The super-luxe shoe care company Paul Brunngard has a product by the curious name of Spitshine. In post-pandemic times this may not the most appealing of names perhaps, but it harks back to the military habit of using a mix of spittle and polish to bring up the highest shine on a pair of boots. The water in the spit acted as a lubricant on the polish, allowing it to be worked into the underlying wax, some elbow grass then providing a long-lasting, mirror-like coating.
In army circles the process is called ‘bulling’. Spitshine gives a similar result without the need to gob on your Oxfords.