Bull polishing

This is accomplished by adding small dabs of polish and a few drops of water to build up the layers rather than removing them.

[5] This serves as a fortifying base coat which keeps the mirror shine from cracking easily, but also makes the shoe unsuitable for everyday wear.

[6] It is not unusual for soldiers to maintain a separate and unique pair of boots intended only for use for inspection or special ceremonial occasions.

Nowadays, combat boots that are used by the armed forces are typically made of materials that don't need to be polished.

The reason was that the highly reflective leather could easily be detected by enemies even from a great distance with the help of infrared lenses.