The surface of the shoe has tiny hollows and valleys. Light falling on an irregular surface gets scattered in all directions. Hence it does not shine. When we polish our shoes, the cream that we apply fills up the hollows. This makes the surface smooth causing the light falling on it to be reflected more evenly. As a result, the surface shines. . Shoe polish is not a cleaning product: it is suited for clean and dry shoes. A vigorous rubbing action to apply the polish evenly on the boot, followed by further buffing with a clean dry cloth or brush.
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