A boot polisher on a railway platform inMumbai, India.
Shoeshiner orboot polisher is an occupation in which a person cleans and buffsshoes and then appliesa waxy paste to give a shiny appearance and a protective coating. They are often known asshoeshine boys because the job was traditionally done by a male child. Other synonyms arebootblack andshoeblack. While the role is denigrated in much ofWestern civilization, shining shoes is an important source of income for many children and families throughout the world. Some shoeshiners offer extra services, such asshoe repairs and generaltailoring.
The earliest reliably dated photograph of a person, taken in spring 1838 byDaguerre, shows a person getting a shoeshine.The Independent Shoe-Black byJohn Thomson, 1877.A young war-orphan shoeshiner inJapan, 1947
Very large households in Victorian England sometimes included a young male servant called the Boot Boy, specializing in the care of footwear. Hotel staff for this function were commonly called The Boots. (A Boots was one of the crew inThe Hunting of the Snark.) Branded shoe polish appeared early in the 19th century:Charles Dickens was employed at age 12 in Warren's Blacking Factory in London in 1824.[1] Since the late 19th century shoeshine boys plied their trade on the streets, and were common in British cities.The earliest knowndaguerreotype (photograph) of a human,View of the Boulevard du Temple, features a man having his shoes shined in the lower corner of the print.[2] Though the image shows Paris' busyBoulevard du Temple, the long exposure time (several minutes) meant that moving traffic cannot be seen; however, the two men at lower left (one apparently having his boots polished by the other) remained still long enough to be distinctly visible. Shoe shine posts were common in public places like railway stations throughout the 20th century, as featured inFred Astaire's dance numberA Shine on Your Shoes.[3]
(video) A shoeshiner inJapan, 2016Shoeshiner at work inTepotzotlan, Mexico.Shoeshiner at work inPorto, PortugalShoeshiner inIstanbul, TurkeyShoeshiner at work inHavana,Cuba, 2014
The profession is common in many countries around the world, with the revenue earned by the shoeshiner being a significant proportion of a family income, particularly when the father of the family has died or can no longer work.[4] InAfghanistan some children will work after school and can earn 100 Afghanis (around £1) each day.[5] Manystreet children use shoeshining as their only means of income.
Some cities require shoeshiners to acquire licences in order to work legally. In August 2007 shoeshiners inMumbai, India were told that they could no longer work on the railway stations due to "financial irregularities". Every Shoeshine Association was asked to reapply for their license, with many worried that they would lose out to a rival.[6]
In addition to street shoe shiners, in some countries, among othersJapan, theUS andSingapore, there are artisanal shoeshines who specialize in the care of bespoke luxury shoes. These are usually found at high-priced men's outfitters or operate as independent businesses.[7]
Since 2017, annual World Championships in Shoe Shining are hosted in London. During the contest, the candidates are tasked with shining one shoe to the best of their ability within 20 minutes. The bestmirror shine is awarded by a jury of experts.[8][9] In London, luxury shoeshining is available in the arcades, particularly in the Princes Arcade, St James's.[10]
Coco, a 2017 film, in which the character of Miguel worked as a shoeshiner before going intoshoemaking.
Police Squad!, the spoof police procedural starringLeslie Nielsen featured a shoe shiner called Johnny, played byWilliam Duell. As well as shining shoes and giving inside info on the latest case to main characterFrank Drebin, Johnny appeared to have a vast knowledge of just about any subject his customers would ask him about, from fire safety to medical procedures, for a small tip.Tommy Lasorda andDick Clark both had cameo appearances onPolice Squad! playing themselves visiting Johnny's shoeshine stand, with Lasorda asking for advice on his pitching rotation and Clark inquiring aboutska, then a musical genre which was starting to receive some mainstream attention, as well as receiving some anti-aging cream.
Ragged Dick, an 1867 dime novel byHoratio Alger Jr. about a poor but honest shoeshiner and his rise to middle-class comfort and respectability through good moral behavior, clean living, and determination.Shine!, a musical based on Alger's work, particularlyRagged Dick, was produced in 1982.
Rajbahadur Bakhia the arch-villain in novels ofSurender Mohan Pathak, was originally a shoeshiner atflora fountain area ofMumbai, and had his introduction withunderworld over a payment dispute with a small-time gangster who refused to pay him.
In "Get Rhythm" (1956), written and performed byJohnny Cash, the song's narrator asks a "little shoeshine boy" who has "the dirtiest job in town" how he keeps from getting the blues. The shoeshine boy "grinned as he raised his little head / He popped a shoeshine rag, and then he said / Get rhythm..."
^Petrie, Juliette (1977).Quand on revoit tout ça! : [Le burlesque au Québec, 1914-1960] (in French). Jean Leclerc. [Montréal]: [Productions Vieux rêves].ISBN0-88604-006-X.OCLC6144424.
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