If there's anything we've learned from Parks And Recreation's Andy Dwyer (besides what the ingredients are in Andy's Mouth Surprise), it's to appreciate the dying art form of the shoe shine. But in the face of attacks by the likes of Big Sandal and Big Loafer, the wingtip business has hit the skids. Desperate times call for desperate measures—so if personal pride in one's footwear isn't enough incentive to get your shoes waxed, maybe a bunch of scantily-clad young ladies will do the trick.
Introducing Star Shine NYC, which answers the question: what if we combined the grit of old fashioned shoe shines with the barely legal enthusiasm of bikini car washes? “We thought it could be a successful twist,” 30-year-old co-owner Kevin White Jr. told DNAInfo. “Finance guys are so busy and stressed, this is a chance to unwind and relax. It’s definitely an upgraded shoe-shine experience.”
The classy store, which opened three weeks ago on New Street, features large leather chairs and flat-screen TVs. They hope to serve classy beers and wines in the future. But the main attraction, of course, are the Star Shine Ladies—all the employees are women who wear little black shorts and tight tank tops.
And don't go thinking that those ladies are anything but totally professional: “All the young ladies have undergone professional training — this is an upscale place,” White said. “Many of the women are students or just out of college. Even my sister, a college student, is working there.”
What does professional shoe shining training consist of? Who cares when you're a financial profession who needs a place to ogle women at 10 a.m. before the strip clubs open: “They do a good job,” one such Wall Streeter told DNAInfo, asking that his name not be used because his boss didn’t know he was taking an early-morning break. “And yes, it helps that they are very pretty — but the prices are a little high if you don’t get the discount.”
