Jeff's Uncool Dressing Influences - Polishing Shoes

I was never the most natural dresser. It took tons of advice from many people to get me to a minimal competence of dressing standards. Though I was told many things at many times, there were certain people who caught me at just the right time on certain items. Case in point: polishing my shoes.

My old friend Jim Golden worked with me at Fox 45 television in Baltimore and he was (and continues to be) the station announcer voice. I worked with Jim quite a bit because I was always writing voice over copy and promo copy and spent a good bit of time with him. During this particular point in my career, this was my first occasion to wear nice shoes to the office everyday.

"Jeff, a man is judged on his appearances, polish your shoes," counseled Mr. Golden. He taught me the first lesson of the hard shoe man: pretty soon after meeting someone, they are going to glance at your feet and those shoes need to shine!
I had a shoe polishing box which I hadn't much cracked open and started keeping those ol' shoes polished to a brite sheen. A few years later, I got my first official shoe shine which I appreciated a heck of a lot more after having polished more than my fair share of shoes.

In today's sneaker culture, this whole shoe polish thing has dipped but the concept remains. Keep those sneakers bright and clean. The eyes eventually go there.