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Shoe Care Directory, Info @ Tex.in
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See also the following sections under Footwear @ Tex.in
Footwear > Footwear Clogs, Custom-made Footwear, Brand Names, Moccasins, Sandals, Shoes, Athletic Shoes, Shoe Companies, Dance Shoes, Children’s Shoes, Industrial Shoes, Safety Shoes, Leather Shoes, Shoe Care, Parts of Shoes (Soles, Uppers), Women’s Footwear, Men’s Footwear, Children’s Footwear, Specialty Footwear, Vegan Footwear, Boots
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Content derived from Wikipedia article on Shoe Polish
Shoe polish
An open can of Kiwi shoe polish with a side-mounted opening mechanism visible at the top of the photo.Shoe polish (or boot polish), usually a waxy paste or a cream, is a consumer product used to shine, waterproof, and restore the appearance of leather shoes or boots, thereby extending the footwear's life.
Various substances have been used as shoe polish for hundreds of years, starting with natural substances such as wax and tallow. Modern polish formulae were introduced early in the 20th century and some products from that era, such as Kiwi (begun in 1906), are still in use today.
Today, shoe polish is usually made from a mix of natural and synthetic materials, including naphtha, turpentine, dyes, and gum arabic, using straightforward chemical engineering processes. Shoe polish can be toxic, and, if misused, can stain skin.
Contents
1 Usage 2 History 2.1 Before the 20th century 2.2 Modern polish 2.3 Surge in popularity 2.4 Modern day 3 Composition, toxicology and disposal 4 Manufacture 5 Other methods 6 Shoe polish in the media 7 References 8 External links
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Usage Shoe polish is applied to the shoe using a rag, cloth, or brush. Shoe polish is not a cleaning product, and therefore the footwear should be both clean and dry before application. A vigorous rubbing action to apply the polish evenly on the boot, followed by further buffing with a clean dry cloth or brush, usually provides good results.[1] Another technique, known as spit-polishing or sweating, involves gently rubbing polish into the leather with a cloth and a drop of water or spit. This achieves the mirror-like, high-gloss finish known as a spit shine which is especially valued in military organizations. Polishes containing carnauba wax can be used as a protective coating to extend the life and look of a leather shoe. A less time-consuming method of achieving a high gloss finish is to buff the shoe with a nylon legging.
Shoe polish with a shoe brush.Shoe polish may also be purchased pre-soaked into a hard sponge, which can be used to buff leather without needing to apply any additional polish to either the leather or the sponge. This is usually known as an applicator. A number of companies that manufacture shoe care products also sell a liquid shoe polish in a squeezable plastic bottle, with a small sponge applicator at the end. To decrease its viscosity, bottled polish usually has a very low wax content.
There are many products closely related to shoe polish, but not strictly considered as such. Other chemical products may be used to clean and shine shoes — in particular whiteners for white shoes, and a variety of sprays and aerosols for cleaning and waterproofing suede shoes.[2]
Although shoe polish is primarily intended for leather shoes, some brands specify that they may also be used on non-porous materials, such as vinyl. The polish is generally the same colour as the shoes it will be used upon, or it may be neutral, lacking any intrinsic colour.
Because of its viscosity, shoe polish can also be used as a makeshift lubricant.
History
Before the 20th century
An open can of dubbinSince medieval times, dubbin, a waxy product, was used to soften and waterproof leather; however, it did not impart shine.[3] It was made from natural wax, oil and tallow. As leather with a high natural veneer became popular in the 18th century, a high glossy finish became important, particularly on shoes and boots. In most cases, a variety of homemade polishes were used to provide this finish, often with lanolin or beeswax as a base.
In the 19th century, many forms of shoe polish became available, yet were rarely referred to as shoe polish or boot polish. Instead, they were often called blacking (especially when mixed with lampblack), or simply continued to be referred to as dubbin. Tallow, an animal by-product, was used to manufacture a simple form of shoe polish at this time. Chicago, Illinois, where 82% of the meat consumed in the United States was processed, became a major shoe polish producing area for this reason.[4]
Prior to 1906, shoe polish was not well known as a purchasable product, nor was it particularly sophisticated. While sales were not especially high, a few brands, like Nugget, were available in England during the 1800s. The practice of shining people’s shoes gradually caught on and soon many shoeshine boys in the city streets were offering shoe shines using a basic form of shoe polish along with a polishing cloth.
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Modern polish
A can of the German shoe polish, ErdalWhile a number of older leather preserving products existed (including the Irish brand Punch, which was first made in 1851, and the German brand, Erdal, which went on sale in 1901), the first shoe polish to resemble the modern varieties (aimed primarily at inducing shine) was Kiwi. Scottish expatriates William Ramsay and Hamilton McKellan began making "boot polish" in a small factory in 1904 in Melbourne, Australia.[5] Their formula was a major improvement on previous brands. It preserved shoe leather, made it shine, and restored color. By the time Kiwi Dark Tan was released in 1908, it incorporated agents that added suppleness and water resistance. Australian-made boot polish was then considered the world's best. Black and a range of colors became available, and exports to Britain, continental Europe, and New Zealand began.
He named the shoe polish after the kiwi, the national bird of New Zealand; Ramsay's wife, Annie Elizabeth Meek Ramsay, was a native of Oamaru, New Zealand.[6] It has been suggested that, at a time when several symbols were weakly associated with New Zealand, the eventual spread of Kiwi shoe polish around the world enhanced Kiwi's popular appeal and promoted it at the expense of the others.[citation needed]
A rival brand in the early years was Cobra Boot Polish, based in Sydney. Cobra was noted for a series of cartoon advertisements in The Sydney Bulletin, starting in 1909, using a character called "Chunder Loo of Akim Foo." (The word chunder, meaning "to vomit", possibly originated through the rhyming slang of Chunder Loo and spew.)[7]
Surge in popularity
1930s advertisement for cirage (French for shoe polish) using the corsair Jean Bart.At the end of the 19th century, leather shoes and boots became affordable to the masses, and with the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the demand for large numbers of polished army boots led to a need in the market for a product that would allow boots to be polished quickly, efficiently and easily. The polish was also used to shine leather belts, handgun holsters, and horse tack. This demand led to a rapid increase in the sales of shoe and boot polish. The popularity of Kiwi shoe polish spread throughout the British Commonwealth and the United States. Rival brands began to emerge, including Shinola (United States), Cherry Blossom (United Kingdom), Parwa (India), Jean Bart (France), and many others. Advertising became more prominent; many shoe polish brands used fictional figures or historical characters to spread awareness of their products.
Shoe polish was to be found just about everywhere Allied troops ventured. American war correspondent Walter Graeber wrote for TIME magazine from the Tobruk trenches in 1942 that "old tins of British-made Kiwi polish lay side by side with empty bottles of Chianti." A story indicative of the rise in global significance of shoe polish is told by Jean (Gertrude) Williams, a New Zealander who lived in Japan during the Allied occupation straight after World War II. American soldiers were then finding the dullness of their boots and shoes to be a handicap when trying to win the affections of Japanese women:
When the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces arrived in Japan — all with boots polished to a degree not known in the U.S. forces — the G.I.s were more conscious than ever of their feet. The secret was found to rest not only in spit and polish, but in the superior Australian boot polish, a commodity which was soon exchanged with the Americans on a fluctuating basis of so many packets of cigarettes for one can of Kiwi boot polish.
Soldiers returning from the war continued to use the product, leading to a further surge in its popularity. A few years after World War II, Kiwi opened a manufacturing plant in Philadelphia, making only black, brown, and neutral shoe polish in tins.
Modern day
A boot polisher on a railway platform in Mumbai, IndiaShoe polish products are low-value items that are infrequently purchased. Demand is inelastic or largely insensitive to price change, and sales volumes are generally low. In the shoe polish market as a whole, some 26% of sales are accounted for by pastes, 24% by creams, 23% by aerosols, and 13% by liquids.[citation needed] In recent years, the demand for shoe polish products has either been static or declined; one reason is the gradual replacement of formal footwear with sneakers for everyday use.
There are numerous brands available, as well as store brands. There are two chief areas of shoe polish sales: to the general public, and to specialists and trade, such as shoe repairers, and cobblers. The sales percentages between the two outlets are roughly comparable.[8]
Kiwi remains the predominant shoe polish brand in most of the world, being sold in over 180 countries and holding a 53% market share worldwide. [1] Today, it is manufactured in Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Other leading brands include Kelly's, Shinola, Lincoln Shoe Polish, Meltonian, and Cherry Blossom.[9]
Kiwi was acquired by the American company Sara Lee following its purchase of Reckitt and Colman in 1991 and Knomark in 1987. [1] The Federal Trade Commission ruled that Sara Lee had to divest its ownership of these companies in 1994 to prevent it from becoming a monopoly. Since this ruling, Sara Lee has been prevented from acquiring any further assets or firms associated with chemical shoe care products in the United States without prior commission approval.[10] The Competition Commission in the United Kingdom also investigated the potential monopoly of Sara Lee in the shoe care industry.[11]
In India, shoeshine boys are known as boot polish boys, and can still be found in operation today, particularly at railway platforms.
Shoe polish can also be used to create graffiti, as its flow characteristics are well suited for the task.
Composition, toxicology and disposal Shoe polish consists of a waxy colloidal emulsion, a substance composed of a number of partially immiscible liquids and solids mixed together. It is usually made from ingredients including some or all of naphtha, lanolin, turpentine, wax (often Carnauba wax), gum arabic, ethylene glycol, and if required a colourant, such as carbon black or an azo dye (such as aniline yellow). It typically has a specific gravity of 0.8, is negligibly soluble in water, and is made of between 65 and 77% volatiles — usually naphtha. The high amount of volatile substances means that the shoe polish will dry out and harden after application, while retaining its shine.[12]
Lanolin, a hydrophilic grease from wool-bearing animals such as sheep or goats, acts as both a waterproofing wax and a bonding agent, giving the shoe polish its greasy feel and texture. It also prevents the naphtha from evaporating until the polish has been spread and buffed into a thin film on the leather surface. An essential ingredient in shoe polish is a thickener; without this, the polish would be too runny, making it difficult to use. Gum arabic, a substance from two sub-Saharan species of the acacia tree, is commonly used to increase the viscosity of the product.
Many shoe polishes contain toxic chemicals. These can be absorbed through the skin, or inhaled. Although some shoe polish manufacturers claim their products to be non-toxic, many do not list their ingredients. When handling shoe polish, one should ideally wear gloves, refrain from drinking alcohol (as it can increase the effects of certain chemicals), and stay in a well-ventilated area. Shoe polish should also be kept out of reach of children and animals. It is extremely toxic to birds, particularly budgerigars. It can stain the skin for a protracted period of time, and will cause irritation to the eye if there is direct contact.[13]
Shoe polish should be treated as a hazardous substance, when being disposed of. Rags that have come into contact with polish should also be discarded in accordance with local guidelines for hazardous materials. If permitted by local regulations, shoe polish can be safely incinerated.
Manufacture
A can of Lincoln shoe polish.Shoe polish can be manufactured using large vats, reasonably powerful heaters and air conditioners. There is no set method of manufacture, although most methods use pressures of two atmospheres to ensure the naphtha does not boil off, and temperatures of up to 85 °C.[14]
The first step in the manufacture of a typical shoe polish is the melting of the wax with the highest melting point in an electric heater. Following this, all other waxes are added, usually by descending order of melting point. Whilst this wax is held at a constant temperature, the emulsion — a mixture of the various oils and, if used, fats, is then heated separately, at around 85 °C. The heated emulsion is then added to the waxes, along with distilled water. When the mixture reaches around 80 °C, turpentine oil is added. This mixture is then mixed and continually stirred for half an hour. Dyes are added and mixed in turpentine oil if it is not a neutral polish. The mixed mass is reduced slowly to 50 °C, and as its viscosity increases, it is poured through a closed funnel into a cooling chamber. The poured mass is allowed to settle slowly, providing uniform distribution. The process is considered straightforward and the required equipment is relatively easy to acquire. The cost of establishing shoe polish manufacturing facilities has been estimated at around $600,000 (as of 2005).[15]
Shoe polish is traditionally packaged in flat, round, 60-gram (2-ounce) tins, usually with an easy-open facility. Because the amount of shoe polish that needs to be applied is small, and the shoe polish will desiccate due to volatile ingredients, such as naphtha, a large container would dry out before being fully used. The traditional flat, round tins have since become synonymous with shoe polishes.
Other methods
A banana peel being used to clean and polish shoes.A banana peel can be used to effectively shine shoes.[16]
Shoe polish in the media Charles Dickens worked in a shoe polish factory at the age of 12, earning six shillings a week pasting labels on the jars, in a factory near the present Charing Cross railway station. His character David Copperfield subsequently worked in a shoe polish factory, based on Dickens' experiences. Dante Hicks used shoe polish to write the sign stating "I assure you we're open" in the movie Clerks.
References ^ DIY Waxes, Stain Removal and Polishes ^ Competition Commission - Conclusions of a report on Sara Lee (owners of Kiwi shoe polish) and the shoe polish market in general. ^ Dubbin - a site belonging to a British manufacturer of dubbin ^ Chicago Stockyards ^ Information on the burial place of William Ramsay (Web Archive) ^ KiwiPhile - how Kiwi shoe polish helped choose a national symbol ^ Take Our Word For It ^ Competition Commission - Introduction to a report on Sara Lee (owners of Kiwi shoe polish) and the shoe polish market in general. ^ Competition Commission - Conclusions of a report on Sara Lee (owners of Kiwi shoe polish) and the shoe polish market in general. ^ Federal Trade Commission on Sara Lee's potential monopoly ^ Competition Commission - Introduction to a report on Sara Lee (owners of Kiwi shoe polish) and the shoe polish market in general. ^ Chemical make-up of shoe polish ^ Shoe polish Material Safety Data Sheet ^ Manufacture of Shoe Polish ^ Competition Commission - Conclusions of a report on Sara Lee (owners of Kiwi shoe polish) and the shoe polish market in general. ^ Google search on banana shine shoes. Accessed 28 November 2006.
External links Listen to this article · (info) This audio file was created from an article revision dated 2005-12-15, and may not reflect subsequent edits to the article. (Audio help) More spoken articles Wikibooks - How to make homemade shoe polish Translations of 'Shoe Polish' in the Wiktionary A history of shoe polish Article on "spit polishing" Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoe_polish
End of Wikipedia content, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoe_polish
Content derived from Wikipedia article on Kiwi Shoe Polish
Kiwi (shoe polish) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Kiwi logoKiwi is the brand name of a shoe polish, first made in Australia in 1906 and as of 2005 sold in almost 180 countries. Owned by the Sara Lee Corporation since 1984, it is the dominant shoe polish in some countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States, where it has about two-thirds of the market.
This shoe polish was developed by Australia-based Scottish-born inventor William Ramsay, who named it Kiwi as a homage to his wife, Annie Elizabeth Meek Ramsay, a New Zealander, otherwise known as a Kiwi. Its success in Australia expanded overseas when it was adopted by both the British and American armies in World War I.
Contents
1 Development 2 Corporate history 3 References 4 External links
Development Whilst a number of older leather preserving products existed (including the Irish brand Punch, which was first made in 1851, and the German brand, Erdal, which went on sale in 1901), Kiwi's invention in 1906 made it the first shoe polish to resemble the modern varieties (aimed primarily at inducing shine). Scottish expatriates William Ramsay and Hamilton McKellan began making boot polish in a small factory in 1904 in Melbourne, Australia.[1] Their formula was new, and they worked on further improvements. Ramsay launched his product in 1906 and began marketing it in Melbourne. Ramsey loaded boxes of his boot polish on his horse and cart, and sold it to ranchers to protect their boots. [2]
Kiwi was a major improvement on previous brands. It preserved shoe leather, made it shine, and restored colour. By the time Kiwi Dark Tan was released in 1908, it incorporated agents that added suppleness and water resistance. Australian-made boot polish was then considered the world's best. Black and a range of colours became available, and exports to Britain, continental Europe, and New Zealand began.
A rival brand of the time was Cobra Boot Polish, based in Sydney. Cobra was noted for a series of cartoon advertisements in The Sydney Bulletin, starting in 1909, using a character called "Chunder Loo of Akim Foo." (The word chunder, meaning "to vomit", possibly originated through the rhyming slang of Chunder Loo and spew.)[3]
New Zealand is the only nation whose colloquial identity has been assisted by a brand of shoe polish. In the early years of the European settlement a variety of symbols — predominantly the moa, silver fern, Southern Cross and kiwi — were used to represent the new nation, and even by the early 1900s there was no clear consensus. The spread of Kiwi shoe polish around the world enhanced the popular appeal of the Kiwi as New Zealand's national symbol. [4]
In some countries, notably the Philippines, shoe polishes are expensive, so they formulate a shoe polish cream in sachets and launched it in 1998 in the country.
Corporate history
A can of Kiwi shoe polishOver the years, Kiwi has been owned by a variety of corporations. For the first six decades of its existence, it was part of iterations of an Australian corporation with Kiwi in its name, all based in the state of Victoria, including Kiwi Boot Polish Co. (1913-1916) and Kiwi Polish Co. (1916-1971). The company then joined with Nicholas International Ltd, a Melbourne based pharmaceutical company producing international brands such as Aspro and Rennie. The new company was renamed Nicholas Kiwi. In 1984 it was acquired by American-based Sara Lee (at the time known as Consolidated Foods Corporation) who eventually sold off the Nicholas pharmaceutical products to Roche of Switzerland and kept the Kiwi range.
Kiwi was acquired by the American company Sara Lee following its purchase of Reckitt and Colman in 1991 and Knomark in 1987. [5] The Federal Trade Commission ruled that Sara Lee had to divest its ownership of these companies in 1994 to prevent it from becoming a monopoly. Since this ruling, Sara Lee has been prevented from acquiring any further assets or firms associated with chemical shoe care products in the United States without prior commission approval. [6] The Competition Commission in the United Kingdom also investigated the potential monopoly of Sara Lee in the shoe care industry. [7]
Kiwi remains the predominant shoe polish brand in most of the world, being sold in over 180 countries and holding a 53% market share worldwide. [8] Today, it is manufactured in Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Other leading brands include Shinola, Lincoln Shoe Polish, Meltonian, and Cherry Blossom. [9]
References ↑ Information on the burial place of William Ramsay (Web Archive) ↑ Australian Government article on Kiwi shoe polish - PDF file, taken from Imagination - 100 Years of Bright Ideas in Australia [10] Available in print form - (ISBN 1-74066-106-0). ↑ KiwiPhile - how Kiwi shoe polish helped choose a national symbol ↑ Take Our Word For It ↑ missing ↑ Competition Commission - Introduction to a report on Sara Lee (owners of Kiwi shoe polish) and the shoe polish market in general. ↑ Competition Commission - Conclusions of a report on Sara Lee (owners of Kiwi shoe polish) and the shoe polish market in general. ↑ Federal Trade Commission on Sara Lee's potential monopoly
End of Wikipedia content, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiwi_%28shoe_polish%29
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