May 2020 10:48:16 -0400

I’m late to the post but I looked up shine and here’s what I do (I wear suedes but I do high end shining with saphir products for my clients, civilian and military side)