SHINING EXAMPLES OF POLISH

ONCE upon a time, children, lots of little boys were to be seen on the streets of London, eager to shine the shoes of gentlemen for a few coins.

But the era of the Big Bad Trainer, the Cheap Shoe from China and the Cult of the Slob saw them all displaced, banished from the streets and minus their meagre earnings, as shoes went unpolished throughout the land…

Looking along a line of shoes in the London Underground, it is all too obvious that shoe polishing is no longer a de rigueur practice for business men. Even quite well dressed fellows may sport scuffed, sad-looking footwear, and the pre-eminence of trainers, casual loafers and Hush Puppies explains why the British shoe industry, once so vibrant and world-renowned, is now but a shadow of its former self.

But all is not lost. Such long-established bespoke shoe names as Cleverley, John Lobb (in St James's), Foster, and Tricker's remain, and have even been joined by a number of new disciples, as Gaziano & Girling and Cliff Roberts, eager to maintain high quality traditions. With prices rising is the thousands, their shoes represent the same kind of a long term investment as a Savile Row suit, and as such deserve to be properly cared for.

Usually, they will be taken back to their maker for any repairs that may become necessary but it isn’t always possible to return them for polishing. And with the demise of the street shoeshine boys, where does a well-shod fellow turn to for a good polish?

One of the very few left in London providing this service is Steve Skippen. Based in the foyer of the London Hilton, he has built up a loyal following of customers from the surrounding Mayfair area as well as much farther afield.

“They come from all over this country and abroad,” he says “ and all ages, though the average is late 40s. No, they are certainly not all guests at the hotel, around 60per cent from outside. About 40-50 per cent are English.”

He  takes great pride in his work and sees it more as a craft than the somewhat lowly job that the term ‘shoeshine boy’ suggests.

“I think of it as rather like a facial. I apply a cleansing moisturiser first, then the polish, applied by hand, massaging it in. Then I polish, first with a Tubigrip (a tubular bandage), which has just the right sort of surface, then with a horse hair brush and finally with a 60 denier stocking – yes, it must be a stocking and it must be 60 denier!”

He has an array of products to suit various leathers, all made from natural ingredients, beeswax his favourite, and by trial and error has found the very best brands on the market, many sourced from overseas.

“I’ve been doing it for  14 years now and I’m still learning. I think of myself as a shoe artist, a shoe carer. My ambition is to expand out into Mayfair and beyond. I’d love to have my own-brand products – and I’d really love to make shoes.”

When he started, those 14 years ago, he had little inkling that it was to prove a lifetime career. Along the way, he had positions in the City, at Blombergs, Lehman Bros, KPMG, as well as City Airport, but the financial crash means that none of these establishments, so far as he knows, now has a shoe service.

So the crash did more than effect the economy – it lead to all those dull feet in the City. When toes are shining once more, they may well point to the long-awaited recovery. www.shoeshineukuk.com