Monday, April 27, 2009
The best shoe shine ever
I admire a person who can do even a mundane job with skill, humor, and aplomb. Well, I just got the best shoe shine I have ever had from Kevin Tucker, who works a stand just outside Grand Central Station on 42nd Street. Now, Kevin claims he gives the best shine in New York and will devote the entire shine to an amusing monologue about the secrets of a great shine, the importance of a great shine to attracting women and success in business, and the influence of the Navy on his shoe-shining skills. He says that he views every shine for a new customer as "an audition" for all their business. Sadly, I do not pass by Grand Central too often, but Mr. Tucker did get a free TigerHawk endorsement out of it. If you go that way, take the time -- "perfection cannot be rushed" -- and get yourself a great shine.
4 Comments:
By 
D.E. Cloutier, at
Mon Apr 27, 03:05:00 PM:
Last November the NY Times had a piece on the five shoeshine stands in Grand Central Terminal.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/21/nyregion/21bigcity.html
By 
Everyman, at
Mon Apr 27, 05:09:00 PM:
I have no idea whether the store is still there: Nick's, in Boise, Idaho. The bet shoeshine - or, as often, bootshine - anywhere, anyhow, anytime, as this Eastern dude can attest.
A shine at Nick's - done by one of three young guys, using bare hands to apply three or four layers of polish worked into the leather, and buffed to blinding - would last for two or three weeks, and could be brought back for two or three after that with nothing more than a bit of buffing.
Quality which mattered to them, at Nick's, and to me, whenever my travels took me there.
By , at
Tue Apr 28, 03:09:00 AM:
"Every girls crazy 'bout a sharp, dressed man!"
My current girlfriend, the future Mrs. Tyree, would appreciate this post. I work in a trailer at a construction site so keeping my shoes brand new looking is next to impossible and the future Mrs. Tyree puts great stock in the value of a neat appearance. I wish I had a Kevin Tucker nearby because shining three pairs of shoes every Sunday is sometimes impossible.
By The Conservative Wahoo, at
Tue Apr 28, 08:58:00 AM:
There are very few legal activities as satisfying for a gentleman as a good shoe-shine.
