Okay, so I know HOW to do it, but what’s the pros and cons?
I’m getting new parade shoes soon, (my current ones are WAY too big) and there is always a line across the toecap on my old ones from where I bend down and the toecap bends. Will beeswaxing help prevent this?
Is it worth putting in the time and effort to do?
Unless the shoes are spanking new, and your feet aren’t expected to grow anymore. Probably not. (And that’s just the immediate practical reasons.)
Unless the shoes are spanking new, and your feet aren’t expected to grow anymore. Probably not. (And that’s just the immediate practical reasons.)[/quote]
well they will be new, none of this grade 1 stuff. and that’s why I’m getting new ones, I was hoping my feet would grow into my current ones, after 2 years nothing, so I doubt they will grow
Ah, the ‘let’s buy huge boots/shoes in the hope he grows into them ploy.’
(I still fit in the boots my dad bought me at 13, and they’re still a little big!)
Nope no point at all even the RAF wont do it! I never once came across anyone that wasnt a guard that has done it before
Well they were the same size as my normal shoes and bought them over the Internet, big mistake.
On new shoes I always start polishing with Kiwi Parade Gloss (its really soft polish) and after a few layers of that change over to normal Kiwi Black and finish the “bulling” with a coat of Kiwi Oxblood(depth of shine). Make sure you wander around the house in your new shoes to get the creases in them before you start polishing or as soon as you wear them all the polish cracks and turns to horrible black dust.Apply the polish with wet cotton wool and polish in a circular motion with another lump of clean wet cotton wool.
I’m not saying that this is the only or correct way to do them but its the way I do them.
squid.
Not being funny, but I know how to bull my shoes, this is about beeswaxing them first?
If you understand how to beeswax then you should probably understand the pros and cons, but I’ll indulge you. Pros: if you do it correctly (as in over the whole shoe) then it is extremely easy to get a high gloss finish on every bit of the shoe. Cons: 1. if you mess it up they will look balls and will crack very quickly, 2. depending on how much beeswax you throw at them, they will be uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time.
I’d say don’t bother. Without using beeswax it is relatively simple to get a gloss finish over the whole shoe:
Hmm ill give it a miss then, Doesn’t seem worth it. Always thought the rest of the shoe WASN’T to be as bulled/shiny as the toecap? Some more lies that I’ve been told?
Well, technically the dress regs don’t say the shoes have to be bulled as such. Personally, I bull the entirety of my best shoes, and just the toecaps of my regular squadron evening shoes.
Foley, are they your Oxfords you had on OIC, or your DMS? If they are the Oxfords, You have way too much time on your hands.
Yeah that sounds like a good plan, was hoping to keep my current shoes and bulling the entirety of them for formal parades etc sounds good 
cheers for the idea
The whole shoe should be “highly polished”.
Well, technically the dress regs don’t say the shoes have to be bulled as such. Personally, I bull the entirety of my best shoes, and just the toecaps of my regular squadron evening shoes.
Foley, are they your Oxfords you had on OIC, or your DMS? If they are the Oxfords, You have way too much time on your hands.[/quote]
My Oxfords used to look like that 
Nah mate, just my DMS. The Oxfords are a pain to do and I don’t really have the time. I wear Oxfords at the Sqn and DMS for parades. Have you tried to get your Oxfords looking good?
I only added my bulling method on new shoes because the parade gloss gives a good base for softening and filling the grain and avoiding cracking. If you know how to beeswax shoes and want to go down that route I’m not telling you not to its just what I do and my shoes don’t crack…often
No. I saw how much effort it took you with your pair, and decided to stick to DMS. Also, my Oxfords decided to crease right across the toecap, and refuse to accept polish generally. So they get worn to unit, DMS to Parades.
Back on Topic. As a senior male cadet NCO I found it was a good example to set to bull the entirety of my shoes. (Hypocrite that I am now, as you can see above, but the current issue Oxfords are awful.) Considering that most of the ATC expects the females to do exactly that, it’s nice to have something to throw back at them when they complain about it.
No. I saw how much effort it took you with your pair, and decided to stick to DMS. Also, my Oxfords decided to crease right across the toecap, and refuse to accept polish generally. So they get worn to unit, DMS to Parades.
Back on Topic. As a senior male cadet NCO I found it was a good example to set to bull the entirety of my shoes. (Hypocrite that I am now, as you can see above, but the current issue Oxfords are awful.) Considering that most of the ATC expects the females to do exactly that, it’s nice to have something to throw back at them when they complain about it.[/quote]
Agree with your last. Plus I get two pairs of CABs and one DMS, so the DMS get worn with No2 and No1.
I’m surprised about DMS being easier to bull though; usually a decent pair of oxfords are better quality leather and take a better shine.
I was surprised too. When I was issued them I thought that they were clearly meant for parades, having the less hardwearing sole. But they just refuse to shine up to anywhere near the quality of the DMS leather.
Again, back to beeswaxing, I don’t think it’s really designed for shoes, which have smooth leather already, I thought it was more for taking the mottled leather effect off the ammo boots?
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Hong Kong weather is not quite suitable for beeswax though…