There’s a lot of sage wisdom to be found in the film Shawshank Redemption. But there is one detail the movie got wrong: people do notice your shoes (especially women). And while it’s true that people don’t spend an awful lot of time staring at your shoes, you’d be surprised at how often you look at your own feet. And when you look down and can practically see your reflection in your shoes, it gives you a sense of satisfaction, a boost in you confidence, and some added pep in your step. Too many men put on a nice pair of dress pants and a freshly pressed shirt, but then ruin the whole get-up with scuffed shoes. A pair of glassy, shined shoes will pull your whole appearance together.
So your task today is to shine your shoes. Get out every pair of dress shoes that you own and get them all into ship shape condition. You never know when you’re going to need to don a pair, and the last thing you want to do is be ready to run at the door to an important meeting and realize that your shoes are in no condition to meet the public. Having a closet full of shined shoes ensures that you are ready for any occasion, at the drop of a hat. Plus, shining your shoes is the kind of quiet, repetitive activity that will calm your mind and soothe your stress.
To get started on today’s task, check out our post on “How to Shine Your Shoes Like a Soldier.” You don’t need a fancy shoe shining kit to do this. Just a few cans of Kiwi shoe polish and a couple of rags can get the job done. You can find shoe polish at most drug and grocery stores for a couple of bucks a can.
After you’re all set up, read these additional shoe shining tips we gleaned from that post’s numerous comments:
1. Rubbing alcohol is a good polish stripper, which should be done every so often, particularly if the boots haven’t been shined in a long time (dirt gets embedded into the polish). (From Eric B.)
2. Those little pantyhose-like foot covers they have at shoe stores? Grab a handful of those and stretch one taut and buff with a sawing motion as fast as you can for a few minutes. The friction and pressure combine to make a little heat that really brings the shine out. I never used anything more than an old pair of socks cut up into rags, a can of kiwi, and some old pantyhose, and I rarely find shinier shoes. (From Charlie)
3. Shine your boots to the usual black glass look, and then put a coat of BLUE Lincoln wax on and buff. The Blue wax would make your boots GLOW. (From Ron Waters)
4. I used cotton wool balls for ages until I discovered make-up removal pads (the little flat round ones). You can wrap them around your finger for much better control, they stand less chance of scratching the polish with a fingernail, and they don’t leave little bits of cotton behind if you’re a little careless. (From Tom)
After you’ve completed the task, check in with the 30 DBM Community and share how many shoes/boots you shined and any tips you might have on how to get a mirror shine.
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Shine shine shine
http://www.madnike.com
So this tip is not as deep as finding our values, but still somewhat important. I just use those spongie things that you open up, rub your shoe with, and you’re good to go. But, maybe that’s the problem, and I should be shining with polish =)
I worked as a hotel bellman on and off for over nine years and the one service I was always most proud of was my shoe shine. It’s pretty good for a guy who never served in the military. Who knew all those years of watching my Dad shine his boots on Sunday nights would pay off down the line?
Agreed, those cotton pads are magic. Sharing one of my own secrets – during the final buff, alternate dry pads with wet ones soaked in COLD water. After enough coats you can literally get your shoes like mirrors – I used to be able to count my teeth in my basic training boots.
Out on a business trip and left your shine kit at home? Some hand lotion and a quick buff with a towel or a sock will have give you a quick polish, not a shine though. Works in a pinch!
Great tip for shine-capable shoes. I have a question: what about other shoes, like sneakers or canvas shoes? What is the appropriate care for those? You can’t very well redeem that blaringly-white-and-fresh-out-of-the-box look with those (though, I’m not sure you would want to…-ha-).
i certainly don’t want to stop anyone from shining their shoes if that’s their thing—and I DO generally appreciate most of what I see on AoM—but this post is just stupid and, on Day 2, it certainly brings down the value quotient of your 30-day program.
Go ahead and be a metrosexual (or homosexual for that matter) and shine your shoes and go shopping and look your best for career and dating success. But don’t lay it on this unreconstructed slob and, even more important, don’t act like having a good shine on your shoes—or anything else fashion-related—has ANYTHING whatsoever with being a man.
In fact, if we’re dealing in images of manliness, MY image of a real man is a guy who is blissfully unconcerned with his appearance, his thoughts turned toward deeper things: philosophy, politics, alcohol, and the greatness of Ichiro Suzuki. That describes my dad (OK, not the Ichiro part) and pretty much my sons too, even though one of them has to dress sharply for his work (and does it well).
Each one his own, of course, but I’m having a hard time seeing what this has to do with manliness and I think you do your readers a disservice focusing even one post on this.
I wanted to post a link to the great Astaire singing and dancing to Shine on Your Shoes—but I couldn’t find it.
@Spud-
I’m not sure about canvas shoes or shoes that are like fashionable sneakers, but when my athletic sneakers get dingy (and especially when they get smelly) here’s what I do:
-Sprinkle each shoe, inside and out with baking soda, and then stick each one in a freezer ziploc bag. I then put the sneakers in the freezer and leave them there overnight. This kills the bacteria that causes odor.
-The next day I just stick them in the washing machine along with my clothes. I’ve never had any problem with doing so and it gets them pretty clean. When they’re done, don’t stick them in the dryer. Just stuff them with crinkled up newspaper and let them dry.
This will give them a new lease on life.
Absolutely agree that this is a worthy post for day two. Well shined shoes reflect (no pun intended) multiple worthwhile traits…attention to detail, self esteem, and an investment in one’s personal appearance. Having done so many times even before reading this article, I can also attest that a boot and shoe shining session is relaxing and does bring a sense of having all one’s stuff in one sock and being ready for whatever’s next. As a retired AF officer I can say that discipline and miltary bearing took a distinct turn for the worse after the introduction of corfam and patent leather….absolutely cheating. Some professions can afford to be blissfuly unconcerned about appearance but all the services kind of like people who deal with lethal force and operate massively destructive systems to be obsessively detailed about all matters great and small.
This was a great day 2. I was expecting something deep like yesterday’s values definition/clarification. So shining my shoes was a bit of a surprise, but something that I don’t think I’ve paid much attention to since I was a boy. The shoes were in pretty dire need of the “attention to detail” and “investment in… personal appearance” that Mike S. wrote of.
A young lady I know recently lost her position with a financial house and found a job with an upscale retailer on Madison Avenue. As part of her training she was taught how to know who might actually buy the expensive items her shop sold and who was not “in the league”, she was told to look at two things: the condition of a man’s shoes and his wristwatch.
I’ve been looking at my shoes lately and thinking that they need a shine… I guess I had better get on it.
“Clothes really do make the man. Naked people have almost no influence in society.”
—Mark Twain
@Spud
I wear sneakers too, always white ones (fits with everything, casual but just the right amount). What you can do is buy a shoe whitener. It’s a sort a white pain that’ll make you shoes look like new. If your sneakers are made of leather, you can use wax like you would for for any other shoes. Even if it wont make them better looking, it’ll make the leather more resistant. Also, don’t forget to wash the laces, especially if they are white.
Anyway, that’s what I did for this Day 2. Put some uncolored wax on my Adidas Superstars, whitened them, tried a cool new laces pattern. I love to care of my shoes and that’s one of the few thing my father taught me and I thank him for that.
Last thing, don’t hesitate to spit on your shoes, and rub them with an old piece of clothing. It may seem gross but it’ll make them shine like a brand new car.
PS : excuse my poor English
Great post. My black dress shoes have been neglected for years now since I mostly wear sneakers and Tims.
A question – How do I bring out the beauty in my class suede timberlands? I consider them my semi-formal shoes because with a decent pant leg covering the top they look like regular suede brown shoes.
Thanks.
I keep a shine kit in my desk drawer and try to hit my shoes occasionally… old habit (and shine kit) from the military.
This was a welcome surprise for day 2.
I was just sitting here on my lunch break, shining, and had a client walk up behind me at my desk.
Think I should be embarrassed?
Day 2 inspired me to finally go buy a pair of decent boots that can be worn to the office. I had been wearing sneakers everywhere and it was getting old.
Brought them home and ’shined’ with a healthy dose of Mink Oil. It’s not really a polish, but it is a ritual my dad used on his boots and work shoes.
My new boots are already darker, more pliable, and have a decent ‘well-worn’ look.
@ Daniel Jaffe
Sir.
I respect your opinion but disagree with you on the validity of this post, as well as your actions of labeling anyone who does shine there shoes/boots as a metrosexual/homosexual. I’ll do my best to not insult you and if you eventually read this and are insulted then it is your burden to bare. If i were you i certainly wouldn’t be labeling much less insulting my peers for wanting to improve themselves based on a personal opinion.
In your shoes i would feel ashamed for making such a comment and then hang my head and take solace in the fact that i am unable to see my own reflection.
J.Lucas Simpson.