The Social Network & Community JUST for Firefighters
Super Polished Boots = Professional image
My Fire department back home everyone had some sort of black boots, most common was bates w/ the side zipper. Everyone polished them and some were amazing while some were ok. We wore these black boots on medicals because it went w/ the uniform. Does anyone else polish there boots for a better professional image?
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Ronald Williams II on
-
well i use a total off the wall method. my superiors call my boots glass lol
-
-
yea, thats what i got issued in basic training. but now that im at my first duty station
-
Permalink Reply by Engineco913 on
-
Shiney boots are nice. It shows pride.
What shows a professional image is a well oiled machine. Firefighters who show up, keep their cool and exercise their training perfectly to conclude any incident that comes their way.
-
-
well i own 2 differant pair of Bates boots, there both ultra lights but one is steel toe the other is not, the non steel toe boots i have had for 4 years and now just broke, but it was just the zipper i can still use them but why when they just gave me a new pair lol
-
Permalink Reply by rfdjumper on
-
I use Lincoln Black Shoe Polish. It's the bomb and does a really great job. My chief can always tell who was in the military by how their boots look.
-
-
well, i use Lincoln polish but i use blue defenatly has a better shine lol. lighter color more of a higher gloss... use panty hose to buff it out and just buff for a while and you get a amazing shine just a tip lol
-
Permalink Reply by Oldman on
-
Dress uniform, you bet. Honor Guard, we have the Bates Lites. For regular station wear, not on your life.
First off, we wear our station boots on wildfires. We do not wear structural gear on wildfires. Too hot, and the boots do not support your ankles. Besides, one time humpin in the stix, that shine job is history.
Add to that, what is boot polish made from? A petroleum base, and you add coat after coat after coat. Petroleum and fire are not usually a good mix. A blast of tire foam, (Armor all which is mainly silicone) wipe them down, and they are cleaned, protected, and have a satin shine. An added benefit is it also makes them water repellent, and unless you stand in a ditch fill of water, washing apparatus and hose for example does not get your feet wet.
-
-
well, we got a set of structual gear, and wildland gear, and SAR gear, all of which have a complete uniform. But ems calls we got ems pants/class b pants, and a Class B button up shirt or our FD shirt. that is the main uniform volys but look better than the paid co up the road, i love it lol
-
Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on
-
Don't get me wrong but typically, for station life, I wear White's that use Mink Oil which is more of a wax to keep the leather conditioned and when they are clean, present what I consider a professional image. I do own a pair of station boots that have the side zippers and can't argue the fact that a pair of boots that are spit shined show not only professionalism on the part of the wearer but an example of the caliber of work that they perform, regardless if it's just a pair of boots.
With that said, as a company officer, if I was to wear a pair of shoes that I had actually "shined-up", then it was a guaranteed vegetation or structure fire. All I have to do is threaten to put a coat of boot polish on my boots during the NBA playoffs or the Superbowl... I seem to always get a response.
The reality for most of the folks where I work is that we have to be able to respond to both strucural, medical and vegetation fires. The White boot is the boot of choice and you simply do not put boot polish on a White boot. The exterior of the boot is a more rough cowhide finish, verses the slick leather that you see in the typical station boot.
For the times of the year that it is not "wildland season", I still prefer the White because we have a significant potential for vehicles over the side and having a good tight fitting boot that provides ankle support is more important to me that having a good shine. Those boots are reserved for fire inspections or fire department promotional testing or activities that don't involve emergency response.
Can you imagine, going through the effort to produce a perfect spit shine, go to the store for groceries, get toned out for a vegetation fire and end up doing line construction support with your Type III. So much for the spit shine.
TCSS, Mike
-
Permalink Reply by FF Nick on
-
Our dept is the same as "Oldman"
Our duty boots can be whatever brand so long as they are black and slip resistant. Most of us have either Bates or 5eleven's. They don't really have a polishable toe. We wear our duty boots for everything including woods/grass/brush fires. We dont polish our duty boots but we do make sure they stay as clean as possible, like hosing all the mud and soot off after fires. We have Rocky Paratrooper boots with the smoothed surface that we use for our dress uniform, and you can bet your behind you can see yourself in those suckers
- ‹ Previous
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- Next ›
© 2024 Created by Firefighter Nation WebChief.
Powered by
