How to Spit Shine Boots

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: September 16, 2021 References Tested

Shiny boots are an essential part of looking sharp and put together in your formal military uniform or other formal uniform. Spit shine your boots to give them a highly glossy finish that complements the rest of your uniform and gear. This shows that you’ve put in the time and effort to really look your best for the occasion. You don’t need a lot of supplies to get the job done—and you don’t actually need to use spit. Just be prepared to use some elbow grease and be patient. Soon enough, those boots of yours will be all spiffed up!

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Applying the Polish

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Brush 1 of your boots off using a shoe brush to remove loose dirt. Stick a hand inside the boot to hold it steady. Brush the shoe brush all over the surface of the boot, not including the soles, in brisk back and forth motions to clean it off.^{[1]
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- If you don’t have a shoe brush, you could use any horsehair brush or a clean soft-bristled toothbrush. Just don’t use anything with hard bristles that could scratch your boots.
- You can leave the laces in your boots or take them out. It's not necessary to remove them to spit shine your boots unless you want to really shine up the tongues.
- If you're working over a surface that you don't want to accidentally get polish on, put down some newspapers or an old towel to protect the surface.
2
Wrap a clean, soft cloth around your fingers and dip it in a tin of shoe polish. Stick your index and middle fingers inside a soft, clean cloth, such as a microfiber cloth or a cotton rag. Dip your fingertips inside the cloth into a tin of shoe polish to get a blob of shoe polish on the cloth.^{[2]
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- You can use any type of shoe polish you have available, such as a wax or cream polish. Just make sure that it is the same color as your boots or use a neutral colored polish.
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Rub the polish evenly all over your boot, starting at the toe end. Press the cloth with the polish against the toe of your boot and rub it all over the toe using circular motions. Work your way towards the back of the boot, continuing to rub the cloth in circular motions, until you cover the whole boot in a thin, even layer.^{[3]
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- Dip the cloth back into the wax as needed if the polish runs out while you’re applying it to your boot.
- It's hard to know exactly how much shoe polish to use on your boots, so it's better to start with a very small amount or else it can get pretty messy. You can always add more if you need to.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Shining the Boots

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Wrap a fresh soft cloth around your fingers and get it damp. Unwrap the cloth you used to apply the polish and set it aside. Grab a clean new cloth, wrap it around your index and middle fingers, and dip your finger tips inside the cloth into a container of water to get the cloth damp.^{[4]
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- You can use a microfiber cloth or a clean cotton cloth for this. Old cut-up T-shirts work well for this or you could even use a clean cotton sock.
2
Rub the wet cloth in circular motions all over the boot, starting at the toe end. Press your damp cloth firmly against the toe of your boot and start rubbing it in firm circular motions all over the toe to work the polish in. Move onto the sides of the boot once the toe is shiny and work your way all over the surfaces of the boot.^{[5]
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- Dip the cloth back in the water as you work if it starts to dry up. The water is what actually gives you that “spit shine” appearance you’re looking for.
3
Apply more coats of polish until the boot is as shiny as you want it. Rub another thin, even coat of polish over the boot using your polish cloth, then work it in using your damp cloth. Repeat this as many times as you want until you achieve the desired level of shine.^{[6]
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- You could also apply more coats to just certain areas that you want to be extra shiny, such as the toes.
4
Repeat the whole process for your other boot until it is as shiny as the first. Set the first boot aside when you’re completely happy with how shiny it is. Brush off your other boot using your shoe brush, apply a coat of polish using your polish cloth, and work it in using your wet cloth. Do this as many times as you did for the first boot until they both look nice and shiny!^{[7]
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- You can also let your boots rest for a while after you apply the first coat or two of polish, then come back and give them a final coat or two later on. This can give the polish time to dry between coats and help you make your boots even shinier.

Warnings

Make sure you don’t use a colored polish that doesn’t match the color of your boots. For example, don’t use black polish on brown boots.

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