Airport shoeshine

MikeD

MikeD

Administrator
Staff member
As I travel generally in black leather boots, I always try to make time before, after, or between flights to get them shined by the shoeshine vendors at airports I go through. In PHX tonight, I had on a pair of pretty trashed boots, and figured I'd let the guy make an attempt to do something workable with them. The shoeshine gentleman worked for over 15 minutes on them, and turned them into clean leather with a glass reflection as well as edge dressing. Wow. Well done. Price was $8 for a boot shine, and I paid him $16 for the work. Well done.

Anyone else ever use the shoeshine vendors at the airports? Good/bad/so-so experiences? I haven't had a bad one yet, but the one tonight was pretty amazing bringing these boots back to life.
 
MikeD said:
As I travel generally in black leather boots, I always try to make time before, after, or between flights to get them shined by the shoeshine vendors at airports I go through. In PHX tonight, I had on a pair of pretty trashed boots, and figured I'd let the guy make an attempt to do something workable with them. The shoeshine gentleman worked for over 15 minutes on them, and turned them into clean leather with a glass reflection as well as edge dressing. Wow. Well done. Price was $8 for a boot shine, and I paid him $16 for the work. Well done.

Anyone else ever use the shoeshine vendors at the airports? Good/bad/so-so experiences? I haven't had a bad one yet, but the one tonight was pretty amazing bringing these boots back to life.
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Did it a while back in SJU. Turned my beat up shoes into something presentable. I was impressed for sure.
 
We had a really great one at PDX...I stopped in monthly to have him shine my shoes. Only charged $5, but I gave him a $10 tip for the good job. Even the ACP's noticed.
 
SurferLucas said:
We had a really great one at PDX...I stopped in monthly to have him shine my shoes. Only charged $5, but I gave him a $10 tip for the good job. Even the ACP's noticed.
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Its also interesting to just shoot the breeze with some of these guys too, as they're doing the work. Some of them have some very interesting stories about work, life, the airport, etc.
 
MikeD said:
As I travel generally in black leather boots, I always try to make time before, after, or between flights to get them shined by the shoeshine vendors at airports I go through. In PHX tonight, I had on a pair of pretty trashed boots, and figured I'd let the guy make an attempt to do something workable with them. The shoeshine gentleman worked for over 15 minutes on them, and turned them into clean leather with a glass reflection as well as edge dressing. Wow. Well done. Price was $8 for a boot shine, and I paid him $16 for the work. Well done.

Anyone else ever use the shoeshine vendors at the airports? Good/bad/so-so experiences? I haven't had a bad one yet, but the one tonight was pretty amazing bringing these boots back to life.
Click to expand...

MikeD in black leather over-knee dominatrix boots. Shudder.
 
MikeD said:
As I travel generally in black leather boots, I always try to make time before, after, or between flights to get them shined by the shoeshine vendors at airports I go through. In PHX tonight, I had on a pair of pretty trashed boots, and figured I'd let the guy make an attempt to do something workable with them. The shoeshine gentleman worked for over 15 minutes on them, and turned them into clean leather with a glass reflection as well as edge dressing. Wow. Well done. Price was $8 for a boot shine, and I paid him $16 for the work. Well done.

Anyone else ever use the shoeshine vendors at the airports? Good/bad/so-so experiences? I haven't had a bad one yet, but the one tonight was pretty amazing bringing these boots back to life.
Click to expand...

Where I live we have them everywhere on the street (they also fix shoes), some have newspaper and coffee, you pay 2-3 dollars, I alway go to the same guy that screams "GRINGO" from far away and tells me every time how low quality this made in china shoes are nowadays. There are also kids walking around with a little wooden box that do it for 1 dollar, I usually buy them a snack, so I`m sure they will not buy some glue...

I never used the airport ones, I rather grab a bite for that price. In the military I got pretty good at cleaning them myself but I like to support this peoples that do it for living.
 
A Colombian guy at IAD turned my Timberland boots that spent a week in the snow during snowmaggedon into a pair of tuxedo shoes, while being just the nicest guy around...
 
We have a couple of older fellas that work in the car wash down the street and I can say that the only thing that they can't put a mirror shine on is my old pair of rainbows. I usually take my work shoes in about twice a year for a restore. I've watched and observed for about three years now but I still can't replicate. Guess it's totally worth the 8 bucks though. The stories are what keep me coming back.
 
jml2992 said:
We have a couple of older fellas that work in the car wash down the street and I can say that the only thing that they can't put a mirror shine on is my old pair of rainbows. I usually take my work shoes in about twice a year for a restore. I've watched and observed for about three years now but I still can't replicate. Guess it's totally worth the 8 bucks though. The stories are what keep me coming back.
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my girlfriend puts hand cream on her rainbows........
 
I use the airport vendors. To me, it's worth the $6-7 to not have to do it myself. I always tip at least a couple extra dollars as well. I'm told there's a guy in Charlotte that uses a small propane torch. Haven't made it to that guy yet.
 
I am my own shoeologist :D Heck to pay that much for a shoe shine? How many gallons of 100LL one can get for 24 bucks? :)
 
I'm also of the school that doesn't mind taking a few minutes alone to shine his shoes once or twice a month. That goes for my work shoes (pair of conservative black oxfords) and dress shoes.

Those guys certainly do do a great job though, I just enjoy taking care of my own footwear.
 
Do they actually exist? I was under the impression that they're a myth from the olden days....

I see the chairs everywhere, but I don't think I've ever actually seen someone getting the shoeshine...or someone looking like a shoe shiner...
 
Jpax said:
Not enough to go anywhere with? :bandit:
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He-he depends. Say MikeD annual spending at shoeshine at least 12 times by 24 bucks equals $288 will buy you 64 gallons. Little here little there go figure... and it's just the shoes :insane:
 
The only time I ever had someone else shine my shoes was on a layover in Monterrey, Mexico. I'd walked by the stand which was right next to our hotel by a shopping street with palm trees and benches and things. Then the guy I was flying with specifically mentioned it as we walked by on the way to finding a place to eat. The next morning, I went to the stand before our van time and had my shoes shined for I think about one US dollar. They looked pretty good, for about a month. Then I was walking through puddles of slush and de-ice fluid again. :)

I don't mind doing it myself; I usually do once every few months.

If I ever have them shined again by someone, I'll probably pay claim it.
 
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