I got fed up with the applicators always falling to bits long before the thing was empty, on those 'modern' shoe polish bottles, so went back to a tin of the old fashioned proper stuff . But why is it called Kiwi?
Kiwi is the brand name of a shoe polish, first launched and sold in Australia in 1906 and as of 2005 sold in almost 180 countries. Previously owned by the Sara Lee Corporation since 1984, it was sold in 2011 S.C.Johnson. 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. In Malaysia Kiwi has become such a household brand for shoe polish that the word "kiwi" has been genericized into a verb in the Malay Language, meaning "to polish one's shoes".
The polish was developed in Australia by William Ramsey who named it Kiwi after the flightless bird endemic to New Zealand, the home country of his wife, Annie Elizabeth Meek Ramsay. Its success in Australia expanded overseas when it was adopted by both the British and American armies in World War I.
My Hotter shoes are doing well, this is their third winter, the kiwi should help. I have very few pairs of shoes compared to most of the people I see in those fitted wardrobe ads on TV! 2 pairs of black shoes, 1 pair of summer shoes and an old pair for here, wellies, walking boots, crocs and my Hotter slip-ons for indoors.
The shoe polishing brush, helpfully labelled "I polish" is doing well too it was one of the things I acquired for my "bottom drawer" way back in 1974. Wish I knew where in the last 45 years I lost the handy stiff brush that said "I remove mud".
Back Tomorrow
Sue
I have a pair of Caterpillar boots for winter and plimsolls for summer. The Caterpillars last about 3 years. I have no smart shoes so kept 2 pairs of court shoes from my mother's shoe collection for best. I didn't know there was anything other than Kiwi. I have the shoe cleaning box and the old brushes from my mother and assume they are over 60 years old and still going strong and were the ones we used to clean our school shoes, and made in the local brush factory, now closed. I wear M&S slippers in the house.
ReplyDeleteI just remembered I have a pair of ankle boots from Russell and Bromley that I bought 20 years ago.
DeleteI was meaning Kiwi "type" . We used Cherry Blossom like everybody else here and Sunday night was show cleaning night
DeleteWe occasionally had Kiwi, but mostly Cherry Blossom, when I was a child. And I think "shoe polishing sets" must have been a popular wedding present in the 70s (we had TWO - but I gave one away) Those sponge tipped applicators on the liquid polish disintegrate long before the contents are used up. Give me proper polish and a brush any day!
ReplyDeleteMy Dad was very organised when it came to cleaning shoes.Newspaper laid out on the floor,his kiwi tins,a rag for each colour,shoe brushes and the shoes set in pairs at the side.He wasnt happy until they were polished to perfection!.Even breathing on them before the final polish!.He could bring my old Doc Martins up like new...its funny the things you can remember..Ive got quite alot of boots and shoes.All good quality,Clarks,Fly and all bought for a few quid second hand.The Fly ones...I paid £5 and £3 were currant stock and would have cost me about £250 new!.I might as well let someone else wear them in for me first!xx
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention in my comment above...when my daughter was small,I always bought her expensive shoes so there for I wanted to keep them looking nice!.I used to buy something called Tuxson?,,not sure of the spelling!.But it was in the round flat tins and you were able to rub the colour into the shoe to hide any scuffs that kids get on the them.xx
DeleteWhen my husband died I had to take over lots of jobs that he did. I've coped with most but the most difficult for me has been the shoe cleaning. He always did that. My shoes would be removed and returned gleaming. Now, when I do it, I know that I should have done the shoe and boot cleaning sooner and it's another reminder of my lovely husband.
ReplyDeleteHow would we manage without Google and without Wiki (taken with a pinch of salt at times),
ReplyDeleteI have both and use the liquid one when I'm short of time. You can't beat a good old brush up though.
It's nice to know another Hotter fan. Very long lasting and comfortable shows, well worth the bit extra you have to pay.
xx
It's the half sizes and the wider fitting that I love about their shoes although I get cross at how they limit the wider fit to the most boring shoes! I would have loved the flowery ankle boots they had in their winter catalogue - although goodness knows when I would have worn them in the mud round about!
DeleteTwo brushes for black, two for brown, in our tin - one each for applying the polish, the others for buffing up a shine. It was my brother's job. By the time we needed them in the morning, they would be done and on some clean newspaper at the bottom of the stairs. I have the tin now. They are like button boxes in the way they hold memories.
ReplyDeleteNothing beats newly polished foot wear, I hate scuffed footwear.
ReplyDeleteWe use Kiwi as well. On those tv programmes about how things are made, they went round a Kiwi factory, most enlightening!
ReplyDeleteCherry Blossom in our house, Sue. I love cleaning shoes and I have polished the whole family’s shoes for many years since I had to do it for my Brownie badge in 1959! I realky dislike uncared fir shoes-to me they are such an important part of looking smart.
ReplyDeleteI use the applicator brushes but I don't apply the applicator directly to the shoe, I press it onto a soft cloth (OK, it's a cut off piece of old T-Shirt!) and then apply that to the shoe. Stops the applicator sponge falling to bits.
ReplyDeleteI used to be one of those folks with mountains of shoes but over the last 6 years have been wearing them out and not replacing. Had to go to a funeral last year though and suddenly realised on the day, that I had no black shoes. Thankfully wearing a dress and black boots is no longer considered odd even on a summer day. Managed to get a pair of black shoes vastly reduced in summer sale the next day. Was never as bad a shoe hoarder though as my pal who works in London and Singapore. She would buy one pair of very expensive shoes in London, take them to Singapore, get copies made in different leathers/colours for a fraction of the price, then when she got back to London, take the original unworn shoes back to the shop for a refund. I benefitted greatly from her Singa stash as she used to call it! Savannah.
Cherry Blossom in our house black and brown with two brushes for each. I am a little bit of a hoarder with shoes. However, since moving and downsizing I haven't bought a pair. (2 years)
ReplyDeleteMy Dad also used to clean all our shoes on a Sunday evening, I don't think I've ever managed to get such a shine as he did. My shoe brushes were my Dads when he was in the army so that goes back to between 1940 and at least 1946, they have his army number on them, so they are very old and still going strong. Helen S.
ReplyDeleteI thought shoe polishing was a bit of a lost art, seems I'm wrong! However, since I mostly wear trainers or casual Skechers-type (the cheap versions) slip ons, and flip flops during the summer, I don't have any need for polishing shoes. I only own one leather pair for 'occasions'. Husband lives in wellies or his old steel-capped work boots mostly, as he's always out in the garden, so he doesn't polish shoes either.
ReplyDeleteOh Sue I loved reading this post - a very memorable one so don't apologise for it! When I got to the words 'bottom drawer' it made me smile. I don't suppose modern brides have ever heard the words - now they like everything new rather than everything useful. I can still remember things I saved for my bottom drawer - still have a good carving knife I have used since 1952 - wonder if this is a record!
ReplyDeleteLaughing as I look at a can of black Kiwi sitting on my desk from the last time I polished my shoes. Like you, tired of leaking, disintegrating liquid shoe polish containers. Will never be as good at the art of it as my military father was--spit and polish perfect.
ReplyDeleteI remember oh so well the times Mum cleaned our shoes ready for school! I was so hard on them. They were forever getting scuffed at the front and needing Blakey's on the heels. Those were the days! I think Mum spent a lot of money at the shoe menders for me (this makes me sound so old!)
ReplyDeleteI too use Kiwi Polish and I own 3 pairs of Hotter Shoes - I have a wide foot and needed some dressy shoes a couple of years back - saw their website, kept my fingers crossed, and ordered online. Couldn't believe how well they fit! Apparently they have some actual shops in the US but not in Canada - we have to order from the UK website.
ReplyDeleteLuckily we have a Hotter shop in Ipswich so not too far away
DeleteMy Dad and Husband always used (in Dad's case) or still use Kiwi polish on their dress shoes.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
This post brought a nostalgic smile to my face too - Sunday was shoe polishing night in our house too and Dad was chief polisher. As we got a bit older it was a case of if our shoes weren't in the hall when he did the polishing we had to do our own! Still have kiwi type polish here but like Joy have the liquid for quick buff ups before work - at least that's what I used it for when I was working
ReplyDeleteOh how this post takes me back! I remember watching my Dad with his shoe polish kit. You don't hear much about things like this these days. I have a can of Kiwi polish now and always have had one. It is much better than that liquid stuff!
ReplyDeleteI found that information on Kiwi polish interesting. I have the old fashioned stuff too. Works much better.
ReplyDeleteI remember my dad having kiwi shoe polish and a special little wooden box meant for shoe polish and brushes, etc. It had a little wooden slanted foot shaped piece on the top. I love boots and own a few pairs of low (ankle) boots as well as taller, zip up ones. I use something called Mink Oil on them (but it is really a cream). Don't know if you know it. -Jenn
ReplyDeleteDid you know there is a hotter outlet shop at Spalding? Not sure how far that is from you, but there's some great bargains to be had. Also I know your interest in churches and there are some very interesting ones in the town.
ReplyDeleteSpalding is in Licolnshire a long way from Suffolk but luckily there is a Hotter shop in Ipswich which is only 23 miles from me
DeleteSorry to hear it's so far away, but at least you will know if you are ever in the area. I got some boots from the hotter outlet shop, reduced from £80 to £25. Very comfy. I also bought some slip on sandals for £15.
DeleteMy dad polished his work shoes with a brush and Kiwi when I was a child. When I was in high school, and in marching band, we had to have a shine on our shoes, so I got a brush and Kiwi. My mom used a white polish on her nursing shoes back in the day. Now the nurses that we saw last year wore trainers, Danskos, or Sanitas.
ReplyDeleteMy Dad used his tin of Kiwi polish to shine his shoes before church on Sundays. What a nice memory!
ReplyDeleteI still have my dad's shoe polishing kit - the brushes helpfully painted with 'Black On' 'Brown On' etc. We use either Kiwi or Cherry Blossom polish, just as he did though I never quite achieve the same degree of shine that he seemed to.
ReplyDeleteI have have always used Cherry Blossom, usually in clear otherwise I make an almighty mess with black polish. Alan uses dubbin on his boots. I had the same pair of Hotter shoes but in red, they lasted me for about 4 years of virtually daily wear.
ReplyDeleteI love the smell of shoe polish and have been known to sit sniffing the tin for far longer than is normal ;-)
I love the smell of shoe polish as well!.I also love the smell of Vick...the vapour rub I mean..n not the bloke next door cause hes not really my type,lol,xx
DeleteYes, I love Vick too. I have a secret jar in my bedside drawer for sniffing purposes ... and to rub on my feet at the first threat of a cold, it really works :-)
DeleteI use a jar of leather balsam for my shoes. I have Hotter shoes too and my black everyday pair are seeing their sixth winter. I put a lot of that down to my leather balsam keeping the shoes supple. The balsam was quite expensive but I bought it over ten years ago and reckon it will last at least another year : )
ReplyDelete