anything wrong with using black Sharpies to "polish" boots?

[The Last American Hero]

Seems like the Black Shoe polish must be designed to create increased employment for professional shoe polishers, since it takes lots of time and barely lasts a day.

Nor does it cover up the slightest flecks or smears of white primer paint.

So I tried a Sharpie Fattie and so far so good. Seems to make the sides of soles etc and toe cap all one nice uniform semi-gloss ultra-dark purple/black.

I'm thinking now the white paint smears are completely blacked out THEN maybe shoe polish for leather care purposes.

Doesn't seem like the blackness on these REDWING $230 "Motorcycle Boots" (607) went too far into the leather and it wears off on the side just on my car carpet when driving around, but I don't think the Sharpie is coming off anytime soon...it never does.

Any reason not to do this? Some unwritten law forbidding it in the boot polishing military community that puts ever lasting shame on anyone 'cheating' this way? Like a young cowboy grabbing the saddle horn to prevent getting bucked off, but different.

[edgerly779]

They are good to disguise they teeth knicks in batons. Ask sbd so (lol)

[RudyN]

They are good to disguise they teeth knicks in batons. Ask sbd so (lol)

That is great! [emoji57]

Sent from the Telegraph Office

[Wayson]

Seems like the Black Shoe polish must be designed to create increased employment for professional shoe polishers, since it takes lots of time and barely lasts a day.

Nor does it cover up the slightest flecks or smears of white primer paint.

So I tried a Sharpie Fattie and so far so good. Seems to make the sides of soles etc and toe cap all one nice uniform semi-gloss ultra-dark purple/black.

I'm thinking now the white paint smears are completely blacked out THEN maybe shoe polish for leather care purposes.

Doesn't seem like the blackness on these REDWING $230 "Motorcycle Boots" (607) went too far into the leather and it wears off on the side just on my car carpet when driving around, but I don't think the Sharpie is coming off anytime soon...it never does.

Any reason not to do this? Some unwritten law forbidding it in the boot polishing military community that puts ever lasting shame on anyone 'cheating' this way? Like a young cowboy grabbing the saddle horn to prevent getting bucked off, but different.

*twitch* Oh lord polishing boots. I don't miss that. I'm guessing you're Navy? I know that the AF, Army, and Marines have all migrated away from the black leather boots.

What a lot of people used to do was get a nice coat of black polish on there, use a hairdryer to melt the polish (thus getting it into the pores of the leather and giving you a very smooth surface), buffing it up, and then put a layer of clear polish over it. Yeah it's work but it's fairly mindless. Just put a movie on and polish your boots while you watch it.

People will be able to tell if you're not actually putting polish on your boots. I could see my reflection in my never-worn-outside-of-inspections/parade boots, and that was done using only kiwi and wet cotton balls.

[zacksahi]

I know. The only thing considered "cheating" in shining boots and is frowned upon in the airborne community is just using just those shoe polish foam sponges such as Esquire and such. But I would say once you have a layer of kiwi down that esquire sure does the trick!

[Unit74]

I know. The only thing considered "cheating" in shining boots and is frowned upon in the airborne community is just using just those shoe polish foam sponges such as Esquire and such. But I would say once you have a layer of kiwi down that esquire sure does the trick!

We were banned from using Leather Luster..... And those instant shine sponges are worse than a sharpie IMHO. Sharpies work great on shipped chevrons in a pinch though.

[Porter707]

*twitch* Oh lord polishing boots. I don't miss that. I'm guessing you're Navy? I know that the AF, Army, and Marines have all migrated away from the black leather boots.

Airborne units still use "Jump Boots" in dress. Got to polish those bad boys!

[DubbleURX]

Airborne units still use "Jump Boots" in dress. Got to polish those bad boys!

Regular Army units still use black dress shoes in dress, too.

[Mayor McRifle]

*twitch* Oh lord polishing boots. I don't miss that. I'm guessing you're Navy? I know that the AF, Army, and Marines have all migrated away from the black leather boots.

[The Last American Hero]

Airborne units still use "Jump Boots" in dress. Got to polish those bad boys!

Stevens Creek Surplus on SC blvd in San Jose carries full line of Jump Boots, including diff widths.

I think they are these. http://www.patriotsurplus.com/corcor...w-ChoCHcPw_wcB

Seemed like pretty good deal for the price. I think maybe they were bit more in the store but IMO it well worth it to try on the actual pair you buy.


About the Sharpie, mostly I was wondering if using lots of Sharpie ink on leather was bad for leather.

[jarhead714]

You have heard of edge dressing for the sides of soles haven't you? A Sharpie? If you don't have time for a real polish you can Mop n' Glo them but don't do it to often.

[zacksahi]

Regular Army units still use black dress shoes in dress, too.

Yea but all the low quarter dress shoes that everyone uses have that squeaky feeling shine on them, not just standard leather that needs a shine. When I wear low quarters for balls and such I they just need a wipe down with a micro fiber towel, but jump boots on the other hand need some nice loving with kiwi and a damp cotton ball

[DubbleURX]

Yea but all the low quarter dress shoes that everyone uses have that squeaky feeling shine on them, not just standard leather that needs a shine. When I wear low quarters for balls and such I they just need a wipe down with a micro fiber towel, but jump boots on the other hand need some nice loving with kiwi and a damp cotton ball

I believe you're talking about Corframs. Corframs aren't issued (at least they weren't when I was a service member)....you can buy them, though. Soldiers that have been in awhile will buy the plastic-coated shiny ones...they aren't issued. What's issued is black leather non-coated low quarter dress shoes that have to be polished to a shine.

The OP isn't clear on which he's referring to.

[jmsenk]

I believe you're talking about Corframs. Corframs aren't issued (at least they weren't when I was a service member)....you can buy them, though. Soldiers that have been in awhile will buy the plastic-coated shiny ones...they aren't issued. What's issued is black leather non-coated low quarter dress shoes that have to be polished to a shine.

The OP isn't clear on which he's referring to.

Corframs are issued these days.

to the OP:

I polished boots and shoes at the Academy, and then when I was on active duty with an Airborne unit, I polished jump boots. Never heard of anyone using a sharpie on them, but I doubt that they would give you anything like the shine that they ought to have. I also tend to think that it would degrade the leather. Polishing boots (well, Jump boots anyway) ought to be a point of pride for a soldier. Yeah, it sucks sometimes, but so does almost everything else you do in the military that is mandatory, and they make up for it by giving you the opportunity to do cool stuff like jump out of Airplanes and blow things up. Sure, some paratroopers would take their boots to a shoeshine guy, or they would use the esquire sponge (never thought that worked out too well when guys tried it) but you hardly ever wear dress boots, and most guys would turn polishing into an event - 3 or 4 of your buddies would get together, throw Band of Brothers into a DVD player, drink a few beers, and put kiwi onto leather.

If you're looking at ways to cheat, and to get around polishing your boots... then why are you getting boots that require polishing in the first place?

[jwkincal]

Take a whiff of that sharpie... what do you smell?

That's alcohol. Over time, that is going to be bad for leather. If you have real boots made of real leather and you want to keep them for a while, use the real polish on them. Do it a couple times real good and thick, and just touch up every day thereafter.