I think I'm OCD with my JROTC shoes...

[fighter25]

I'm in Air Force JROTC (Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps) and in the Air Force (or any military branch) shined shoes are important.
I don't like to brag but I though my shine was pretty good.

[C]

I can see the leather texture - good shine though...


There's an easier way over in the UK (and bearing in mind our parade shoes have toecaps - they're essentially oxford pattern shoes)...


...take them to the painting and finishing section, and for a packet of biscuits (cookies) you'll have permanently shiny, wipe clean shoes!

[machineman9]

A much better reflection than my cadet parade shoes, but mine are a bit smoother with the polish.

What's your method... Kiwi and water and a lot of lot of time?


(Seems like a good time as ever to learn some real military practises)


Good job though  ;)

[C]

What's your method... Kiwi and water and a lot of lot of time?


(Seems like a good time as ever to learn some real military practises)

Through training, your first method, and lots of late nights with the iron, ironing board and the shoe polish!

After that, most of my compatriots took theirs to the paint shop, although I wear mine so infrequently that I just do it manually.

[machineman9]

Well I still have a while of using these for cadets non the less. May aswell try and learn some better methods for doing this.

I've seen something like a rubberish black paint be put on the toe cap and I've heard of 'Tornado nose cone paint'. Though the latter seems to be fictional and it seems to be a sort of clear lacquer of sorts. Not to mention all the other wierd and wonderful ways of getting a shine... Bees Wax, banana peels, etc.

I think it's interesting to see how others do things like this.

[C]

Well I still have a while of using these for cadets non the less. May aswell try and learn some better methods for doing this.

Don't spend too long - there are more important things in life, no matter what ATC CWOs and AWOs say!

I've seen something like a rubberish black paint be put on the toe cap and I've heard of 'Tornado nose cone paint'. Though the latter seems to be fictional and it seems to be a sort of clear lacquer of sorts.

Indeed it is. A good rumour though. Most paintshops do a good job though for a fair price.

Not to mention all the other wierd and wonderful ways of getting a shine... Bees Wax, banana peels, etc.

Good if you have spare shoes should it all go wrong!

[machineman9]

I think gaining knowledge is the key to the first point: Need new methods for better shine which will save me time.

Seems like every time some annoying little cadet treads on my feet it is either hours trying to repair, or when I walk through grass/get rained on/get a large patch scraped off I had to remove all the polish or it won't go back on the shoe at all.


Was planning on vacuum forming my shoe in technology to get a plastic guard for the nose caps, but I don't think melting the polish would work and I doubt the shoe would fit into the machine. *Sigh*. There has to be a better way, lol. And I'm one for high(ish) standards  ;)

[C]

[quote]
Was planning on vacuum forming my shoe in technology to get a plastic guard for the nose caps, but I don't think melting the polish would work and I doubt the shoe would fit into the machine. *Sigh*. There has to be a better way, lol. And I'm one for high(ish) standards

[machineman9]

Certainly different... But as per all my master plans it seems to fail somewhere soon after the 'thought' section.

One day.....    ::)

[tcco94]

Nice the Air Force 8-)
There cool... and I think those shoes look pretty clean!

[BFMF]

I remember the days of polishing black combat boots with the old BDUs. Nice job....

Thank God for desert combat boots....

[expat]

I can see the leather texture - good shine though...


There's an easier way over in the UK (and bearing in mind our parade shoes have toecaps - they're essentially oxford pattern shoes)...


...take them to the painting and finishing section, and for a packet of biscuits (cookies) you'll have permanently shiny, wipe clean shoes!

Both points, you beat me to it. To keep the SWO of you back, keep the painters sweat

Matt

[Hagar]

To keep the SWO of you back, keep the painters sweat

Matt

Before anyone gets the wrong idea I think you mean sweet.

I though they'd done away with all this bullshlt nonsense years ago.

[Fozzer]

To keep the SWO of you back, keep the painters sweat ;D

Matt

Before anyone gets the wrong idea I think you mean sweet. :P :D

I though they'd done away with all this bullshlt nonsense years ago.

One of the many reasons why I/we didn't "sign on" in the Army after completing my/our 2-Years National Service.

The "BS" always seemed a waste of our other technical skills which we were always eager to carry out... >:(...!

(We were Technicians in the REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers)

Polishing boots, polishing badge and buttons, Blancoing* Army Webbing, .....and painting coal white, etc...etc..!...Good grief... ...!

...and being told/ordered what to do!... .... ....!

Paul...(Dad's Army)... .... ...!

*

[C]

To keep the SWO of you back, keep the painters sweat

Matt

Before anyone gets the wrong idea I think you mean sweet.

I though they'd done away with all this bullshlt nonsense years ago.

Essentially they have. In my case we had four weeks of it, but after our first couple of inspections they saw we were more than capable and layed off us for the rest of the time (there's a key to a good inspection locker - it's called spare uniform - you can just get a spare set and keep them untouched in the locker for as long as needed).

I'm sure the other ranks have it a lot harder in their basic, but I doubt it's as severe as the Carry on Sergeant (Paul's) day!