Great Shoe Shine Stands across the nation

[jamespowers]

Sorry you're having trouble finding a Nordstrom's with a shiner, every one I've been to from NY to NJ to FL had one so I just assumed.

They are out here as well. Nordstrom's has a shiner in the local ones that I have been to. I have used them several times too.

 

[EliasRDA]

First off.. WineGuy.. no need for you to be sorry, your not responsible for Nords lacking shine stands in their stores.. or are you

And it sort of doesnt surprise me that the Nords here in DE doesnt have one, even though Newark is a college town, UD is rather relaxed. And though Wilmington is sort of considered a suburb of Philly, the Nords at Christiana I guess isnt considered close enough.

What does surprise me is that Dover doesnt have one thats obvious. Dover AFB is the east coast morgue for our military troops that paid the ultimate price but I guess they figure most military do their own shines. Goodness knows I do, but then again I'm a old dogface, even if I dont do my shoes currently to a high shine. But then again they are patterned shoes so they wont take a good shine.

So, I'll keep my eyes open for any shine stands & post them if I find any.

 

[hatguy1]

I rarely pass up the chance to get a professional shoe shine. It's a rare treat and almost always very affordably priced.

And I've met very few shoe shine guys who weren't personable and friendly.

I'm with you. Mostly I only see shine stands in airports anymore. But, I sure wish they were more prevalent. There's a cool sort-of-old-fashioned barbershop in Andover, Kansas that has a drop off shine service (in addition to great haircuts, straight razor shaves and other such high-quality services). The establishment is Plaza Barbers (http://www.theplazabarbers.com/) and this shine stand does shoes, belts and other leather items.

 

[EmergencyIan]

NYC has a ton of shoe shine stands and many barber shops offer shoe shines, as well.

- Ian

 

[hatguy1]

NYC has a ton of shoe shine stands and many barber shops offer shoe shines, as well.

- Ian

Hope that resurgence spreads across the country.

 

[Fading Fast]

Hope that resurgence spreads across the country.

While there's been a "resurgence" in up-scaled, old-fashion-styled barber shops for the fashionable, NYC never lost all of its original barber shops and shoe shine stands. I ignore the new, trendy (and expensive) places, but there are many great old shoe shine or barber shops that pop up in funny places. For example, I got diverted on the subway awhile back, got off at a different station than usual, wound my way through a underground "mall" (really just stores lining a winding tunnel exit) that is (I'm guessing) fifty or more years old and ran into a shoe repair and shine shop that looked like it popped out of a Rock Hudson - Doris Day movie. And that experience is not unusual. On 6th Avenue around 45th street (from memory) there is an old (1930s looking) shoe stand that is just a wood base, two chairs and a bunch of doohickeys and cubby holds for shoe shine stuff. Very cool that these places still exist and one of my favorite things about NYC is that they never went away. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for news stands which had held on until the late 90s, but the web and City ordinances (that basically force many to remodel or close) has been killing them off.

 

[EliasRDA]

OKay, bringing this back to life, sorry if its a bit stale.

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Union Station, Washington DC has a stand. I hope to check it out in May '14.

Theres also one supposedly at the Marriot Wardman, since my expo is there in May I'll try to see if I dont call them first since the Marriott site does not say one way or another.

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Baltimore MD supposedly has one near the Inner Harbour, in the Gallery at Harborplace. 200 E. Pratt Street (S. Calvert Street), Baltimore, MD
I might be able to look into that beginning of next year, 2015, but anyone else in the area obviously can confirm or deny its existance.

And yes, BWI has 2 shine stands but you have to be inside security to access them, you cant just walk up to them.

---

Looking for Key West FL &/or Cape Canaveral FL, any loungers visit or live there that can give us some info??

 

[hatguy1]

Can't remember which terminal it is in Atlanta Hartsfield airport, but a gent named Charlie has a stand right by the Delta domestic baggage claim/ ticket counter area. Charlie puts a great shine on footwear.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Tomasso]

I stumbled upon an excellent shine at The Mark hotel in Manhattan. The stand is operated in partnership with the venerable shoemaker John Lobb. It appears that JL have partnered with a handful of other hotels as well. Highly recommended.


http://www.johnlobb.com/us/hotels

 

[Picard1138]

Leon, at the Philadelphia Bourse shoe shine stand, same location (different owner) since 1895:

I'll snap a photo today after I get a shine.

-Max

 

[Chicago Jimmy]

Chicago O'Hare airport has a shoe hospital for repairs. They have old machines from the 1920's/1930's era. Also there are 2 shine thrones in the shop. This is located in the United "B" gates area terminal 1. Also there are double thrones in the United "C" gates area, another double in the underground tunnel going up to the "C" gates and another double throne right inside the American terminal 3. They do a nice business at all locations.

 

[Picard1138]

Photo of shoe shine stand in the main hall of The Bourse Building in Philadelphia. The Bourse was built in 1895 and there has been a shoe shine stand in this location since then (very possibly the same one, too).

(Photo taken by me with a vintage camera on 120 roll film as well):



-Max

 

[Tomasso]

If that stand could talk, what stories it could tell.

 

[John Galt]

My vote in SF is always Alan Feaster, the Shoe Doctor at the Westin St. Francis in Union Square. Always a perfect gentleman and a great checkup for my shoes.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=clKoVxocjUo

 

[Mr.Astor]

The fine gentlemen at the Palmer House Hilton Chicago, lot's of stories about the people he took care of.

 

[Tomasso]

The fine gentlemen at the Palmer House Hilton Chicago, lot's of stories about the people he took care of.

I've gotten a shine there a few times but have never engaged the man in conversation, beyond pleasantries.

 

[Harp]

Merchant&Rhoades; 900 N Michigan Avenue Chicago

 

[Tomasso]

Merchant&Rhoades; 900 N Michigan Avenue Chicago

That's nice that they named the new shop after John (Merchant), who operated there under the T&F banner but has since passed away. He was my childhood barber, having given me my very first haircut. That's when he was at the Drake Hotel across the street.

 

[Picard1138]

If that stand could talk, what stories it could tell.

Indeed. The Bourse was the first commodities exchange in the United States, and housed offices for some major shipping, rail, and insurance companies. I think some interesting folks might have sat in that stand over the past 100 years!

-Max

 

[CaramelSmoothie]

St. Louis airport. Not only a great shine, but damned near a foot massage.

Yes, I see them there whenever I visit St. Louis.

When Im not in formation I prefer to wear my real leather black oxfords with my service and dress uniforms over the corfam issue shoes. Theyre still authorized and I think they look better than corfam as long as theyre shined well. I shine them myself usually, but I took advantage of the shoe shine station in Washington DCs Union Station in December. I wore my uniform shoes to save space in my bag (traveling in uniform makes you a target IMO), and noticed the booth in the terminal. I forget the price, maybe 15 dollars, but the shine was impeccable. I was surely squared away when I walked into my fiancees house in my blues later that night.

Yes, they have a great stand there. THere are always people getting their shoes shined.


I am friends with several shoe shine guys, they shine shoes here in DC right next to the Camelot Gentleman's Club. Pretty clever if you ask me, catch the guys as they are coming in or out of the topless club to shine their shoes. One of their funniest lines that they say to guys as they are walking by:

Shoeshine Man: "Hey Mister you dropped something!"..man looks around thinking he dropped his wallet and then the shoeshine man says "You dropped your shine!" LOL.

There is one I got to know in downtown Cleveland in the Terminal Tower. His name escapes me but I spent a good hour speaking with him. He gave me a hell of a shine!