Shoe shine - a lost art! - upnorthvoice.com

Og Mandino: (“World’s Greatest Salesman” says to start our days with: “A smile on your face, a song on your heart, and a shine on your shoes!” Polishing shoes has been around since the 1900’s. Fred Astaire danced to the music: “A Shine On Your Shoes!” A spit-polished, shiny pair of shoes shows that a person takes meticulous good care of themselves and their wardrobe. Looking at a person with a great suit or outfit sets up a very positive impression, But if you look down at their shoes and they are dull, dusty, dirty, or all scraped up, the excellent impression dissolves into a question of their personal grooming habits, and ultimately their attention to detail.

When I was in a high travel sales position, I would fly multiple times a week, giving workshops every day in different cities. I always needed my leather dress shoes to shine regularly. I often flew out of Bishop Airport, in Flint, Michigan. Back then, every airport had one or many professional shoeshine stations. They were always busy and could shine your shoes in 10 minutes or less. There was a professional shoeshine station at Bishop Airport manned by “Julius!” If shoe shinning had been an Olympic Sport, Julius would have won the Gold Medal every time! He was truly an artist!

After using him many times at the airport, I used to bring several pairs of shoes in a sports bag, drop them off on my flight out, and he would have them polished and ready for me when I returned! I did earn multiple promotions and National Sales Awards as an individual and with my teams. While a lot went into those promotions and awards, there is no question in my mind that the brilliant shine on my shoes was a factor!

With the positive aspects of keeping your shoes shined, why is the practice losing its popularity? The decline is limited to remote working, the widespread rise in business casual, more canvas shoe styles, and many dress shoes made from composites instead of leather. Shoe polish sales in 2022 totaled 27.3 million, down 29 % from 2019. There are now some quick-shine tools that just put a gloss on your shoes with a sponge device that I admit to using occasionally. Still, they do not give the protection and the deep gloss you get from real shoe polish. How often should you shine your shoes? Every month or sooner, depending on how often you wear and what you may step on. Should brand-new shoes be polished? Yes, a coat of polish may ward off some scrapes that could damage leather.

If your shoe collection includes leather dress shoes, please take the time to polish them every 6 months. Julius is retired, but some local shoe repair shops will still do that for you if you cannot bring yourself to polish them. I think it’s time for a nap; I’ll shine my shoes later……

“Remember, every day is a gift! Some are just a little more fun to open than others. – © Joel M. Vernier 05/15/2022 Author of: “The Guinea Pig In The Freezer.” [email protected]

###

UpNorthVoice.com is Northern Michigan's source for community news.We cover seven counties including Crawford, Roscommon, Oscoda, Ogemaw, Iosco, Arenac and Montmorency counties in print and / or online.We are also a full-service commercial design and printing house. Our specialty is custom commercial printing, as well as the creation of clothing, cups and other marketing products.To submit information for publication, or for questions regarding promotion of your business through web or print, as well as promotional items such as hats or cups, please email [email protected], or call 989-275-1170.