Can I return my combat boots

[Wade]

  Can anyone tell me if I can exchange my combat boots for another pair at the NDHQ Clothing Store?  They told me to apply silicone to my boots before polish.  That really has messed them up.  The polish doesn't seem to be penetrating the leather at all.  The polish is actually flaking off my boots...they look terrible.  I am going to try using lighter fluid to strip them and start over, but if it doesn't work do you think they will exchange them?

 

[Da_man]

Im not an expert but i think you should just take them back.  What i know for sure is that i wouldnt want to be at your place  :-\

 

[Joe_McSweeney]

When I was in cadets I was issued a pair of parade shoes that would not take a polish and it would just flake off.
A buddy of mine told me to soak them in cold water to get all the crud out, then let them dry out by themselves (no radiators or open oven doors...)
then just start fresh again by polishing the daylights out of them  (I couldn't feel my hands for half a day!)  It worked good for me.

Good Luck....

Joe.

 

[Wade]

Well it looks like I may be back on track with my boots.
I stripped them with lighter fluid and then used a leather stripper to help the proces along.  The leather stripper took a bit of the dye out but hopefully it took all the silicone out as well.  I put 1 coat of polish on and nothing seems to be cracking....so far so good!  This was very time consuming and dirty, I don't reccommend this to anyone unless absolutely necessary.