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Shoe polish

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   An open can of Kiwi shoe polish with a side-mounted opening mechanism
   visible at the top of the photo.
   Enlarge
   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.

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. 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.
   Enlarge
   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.

   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 dubbin
   Enlarge
   An open can of dubbin

   Since medieval times, dubbin, a waxy product, was used to soften and
   waterproof leather; however, it did not impart shine. 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.

   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.

Modern polish

   While 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. Their formula 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 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. 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.

   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.)

Surge in popularity

   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, India
   Enlarge
   A boot polisher on a railway platform in Mumbai, India

   Shoe 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. 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.

   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.  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, Angelus, and Cherry Blossom.

   Kiwi was acquired by the American company Sara Lee following its
   purchase of Reckitt and Colman in 1991 and Knomark in 1987.  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. The Competition
   Commission in the United Kingdom also investigated the potential
   monopoly of Sara Lee in the shoe care industry.

   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

   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.

   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.

   Shoe polish contains chemicals which can be absorbed through the skin,
   or inhaled. When handling shoe polish, one should ideally wear gloves,
   and stay in a well-ventilated area. Shoe polish should also be kept out
   of reach of children and animals. It can stain the skin for a
   protracted period of time, and will cause irritation to the eye if
   there is direct contact.

Manufacture

   A can of Lincoln shoe polish.
   Enlarge
   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.

   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).

   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.
   Enlarge
   A banana peel being used to clean and polish shoes.

   A banana peel can be used to effectively shine shoes.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoe_polish"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
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