Uniform Troubles

[capchiro]

Julie, It's not much of a story, but our TAC officer had been chewing our tails claiming that our shoes looked like they had been polished with Chocolate bars.  That night we sent a runner to the PX and picked up a box of Hershey bars and substituted them for the cans of Kiwi polish in our lockers, which were inspected daily.  The next day, after inspection, he threatened to make us polish our shoes with the Hershey bars.  I later heard that he was bragging at the Officer's Club to some other TAC Officers that we were finally coming together as a unit and that he was proud that we all did the Hershey bars as a unit.  Go figure.  He wasn't quite as keen about the dumpster incident, but I digress.

[PhoenixRisen]

Thanks for the heads up!  I tried pledge and also car wax - both do a nice job on my hockey helmet but didn't help here!  Bummer.

You should get yourself some KIWI Parade Gloss and polish like mad...

I've heard that the Kiwi Parade Gloss polish dries out shoes/boots quick as opposed to using regular Kiwi polish, does anyone have any opinion on this?

[MIKE]

Thanks for the heads up!  I tried pledge and also car wax - both do a nice job on my hockey helmet but didn't help here!  Bummer.

You should get yourself some KIWI Parade Gloss and polish like mad...

I've heard that the Kiwi Parade Gloss polish dries out shoes/boots quick as opposed to using regular Kiwi polish, does anyone have any opinion on this?

I haven't had any issues with Kiwi Parade Gloss on two pairs of jump boots and a pair of low-quarters, and I've used it both with and without silicon.  One light coat applied with an old t-shirt... Let it dry and buff it with the t-shirt... You can add a second coat as needed following the same steps... In my experience, you don't want to build up a base layer with this type of polish... And my boots don't last long enough or get so many coats of polish built up to require stripping.

Haven't tried using any polish on my new ICBs yet since it says not to apply any polish to them so they breathe properly (Goretex) in the care instrctions... They have cleaned up nicely with just a damp cloth so far (And they aren't dull like you would expect either... They've got a slight shine to them when you keep 'em clean.), but eventually I will need to apply some polish to them after they wear a bit more.

[WICAPMOM]

Julie, It's not much of a story, but our TAC officer had been chewing our tails claiming that our shoes looked like they had been polished with Chocolate bars.  That night we sent a runner to the PX and picked up a box of Hershey bars and substituted them for the cans of Kiwi polish in our lockers, which were inspected daily.  The next day, after inspection, he threatened to make us polish our shoes with the Hershey bars.  I later heard that he was bragging at the Officer's Club to some other TAC Officers that we were finally coming together as a unit and that he was proud that we all did the Hershey bars as a unit.  Go figure.  He wasn't quite as keen about the dumpster incident, but I digress.

That is a good memory!

[capchiro]

Julie, Where are you located?  I was a cadet at Truax Air Force Base and attended Sun Praired High School.  My wife is from Neenah...

[Matt]

Julie, Where are you located?  I was a cadet at Truax Air Force Base and attended Sun Praired High School.  My wife is from Neenah...

you were a cadet with Klitzman???  Cool...

[...]Haven't tried using any polish on my new ICBs yet since it says not to apply any polish to them so they breathe properly (Goretex) in the care instrctions... They have cleaned up nicely with just a damp cloth so far (And they aren't dull like you would expect either... They've got a slight shine to them when you keep 'em clean.), but eventually I will need to apply some polish to them after they wear a bit more.

I have a theory behind the GoreTex:
I have a pair of Matterhorns.  Goretex claims that it is unaffected by the polish, which it most likely is...  What essentially happens (this is my theory) is that because the GoreTex wicks the moisture out it goes into the leather from the inside.  If you have polish on the boot the polish also acts as a moisture bearier (especially with silicone), so what would happen, in theory, is that over time is that the leather would essentially rot from the inside out provided that you continue to put polish on.

All I use on my boots is actually leather conditioner I picked up from scout camp a couple years ago, it cleans the leather, but washes off allows it to breathe and puts a small shine into them.


Matt

[md132]

One thing that I recommend NOT using is the liquid polish that is out.  I find that if it is used, once it dries it will crack the boots and shoes.  One of my soldiers in the MDDF tried it once and I saw what happend to it during an inspection. 

1st Lt Ed Salas, CAP/SGT, MDDF
MD Wing
AAFES Associate "Serving the Best Customers in the world"

[Major_Chuck]

Please don't do this...

When I was on active duty an Airman in my section kept a pair of 'inspection boots' in his room at his bed.  Shine?  Boy did they shine.  Krylon gloss black to be exact. 

First Sergeant and Commander would inspect the dorm and this guys boots always shined at the foot of his bed.  Until...

One day we had an inspection, full dormatory inspection where we had to stand outside our rooms at parade rest and get the once over by the First Sergeant and Commander.  Well, someones boots were not shined and he had to resort to his 'inspection boots'.

We were all standing outside our rooms at parade rest.  The Squadron Commander came into the hallway, we were called to attention.  Across from me I could see this young Airman trying to glance down at his feet without moving his head.  When he snapped his heels together the paint cracked.  Layers and layers of black gloss spray paint fell off his boots.

Priceless...

Nothing beats Kiwi shoe polish and elbow grease.

-CC

[Pace]

Nothing beats Kiwi shoe polish and elbow grease.

Leather Luster

[WICAPMOM]

Julie, Where are you located?  I was a cadet at Truax Air Force Base and attended Sun Praired High School.  My wife is from Neenah...

I was a cadet in Milwaukee from 1986 until 1991 and lived in Shorewood.  I am currently a member of 12th senior support which meets in Waukesha county, which is also where I live.  I have family that live in both areas that you and your wife live.  As a cadet my last name was Johnson.  My brother, Tim, was also a cadet.  Until he left for the Army life in 1989.  (he just got out this year)

[Xeno]

One thing that I recommend NOT using is the liquid polish that is out.  I find that if it is used, once it dries it will crack the boots and shoes.  One of my soldiers in the MDDF tried it once and I saw what happend to it during an inspection. 

1st Lt Ed Salas, CAP/SGT, MDDF
MD Wing
AAFES Associate "Serving the Best Customers in the world"

I agree, I used Liquid polish on a pair of low quarters once thinking it would be quick and easy. I wound up having to redo them about 15 minutes later. Needless to say, I threw that crap away.

[arajca]

Julie, Where are you located?  I was a cadet at Truax Air Force Base and attended Sun Praired High School.  My wife is from Neenah...

I was a cadet in Milwaukee from 1986 until 1991 and lived in Shorewood.  I am currently a member of 12th senior support which meets in Waukesha county, which is also where I live.  I have family that live in both areas that you and your wife live.  As a cadet my last name was Johnson.  My brother, Tim, was also a cadet.  Until he left for the Army life in 1989.  (he just got out this year)

Which Milwaukee unit? I was in a squadron that met at the CAP hanger at an airport on the north end of Milwaukee around that time - although I can't remember the name

[Matt]

Julie, Where are you located?  I was a cadet at Truax Air Force Base and attended Sun Praired High School.  My wife is from Neenah...

I was a cadet in Milwaukee from 1986 until 1991 and lived in Shorewood.  I am currently a member of 12th senior support which meets in Waukesha county, which is also where I live.  I have family that live in both areas that you and your wife live.  As a cadet my last name was Johnson.  My brother, Tim, was also a cadet.  Until he left for the Army life in 1989.  (he just got out this year)

Which Milwaukee unit? I was in a squadron that met at the CAP hanger at an airport on the north end of Milwaukee around that time - although I can't remember the name

Ben Mueller?

[WICAPMOM]

Julie, Where are you located?  I was a cadet at Truax Air Force Base and attended Sun Praired High School.  My wife is from Neenah...

I was a cadet in Milwaukee from 1986 until 1991 and lived in Shorewood.  I am currently a member of 12th senior support which meets in Waukesha county, which is also where I live.  I have family that live in both areas that you and your wife live.  As a cadet my last name was Johnson.  My brother, Tim, was also a cadet.  Until he left for the Army life in 1989.  (he just got out this year)

Which Milwaukee unit? I was in a squadron that met at the CAP hanger at an airport on the north end of Milwaukee around that time - although I can't remember the name

I was in Mitchell Composite Squadron 9, that at the time met at the Richards Street Armory.

[Pylon]

Which Milwaukee unit?

Milwaukee's Best.   


(sorry, i couldn't resist.)



(oh, and by best, I mean beast  )

[ladyreferee]

Hello C/2d Lt Kristin Ruesch,

  Nice to see you at CAC last Sat!  I didn't get to ask you though about Orange Glo.  Is that a furniture polish?
  Capt Cheryl Carroll

[SarDragon]

FYI, furniture polish is NOT good for leather; it's good for wood! It is of limited usefulness on Corfam ("plastic", non-leather) shoes if carefully used. Shoe polish is where it's at - Kiwi, Lincoln, Esquire (not a fave of mine), and others. They are all wax based and require a bit of work to get a good shine. There are no good, long-term, quick shines.

[Yoda]

Shining takes a great deal of time.  There are a variety of different methods out there that you can use.  The bottom line is that you get the shine from having the smoothest possible surface with so the light is more focused when it reflects.  If you put in the effort, you will get outstanding shines that require a minimal amount of maintenance for a fair length of time.

Don't try to cheat.  It's just not worth it.  Believe me, if all it took was car wax, furniture polish, or other tricks, that's what the shoe care guide would suggest and that's what the military would use.  You want the best looking boots or shoes, put the time in for them.

[ladyreferee]

I was asking about Orange-Glo with the plastic shoes.  What about a silicon spray on the plastic shoes?  I can get a spray specifically for black referee hockey helmets, which are plastic.  I hate to throw those 50 dollar shoes away.

[MIKE]

I was asking about Orange-Glo with the plastic shoes.  What about a silicon spray on the plastic shoes?  I can get a spray specifically for black referee hockey helmets, which are plastic.  I hate to throw those 50 dollar shoes away.

This is the only stuff I know of specifically for the plastic shoes... But it only works on light scuffs.  If you chewed up the shoes pretty bad it isn't gonna do much good.