Have you polished your shoes?

[stepford]

I have literally, never in my life, shined my shoes.

In my entire professional life I only wore shoes that even could have been shined perhaps 50 times over 30 years. Add in a few miscellaneous weddings and funerals and that has been my entire experience with dress shoes.

 

[REWahoo]

Have you polished your shoes?

I spent eight years in the military. Next question.

 

[Nodak]

I haven't shined a shoe in at least 50 years.

 

[GravitySucks]

Thanks for the reminder.

 

[Rustic23]

I have a shine kit. Tennis shoes, shoe of choice, 85% of the time, so no need. I have a couple of leather shoes 1% use and they get shined. Oh, and the cow boy boots are spit shined. Just because it is a throw back to the military where boots are spit shined. Not so much anymore with the rough leather boots.

 

[Gumby]

I enjoy polishing my shoes and always have. It is mindless relaxation, and a nice spit shine always makes me happy. When I was in the Navy, I eschewed the Corframs, because they make your feet sweat and are irrecoverable once scratched. Instead, I shined my leather shoes every day.

 

[imoldernu]

The several references to shining military boots, reminded me of two hours spent back in 1957 when, as ROTC Cadets, we received our officer uniforms which included a pair of new combat boots... color Brown... It was the changeover from brown uniforms to green. The government still had hundreds of thousands of pairs of new boots, which were colored brown, so, we were issued cans of black dye to make the change. No matter how hard we tried, it was impossible to get the proverbial spit shine, so there were shortcuts to hours of rubbing in new wax to be acceptable to the OIC. Black gloss paint worked for about an hour, 'til your "buddy" scratched his name in the toe. The best answer was hair spray for a quickie "inspection" shine.

I think that qualifies me as being one of the last members of the old "brown shoe army".

From Wiki Answers:

The switch to from brown to black boots, shoes & holsters etc began in late 1956 in progressed through early 1957. Brown shoes and boots were still being issued into the late 50's and soldiers had to buy black dye at the PX and dye them. I have heard of Vietnam soldiers who were issued brown boots, but that is consistent with Army policy over many years, to use what's found in the warehouses first. As in the combat boot in WW II, the double buckle boot replaced the hightop shoe and leggins as supplies became available in 1944 and into Korea, until finally everyone had correct issued combat boots. I was on active duty at that time and recall the hassle we had dying all the leather.

 

[Newventurer]

I can smell that Kiwi polish like it was yesterday. I always wondered about that funny looking bird on the tin can and whether it was real?

 

[splitwdw]

Yep, for work I have a variety of leather shoes and boots that I wear and I polish them a couple times a month. My husband wears leather shoes too and polishes them weekly.

 

[chilkoot]

I had my shoes shined exactly once. In Las Vegas once, the men's room attendant offered. Since I was on vacation I decided to treat myself to this perk.
Nowadays shoe polishing has been relegated to the same category as tie-wearing.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

I don't wear shoes that need shining.

OTOH, I had a shoelace break so I went by a shoe store to get a replacement. The clerk looked at me funny and told me, "oh no, we don't carry THOSE! You'll have to go to a shoe repair store, and I don't know where any of those are any more." Later I picked up some laces at Wally World.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Lots of shining in the Air Force days. On occasion I would splurge on the guy who hung outside the military hotel in Incirlik, Turkey. For about $5, you would get a shine that would last a month. Oh and the chicken tava...mmm, I did enjoy Turkey!

Sent via mobile device. Please excuse any grammatical errors.

 

[Fedup]

No I only wear sandals and flip flops. California culture.

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[rodi]

No I only wear sandals and flip flops. California culture,


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How do you shine flip flops?

This!

 

[Dwhit]

Shined up a couple pair of golf shoes a few days back. I also shine my dress shoes every now and then, but they do not get the level of use like they used to.

 

[FUEGO]

I guess I'm fortunate to have enough money to buy a lifestyle where I need not polish my shoes. I'm not sure how sandals would be polished anyway.

edit: well I was trying to be clever without reading any other comments then realized others came to the same conclusion re: sandals and inability to polish.

 

[Sunset]

polished my shoes as a kid, but stopped doing that once I became a teenager.

Totally forgot about it.

 

[chris2008]

Nothing is better to dress up Chinos or Jeans than high quality leather shoes like classic pumps or loafers.
I want to get a long life out of my shoes, so I treat them well. They get high quality polish and enough rest. Always an idle day between walk outs. A drop of fat on leather soles. They last for ages which saves me shopping for new ones.

 

[Lucantes]

Have you polished your shoes?
I spent eight years in the military. Next question.

+1, same here.
Once I got into the daily routine it wasn't a big deal.
Haven't manually shined my shoes since then (1996) but have used a machine when needed for post-military life.

 

[donheff]

I shine my dress shoes about once every two years which is about as often as I wear them anymore. I used to regularly shine them if by shine you include those plastic applicators (can't remember the name and not going to go look). I was usually too lazy to drag out the full deal with paste, brush, and buff cloth but I did have the kits and would engage in the full Monty a couple of times a year.

 

[Racer X]

I typically shine my own shoes, but when I was in job search mode, I would always get my shoes shined "professionally" prior to an interview. The guys that do it dozens of times a day do it far better than I can. Somehow it made me feel more prepared and confident going in to that interview.

Now I pass the shine stations in the airport and thank my lucky stars that I don't need a shine.

 

[MichaelB]

I've been shining my own shoes since high school. Always used Kiwi polish. I clean them with saddle soap when they're too dirty or when the polish is too built up. One of the nice things about cleaning my shoes is that it completely occupies my mind and is a nice distraction.

 

[kcowan]

Used to do them when I worked. Never had an office near a shine guy. Got them done in the airport when needed. Now just in time when needed. (A few times a year.)

 

[jazz4cash]

I polish my shoes myself and I've never paid for a shoeshine. When we were kids the white Chuck Taylor All Stars were the cool shoes. I think they cost about $10. Mom made us wash 'em and use white shoe polish to keep them looking new. We were the only kids in the neighborhood that washed their sneakers.


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[Steevo]

Polish them yourself - save the cash

I always polished my own shoes. From grammar school through the later years of my working career, right up until I went all "Tommy Bahama" and never wore polished shoes or neck ties to work again.

I am retired now, but I still have two pair of polished shoes in my closet. Both are heavily covered in dust at this time, and will remain so until the next funeral I have to attend.
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