AOM: 30 Days... Day 2

Today's Art of Manliness – 30 Days to a Better Man's Assignment is to Shine Your Shoes. Huh, really???

http://artofmanliness.com/2009/06/01/30-days-to-a-better-man-day-2-shine-your-shoes/

There’s a lot of sage wisdom to be found in the film Shawshank Redemption. But there is one detail the movie got wrong: people do notice your shoes (especially women). And while it’s true that people don’t spend an awful lot of time staring at your shoes, you’d be surprised at how often you look at your own feet. And when you look down and can practically see your reflection in your shoes, it gives you a sense of satisfaction, a boost in you confidence, and some added pep in your step. Too many men put on a nice pair of dress pants and a freshly pressed shirt, but then ruin the whole get-up with scuffed shoes. A pair of glassy, shined shoes will pull your whole appearance together.

So your task today is to shine your shoes. Get out every pair of dress shoes that you own and get them all into ship shape condition. You never know when you’re going to need to don a pair, and the last thing you want to do is be ready to run at the door to an important meeting and realize that your shoes are in no condition to meet the public. Having a closet full of shined shoes ensures that you are ready for any occasion, at the drop of a hat. Plus, shining your shoes is the kind of quiet, repetitive activity that will calm your mind and soothe your stress.

To get started on today’s task, check out our post on “How to Shine Your Shoes Like a Soldier.”

My dad taught me how to "spit shine" shoes (using water, and alcohol – not real saliva, my OCD would never allow for that!!!) when I was a little kid. He'd take one shoe, and I'd take the other, and he'd teach me step by step how to complete the process.

The only down side was that he'd been polishing shoes since he was a kid, as his dad had served in the military. I was like 8 years old, while he had 30 years experience over me. Often times, my share of the pair never turned out quite so shiny. Made all the more noticeable when said shoes were worn in alignment. Ugh...

So, today I will shine my own shoes all by myself. And hopefully walk into my future with evenly shined shoes.