Melbourne Lawyer Magazine

September 2006

Photos: Kristian Gehradte Photography

In the foyer of Melbourne’s lawyer-filled Rialto Tower, Kate Kay is doing her bit to keep Melbourne’s legal eagles looking sharp. Melbourne Lawyer talks to a passionate polisher and learns that shoes can be more than polished – they can be renovated.

How long have you been in business?
I opened up in December last year. I chose Rialto because I wanted to be in the best part of town. I talked with the owners of the building at length about starting up, and after about six months of negotiations we figured out a mutually beneficial way for me to move in. They’ve been very supportive of me. I now have a walk in service, where people come to me off the street, and I do an inhouse service and I also provide a drop off and delivery facility. I’m a one woman show at the moment. It’s keeping me busy!

Why shoe shining?
My original plan was to become an interpreter, after studying applied language but this idea was always niggling at the back of my mind. Being in London for the obligatory two year working trip opened my eyes to a world of opportunities. I’ve always admired a clean pair of shoes and when I was living there, I used to get my shoes shined regularly by someone who offered a polishing service in the building I worked in. It’s a huge business over there. Lot’s of people do it. After I came back, I had a bit of a midnight epiphany and thought I could set up a similar business here. After all, there’s plenty of pairs of feet out there, so that must mean that there’s plenty of pairs of shoes that need cleaning. You need to remember that when you meet someone new the first things they look at are your hands and your shoes. I look after the shoe part. And looking good is good for business.

How do you become an expert in shoe shining? One must get trained! I was trained by the people at Waproo. They are an Australian made and owned shoe care product business in Canterbury. I use their products because they are renowned as being the best. They taught me about leather care and all the ancillary things that go along with that. It was far more complex than I first thought and I had absolutely no knowledge of the area before I started. To be proficient at what I do, I understand how to use 75 different colours and shoe and leather treatments, and be capable of identifying the various leather finishes – you know, patent, waxy and oily, high shine, suede and others – and then learn the exact process involved in renovating shoes and boots and leather finishes of all types. There’s a fair bit to know. There was quite a lot involved in learning the colours and training my eye to match leather colour to renovating colour. I had no idea there were so many browns!

What are the most common shoe ailments?
Always scuffing of the toe. And it never ceases to amaze me how quickly people give up on their shoes. I’m a shoe renovator, not just a polisher. I can make a shabby and poorly cared for pair of shoes look pretty snappy.

Tell us about the lawyers that visit the chair?
Baker & McKenzie snapped me up first. I also look after Minter Ellison. They’re also in Rialto. MacPherson + Kelley up in Little Collins. Deacons. There’s also a whole heap of other professional services firms. Around here, I’m amazed if people aren’t a lawyer! Lawyers are a fantastic bunch of people to work for. They are always really personable. Because I’m new in business I’m forever subtly looking for feedback, and the legal people that I work for are always really generous with their knowledge and time – they’ll suggest different ways to do things and they are always interested in what I am doing. How could I not like them!