The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun
BEST FOOT FORWARD
Shoe maintenance expert says polishing footwear adds more than just shine
Iopened the door of a shoe maintenance shop called Brift H in the Minami-Aoyama area of Tokyo, and entered a space that had the ambience of a high-end bar. Standing in a suit behind the leather upholstered counter was shoeshine artisan Yuya Hasegawa, the 36-year-old owner of the shop.
He dexterously scraped the edge of a leather shoe, then removed stains before polishing the surface. It takes about one hour to finish polishing a pair of shoes to make them look as clean and sparkling as a mirror.
A customer with a drink in hand was conversing with Hasegawa as he waited for his favorite shoes to be polished.
Reservations are required for this service, priced at ¥4,000 plus tax for one pair of shoes. Repairs are made when necessary.
A 52-year-old company employee from Kanagawa Prefecture said he visits Brift H whenever a busy business period is over to have his leather shoes polished.
“The shoes taken care of by Hasegawa get a new lease on life,” he said. “It’s fun to hear him talk about shoes and I’ve come to think that I want to take care of my shoes while watching them change over the years.”
Hasegawa said the number of customers has steadily increased since he opened the shop in 2008.
He operates four shops in Tokyo and
“I want to change the impression that shoe polishing is something that can be finished in a short amount of time and establish the craft as a form of culture” — Shoe maintenance expert Yuya Hasegawa
Sapporo. “I want to change the impression that shoe polishing is something that can be finished in a short amount of time and establish the craft as a form of culture,” Hasegawa said.
With casual attire becoming more popular in the business world, the market for leather shoes that require shoeshine services has been dwindling.
However, the number of people who want to take good care of shoes and wear them over a long period has been increasing due to reasons such as a heightened environmental awareness. In recent years, a number of shops that offer shoe polishing services have opened.
In August, the Takashimaya department store opened shoe maintenance counters in the men’s shoe departments at its Shinjuku and Nihombashi stores in Tokyo, with staff on hand to offer expert knowledge and share their skills. A Takashimaya staff member said many customers wanted to know how to take care of shoes.
French luxury shoe brand Berluti occasionally holds a shoe polishing event for its customers called Glacage, the French word for “polish.”
Participants bring along their favorite shoes and polish them while following the instructions of a shoeshine artisan. The event is topped off by some Champagne.
I attended the event held in mid-September at a Berluti store in the Ginza district of Tokyo.
“Shoe polishing is a precious time to relax and feel refreshed,” said a 45-yearold company employee from Tokyo. “Wearing shoes that shine like jewels is something that is important to me.”
Olga Berluti, the fourth head of Berluti, said people should polish their shoes and, in effect, polish themselves. Many people are enchanted by the effect of polishing shoes in a way that can add luster not only to their outward appearance but also to one’s demeanor and inner sense of self.