WHAT HAPPENED TO SHOE POLISH?

In a world that accepts tossing all things no longer needed as long as it is recycled, what happened to shoe polish?

I know… a strange affiliation, so let me explain.

My experience in 6th grade was dominated by the fact that I had to wear oxford shoes. You know…the ones that were white with black leather across the lace area. Wow…they were ugly! But, because they were predominantly white, shoe polish was an absolute necessity.

Skip 40 plus years. Now, when our shoes begin to show wear and tear, how many of us toss them? I have 2 such pairs of shoes. Other than the scuffs on the toes and heels, they are still perfectly good. However, I was accepting the fact that I was going to have to replace them soon.

Then…I watched my husband get out a shoe shine kit straight from his fathers era. He smoothed on the polish and buffed them to a beautiful shine in a matter of minutes. Sadly, it had never occurred to me that I could polish my shoes back to their original look.

Tonight, I asked my husband if I could use his shoe polishing kit. I rubbed on the polish and then buffed away. Voila! I had shoes that were wonderfully comfortable and looked like new!

So, my question stands and cries out for expansion. What else do we assume has lost its life when all we really have to do is buff it a little?