Better Man

Day 2
Shine Your Shoes
There’s a lot of sage wisdom to be found in the film The 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. We also have an illustrated guide and a video tutorial
to help guide you along. 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 original post’s numerous comments: