For field use, I gently warm up my boots and coat them in dubbin, as the dubbin melts it soaks into the leather, do that a few times until the leather wont take any more and your feet are dry and toasty for ages. Upkeep is easy, brush off any mud and reproof. A layer of polish makes them nice and black and keeps the grown ups off my back.

For general use, Kiwi black all the way. On, off and finished with a soft duster.

Parades, two or three days work spit shining or bulling. Starting off with burning the old polish off, melting beeswax into the leather and smoothing it with a hot spoon. Followed by the calming actions of little circles with polish and water on a sylvit cloth. I never use spit, god knows what may fly out of my mouth and scratch the finish. All finished off with a cotton wool session under a running tap.