Pick up and delivery service from Jock Kennedy also offers shoe repairs and leather cleaning
Subscribe to our free Wharf Whispers newsletter here
“You know what I’m using?” said Jock Kennedy, his arms a blur as a piece of black fabric is drawn repeatedly across the cap of my right shoe, buffing it to a glossy shine.
“It’s a new pair of ladies’ tights.
“That’s a trick I picked up from Kiwi George when we shared a licensed shoeshine pitch in Regent Street in the 1990s.
“He was a legend in the business – still working in his 90s and sponsored by Kiwi shoe polish – he taught me a lot and was full of stories about making money from American GIs during the Second World War who went crazy for his service.”
The founder of London Shoeshine Ltd, Jock’s own journey into footwear care began when he came down to the capital to join a friend who was working in Leadenhall Market in 1993.
Not long afterwards, he relocated to shoeshine chairs in Canary Wharf as Camille Waxer and Sir George Iacobescu sought to attract services to the estate that would rival the City and help tempt financial services firms east.
Working four chairs in the malls and numerous pop-ups at the likes of Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan, business was good.
But spend time with Glasgow-born Jock and you’ll quickly realise that amid the energy, the chat and the smiles there’s real drive.
Realising that getting people to sit down for 10-15 minutes represented more than just a chance to polish their footwear, he created London Shoeshine Events in 2010.
Clients hire Jock and his team to work on their stands at exhibitions, trade shows and expos, with visitors invited to sit in deep leather armchairs while getting their shoes cleaned or sneakers refreshed for free.
That gives the brand which has hired his services time to pitch ideas and products to potential clients and generate leads.
The business was a success with Jock and the team working events as far away as Canada and the USA as well as across Europe.
shoeshine as lead generation
“Everyone at an event is a delegate so the question is how you get them to keep still and pay attention,” said Jock.
“We do that and then it’s about pampering them.
“While we’re shining their shoes, other delegates are taking pictures and videos so it’s also about content creation and brand awareness for our client too.
“It gives the company a real opportunity to speak to people rather than just handing out free pens to them.”
With the pandemic leaving a significant dent in the events industry, Jock and his long-time business partner Nicky are seeking to build up their operation again.
Alongside that project, Jock has returned to Canary Wharf in partnership with James Shoe Care to run its Cabot Place shoeshine chairs while simultaneously launching a new venture.
“Sitting down and having your shoes shined isn’t for everyone,” said Jock.
“That’s why we’re launching a pick up and delivery service to clean shoes and sneakers and also repair footwear and leather items.
“People want convenience, whether it’s dropping a pair of shoes off with us or having us collect them and deliver them back, cleaned or repaired.
“We see that as our new big thing.
“We’d also be open to sponsorship of the chairs in Canary Wharf if a company would like to use them for lead generation.”
a passion for shoe care
At the core of the business, however, remains a passion for shoe care.
Jock uses specially made products, a wealth of specialist tools and is able to draw on more than three decades in the industry.
“Having your shoes professionally cleaned should make you feel pampered – it’s the finishing touch to an outfit,” he said.
“For leather, it’s about nourishing.
“The first thing I put on is shoe cream to moisturise it – it’s like skincare.
“Then we apply polish to bring out the shine.
“We also offer repairs and other treatments such as re-soles, re-heels, stretching, patching and dyeing.”
sneakers as well as shoes
Although Jock’s talents result in my tan Barkers coming out shinier than they’ve ever been and perfectly acceptable to my untrained eye, he spots a scratch on the left cap that might warrant further attention.
“If you bring that to us, we can put it through a machine that takes off just the very top level of the leather,” he said.
“Then it can be dyed and it will look like new.
“If you buy good quality shoes once your feet have stopped growing and have them regularly cleaned and maintained, they should last forever.
“Of course, trends in footwear change.
“It was about the year 2000 with the Dot Com boom when people started dressing down – the companies wanted to attract techie people.
“That’s where our sneaker cleaning services come in.
“They are especially relevant for local residents in and around Canary Wharf and we’d love to work with concierge services to offer it to those living in developments.
“Already our sneaker deep-cleans are very busy.
“We use a range of specialised products to clean, mosturise and protect them.
“We can even do customisations.
“We have a lot of experience and are happy to give advice on any footwear.
“The chances are that if we can’t do something ourselves then we know someone who can”
- In celebration of the launch of its pick up and delivery service, London Shoeshine Ltd is offering all readers who mention Wharf Life when booking 50% off their first sneaker deep clean, making it £15 instead of £30.
key details: London Shoeshine
London Shoeshine Ltd offers a range of services including shoeshines at the chairs on the lower level of Cabot Place in Canary Wharf.
The business has also just launched pick up and delivery to offices and home addresses for shines and repairs on leather shoes (from £10) and sneaker cleaning (from £20).
The company can also clean and restore most leather and fabric items. Prices for all repairs are quoted on request.
Call or message Jock on 07863 122 289 for more information, to make a booking or get a quote.
Find out more about London Shoeshine here
Read more: Malaysian restaurant Ong Lai Kopitiam to open its doors at Harbord Square
Read Wharf Life’s e-edition here
Subscribe to our free Wharf Whispers newsletter here
