Once the preparatory work has been done, then “refreshing” the shine on highly polished (or bulled) shoes should take less than 10 mins. I would quickly brush polish all the shoe, including the toe cap; the brushing would act as a key for the new polish layer on the toe cap.
For cracking issues, I had used a polish/beeswax mixture as the base; this seemed to minimise the issue. For major cracks or dents, I would simply melt the polish (VERY CAREFULLY!) using a lighter. This would add about an extra 2 mins to the process…
If a cadet wants to have shinier shoes, without undue effort, then good for them. However, insistence that is is mandatory to have bulled shoes is wrong.
Same principle as ironing trousers, if you use the correct technique from the outset, the effect is better & stays that way for longer. Previous thread with some useful tips about technique.