Q&A for How to Give Your Parade Shoes That Mirror Finish

I never used sandpaper on my parade boots, but we would scrape off the existing polish with a spoon to rough it up, giving the new polish something to adhere to. (I only did this when I noticed that shining the boots was not working as well as it used to.)

Try using a different polish. I recommend Kiwi Shoe Polish Paste, Fiebing Yellow Saddle Soap, and Meltonian Boot & Shoe Cream.

I would try using a different type of shoe polish. If that doesn't change anything, go to a shoe place and ask.

Ideally, it should be room temperature water. I don't recommend using warm water, however.

Start with the toe cap, but still shine the rest of it. As it becomes easier to polish, you can even it out on the whole shoe.

Keep adding layers, the more thin layers that are on there, the shinier it will stay. Just make sure that the layers are thin, because thick ones are difficult to shine.