Before the advent of shoe polish, a waxy product called Dubbin was used to soften and waterproof leather.
Shoe polish first became available in the nineteenth century bringing about the rise of the shoe shine boys who worked in London. Shoe shiners worked on the street or went door-to-door.
In the early twentieth century the famous Kiwi brand came on to the market and sales of shoe polish grew in line with the growth in availability of leather footwear to the masses. The two world wars lead to a surge in the use of shoe polish as soldiers needed to keep the gloss on their boots. After WW2 the shoe shine boy gradually lost out to people looking after their own shoes.
Modern Day Resurgence of the Shoe Shiner
Shoe shine services are growing in popularity as people are taking greater pride in their appearance and are determined to look their best at all times. Nothing beats that extra gloss that only a professional shoe shiner can achieve.
