I remember a few years ago, a colleague of mine encountered some grief on his RAF Cpl’s promotion course when he merely polished his shoes instead of bulling them - he pointed out that the Joining Instructions stated “shoes should be highly polished”.
As for “highly polishing” my shoes, I use the polish lid to hold water as I wipe it dry after use which avoids rust and I’ve found that aircraft canopy cloths are perfect for giving a scratch free finish.
The Uniform regs for Royal Marines Cadets states that toe caps are to be ‘bulled’ to a glossy shine. Higher standards maybe?
The person who raised that FOI needs someone to give them a reality check!
I’m sorry but this thread is turning into a joke. I encourage all of my cadets to have highly polished toe caps. If they are unable to do it, then I’m sorry this where being an instructor comes in. Show the cadet how to improve their shoes, teach them how to do it but clearly do not penalise them if they struggle.
My cadets take a great deal of pride in the appearance of their shoes, along with the rest of their uniform - as they quite rightly should do - it is a military uniform after all!!
I am certainly not an ‘acting out a sad dream to be the RSM of a Guards Regiment’ by trying to instill a sense of pride and achievement in my cadets.
Couldn’t agree more!
