Metal polish is used to polish metal embellishments on boots, including spurs, boot straps, and metal toe and heel caps. Metal polish comes in several formats, the most common being cream, paste, and wadding. Chemical metal polish (to be distinguished from abrasive metal polish) works by chemically breaking down the tarnish on metals, which is then removed when the metal is wiped down and buffed. Cream polishes work on their own; they are simply applied, allowed to dry, and wiped off. Paste polishes are mixed with water, applied, and wiped off. Wadding polishes consist of cotton batting saturated with polish; a piece of wadding is removed from the can and rubbed onto the metal surface. When the metal is polished, a clean cloth is used to remove any residue.

All polishes require some clean-up following their use. It is important to make sure that cloths used with metal polishes are not used for other leather care tasks until they have been laundered, as the polish components can be very damaging to leather.