Shoe Shine

[LowKey]

Good Evening Gentlemen,

I just graduated Recruit Training at MCRD San Diego on the 24th of September, and I had a question about spit shining.
During 3rd phase we were issued those sleek n' shiny patent leather corframs with the plastic-y leather finish. Personally, I feel like I'm cheating. I read up and down this forum for the past couple hours about all the old Marines who spent hours and hours shining their shoes to get a mirror finish. You hear about how badass Marines are, and how they keep their uniforms so squared-away and their shoes so shiny that they can use them as a mirror to get that perfect marine corps shave.

So I wanted to go and buy some normal leather shoes and polish them the old fashioned way, so that maybe I could keep a tradition going, or at least have a skill I could pass on to someone else. But in recruit training, they never taught us how to spit shine shoes since these new ones don't need it.

I was wondering what the straight up, no BS, old school Marine Corps way was to spit shine shoes, from purchase to final product. I've seen stuff about lighters and alcohol and a lot of pieces of information on the internet, but I figured the most genuine source of information would be right here.

I really enjoy all the information here and thanks for being such a good resource! Thanks!

[Backhaus 1103]

LMAO I guarentee you're going to go back to the issued ones. You're going to say **** it after your still scrubing your shoes and your friends are playing Call of Duty.
It's just one more thing you're ****ing yourself on come uniform inspections and duty when Sgt Maj wants to tour the barracks.

[elliscraig12]

What? You don't want the old leather shoes. I remember standing for hours wearing them things killing my feet. The ones you got at bootcamp are the ones you want. They're a lot more comfortable. I suggest 1 pair of used patent leathers to see if you like them or not, and I predict you wont. Do your feet a favor and keep your issued low quarters.

[Supersquishy]

Marines used to get issued Black Boots, One was black jungle boots, the other was all leathers called Cadillacs. You would start off spit shinning the caddilacs in prep for the final inspection close order drill. Then would spit shine the jungles. Out in the fleet those boots would be always spit shined, just don't wear them near the LOX farm LOL. I bet KIWI WAX Co. has lost money in the last ten years LOL.

[advanced]

Back in the day all Marines spit shined to some extent. At PI we were issued the old surplus WWII dress shoes that were brown in color and dyed black when we got them. It was a good quality leather shoe.

I was an MP back then who stood guard mount, raising the colors, gate duty and I patrolled base housing in my patrol truck. We wore white web gear, white barracks covers and we were squared away. We spit shined our shoes and the brims to our barracks covers. The thought of a Marine wearing patent leather, they would have had to have been Hollywood Marines, not us.

Here's how you do it;

Kiwi black shoe polish, white hankerchief, aqua-velva after shave (high alcohol content.)

You place one thickness of the hankerchief on your forefinger, then dip the the tip of your forefinger into the av to wet it, then a light layer of shoe polish and you begin to work the polish into a an area of the shoe about 1" square or smaller. You keep working the polish into the shoe in circular motions, keeping the hankerchief damp and adding more polish as needed. This is not a fast process.

It might take 4-5 hours to spit shine both shoes initially, but after that, prior to guard mount it might only take 10-15 to bring the shine back. To this to the brim of the barracks as well.

No MP worth his salt back in 1967 would be caught dead without a sea-going crease in his barracks cover. This is how to do a sea-going crease.

Disassemble your barracks cover and purchase a grommet two or three sizes too big. Then take the stem that hangs down from the round part and bend it up so that it is horizontal to the round part. When you lay the round part down on something the stem should be level with the round part. NOw stretch the cover over the grommet, it should bow, and place the stem into the slot by the brim. The front of the cover should now look almost straight up and there should be a real nice bow in the middle of the cover. NOw that's salt, the old Corps way.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

I spit shined, and still use, my leathers. Yes, the same ones I got issued. They are my 'dress' shoes, geeky as that is.

I HATED corframs in my day. They made your feet sweat, and if you scuffed them, they were 'unservicable'.

I've polished and re-done my leathers after walking in puddles, mud, snow, etc.

So count me in the 'old Corps' camp of spitshiners. I was so good at it, I did a part time business spitshining boots and shoes for those who weren't as good. 25 bucks and you were 100 PERCENT guaranteed to pass inspection. 50 bucks if you need them 'tomorrow'.

Never had to give anyone their money back, either.

[ggyoung]

Boot camp 1964 we were told to spit shine dress shoes but never spit sine boots. Just a good buff shine.

[Old Marine]

Always had a 50 mission dip in my barracks cover.

The best thing to use for spit shining is a used cloth diaper that has been washed many times. If they still sell cloth diapers.

[Skosh59]

Boot camp 1964 we were told to spit shine dress shoes but never spit sine boots. Just a good buff shine.

Boot camp 1959, spit shine dress shoes (kiwi dark brown) NEVER spit shin boots. Saddle soap was used on the boots to make the leather soft.

We were issued one pair of dress shoes, one pair of boots, and one pair of boonedocks (low cut boots / work shoes). Not sure of the spelling, the old Salts know what I mean.

[sgt tony]

Do it just like this this Marine Advanced is tell you and you will get it right. Yes I have seen floor polish used on them but they don't breath and have the tendency to crack.

[SlingerDun]

I read up and down this forum for the past couple hours about all the old Marines who spent hours and hours shining their shoes to get a mirror finish

-Inexperience.

Chose a pair of quality shoes with tight full grain leather, plug the pores with wax, brush, repeat, rag buff, repeat until the leather is slick and "fuller". Then "spit" shine. It won't take near as long if the leather is prepped with filler material (wax/tallow/polish). Then check out spit shinging videos for finishing techniques.

If polish/wax/fat is liquified with heat and the water is hot it will fill the pores more efficiently, but this works best as a prep technique, not as efficient for finishing

[usmc987332]

You mean they no longer issue a lighter and lighter fluid along with your new shoes?

[Sgt Leprechaun]

LOL. No.

I never used floor polish or any other such thing. Just plain ole Kiwi. And spit. With some Pepsi mixed in.

[ggyoung]

LOL. No.

I never used floor polish or any other such thing. Just plain ole Kiwi. And spit. With some Pepsi mixed in.

PEPSI?

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Yup. Drank a pepsi while doing the shoes. Guess something about the acid/spit concentration.

Or I'm just weird LOL

But hey, it worked/works.