Last night I looked closely at my boots again. Although the moisture from the Mink Oil was still there, they looked pretty haggard again. I decided it was time to shine them again. Shoe shining is a manly ritual that is also therapeutic.

The process starts with having the proper tools: two horsehair brushes (a "clean" one for polishing and dusting and a "dirty" one for applying the shoe polish) and some Kiwi Shoe Polish. You use the "clean" brush to remove dust and clean the leather. Next, you use the "dirty" brush to apply a nice even coat of the Kiwi Shoe Polish. Let that dry for about 30 min and then buff it with the "clean" brush". This develops the shine by removing excess polish and only leaving a thin layer over the leather.

The before picture is above. The after picture is below. The after picture doesn't do my shine job justice. It looks much better on my foot right now!