# How much do you pay / tip for shoeshine?



## AHS (Mar 18, 2006)

An article in the new Classic Style mentions the standard price for a shoeshine in every city is different. NYC is $3, DC is $6 - $8, London approx $10.

Here in San Francisco, I visit two different shoeshines. One place charges me $7 and I tip $3. The other charges me $2.50 so I hand over $5. 

But I admit to feeling somewhat guilty about giving someone a $2.50 tip for shining my shoes... Am I cheap? Should I tip more?

AHS


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## JLibourel (Jun 13, 2004)

Mostly I shine my own shoes. There is a shoe shine man at the car wash I go to, and I sometimes avail myself of his services. His fee is $5, and I usually tip him $2, which I think is fair enough.

It must be rough on the poor chap in the sneakers and sandals world in which I live, but I gather that quite a few men will bring in their shoes for him to polish when he is on duty.


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## qasimkhan (Sep 24, 2003)

You feel guilty about a 100% tip?


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## AHS (Mar 18, 2006)

*You feel guilty about a 100% tip?*

I wouldn't tip a waiter or the pizza guy 100%, but $2.50 seems very low, especially for someone who provides a service for me. And I know he works hard and is not making much $.

I wonder if any of our fellow Ask Andy members wouldn't think twice about giving more?


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## Kav (Jun 19, 2005)

They took away silver coins, the staples in PLAYBOY, Western Union telegrams, the sweet sound of morse code at sea, complimentary glasses and road maps at gas stations, drive in movies to figure out the intricacies of bra hooks by the dim light of JEREMIAH JOHNSON and gave us Britney Spears , commercials for natural male enhancement and Beach bunnies who wail over a dead blue whale smelling up the beach as they tan in hospital needle polluted sand. I pay $7 on the rare chance I can do it, tip $3. It's like giving money to PBS. I'm supporting a vanishing piece of american culture and ritual of being a male those fools on The Man Show, Penn and Teller etc would never understand.


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## Francisco D'Anconia (Apr 18, 2007)

In Chicago:


At my favorite place to get a shine, Altman's Shoes on Monore Street between Clark and LaSalle: $2 + $2 tip. Larger tip for a more laborious job - like shining a pair of spectators.
At Milano Shoe Repair just behind Altman's: a ferequent shine card gets you 7 shines for $10. I usually tip $2 there too.
Beehive Shoe Works: $4 for a shine. Don't know what the tip is because I don't go there for a shine when I Altman's and Milano is within a couple of blocks.
Union Station: $4 plus a $2 tip.
I have not recently been to Lloyd at the Merc on Wacker between Monroe and Madison recently. I'll stop by there and report on his current fee and customary tip.
BTW, at a fee like $2, IMHO a 100%+ tip is not excessive for a good shine.


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## rip (Jul 13, 2005)

I usually shine my own shoes, but occasionally I will get a shine in NY, almost always $3 for which I tip $2. This seems to be the standard practice in the city.


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## Mike147 (Jan 15, 2006)

I have a gentleman in my office that shines shoes in the office. I never have time to go to the cobbler so I use him regularly. He's become a friend... It's $5 for his service in the office and I tip him $4 or $5.


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## Teacher (Mar 14, 2005)

I usually pay $2.50 for a jar of Meltonian and tip myself with a bourbon.:icon_smile_big:



AHS said:


> I wouldn't tip a waiter or the pizza guy 100%, but $2.50 seems very low, especially for someone who provides a service for me. And I know he works hard and is not making much $.
> 
> I wonder if any of our fellow Ask Andy members wouldn't think twice about giving more?


[ _serious had back on_ ]This is a very good point. At these price points, I think less about percentage and more about how much money the person is making. Another example: if a barrista pours me a $2 coffee, I tip $1. It only took that person a moment, and he/she is getting an hourly wage besides (though it isn't a whole lot). I don't think more than a buck is necessary, but I also wouldn't think of tipping him/her 30 cents.

For shines, I'd tip about three bucks, perhaps more depending on the job.


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## qasimkhan (Sep 24, 2003)

Don't get me wrong - I agree that you should tip people well who do a good job for you, especially if the work is hard and they are pleasant. But I also don't think you should feel guilty about paying him double what he is asking. 

I think I'd try to do my part to raise his income by visiting the cheaper shoe shine man more often and thereby give him more tips and forget the one who charges $7 (assuming the quality is similar).


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## Mahler (Aug 5, 2005)

In Philadelphia, for repairs and a good shine I go to Superior Shoe Repair at 138 S 15th (between Walnut and Sansom). Shine is $5, and I usually tip $3.


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## donk93953 (Feb 8, 2007)

Pay 50 cents...tip 20 cents...


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## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

Last shine I had someone else do was in the Nordstrom's in downtown Indianapolis this past June.

He did a great job and really put some elbow grease into it. IIRC the fee was $5 and I gave him a 10-spot with a thumbs-up and a "Nice shine. Keep the change."


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## KenR (Jun 22, 2005)

In downtown Manhattan, $3 + $3 tip.


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## Acct2000 (Sep 24, 2005)

I know of no place in Lansing to get this service unless you drop them off at a shoe repair shop. I frequently do this, because I can't get the shoes looking even half as nice as they do.

I don't tip, but I pay about $6 or $7 for the service.


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## dragon (Jan 28, 2006)

I go to Nordstrom to shine my shoes and they charge $2.50 and I usually give them a $5 dollars.


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## 18677 (Jan 4, 2006)

*.*



AHS said:


> An article in the new Classic Style mentions the standard price for a shoeshine in every city is different.


I saw that article. It was writen by some guy named ......Manton.:icon_scratch:

:icon_smile_wink:


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## Ace_Face (May 19, 2007)

The only place around here locally (that I know of) that has a shine stand is the county courthouse. I usually do my own work, but I noticed that there is virtually never anyone getting a shine, so I hopped up there. $6 for what was, frankly, a pretty poor job. But I took pity on the guy and gave him a ten because he looked about 80 years old and could not be making too much money giving shines....

When I lived in Chicago and worked in the IBM Building, there always seemed to be a few hooligans roaming about the area with bottles of undetermined fluid trying to get you to let them shine your shoes. They usually were able to get fluid onto one shoe of an unsuspecting passerby before they could stop them. Of course, then the mark was left with the choice of having only one shiny shoe or to let them finish and of course most chose the latter. I always managed to avoid these guys but one time they got me while I was waiting for a taxi. I told him to finish and then told him to go find another sucker because I wasn't paying him. He of course did not like this one bit and sprayed my trouser leg with some of his vile shoe juice as I got into the taxi. I didn't notice this until later when one of my co-workers pointed it out. Needless to say, I was fit to be tied....


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## SirSuturesALot (Sep 2, 2007)

Ace_Face said:


> The only place around here locally (that I know of) that has a shine stand is the county courthouse. I usually do my own work, but I noticed that there is virtually never anyone getting a shine, so I hopped up there. $6 for what was, frankly, a pretty poor job. But I took pity on the guy and gave him a ten because he looked about 80 years old and could not be making too much money giving shines....


Bravo. I try and do the same. It's worthwhile supporting the less fortunate who choose to work, IMO.


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## vickysethi (Sep 21, 2007)

i don't thinks so you have to feel guilty for 100% tip.Just think of those who are sitting on street for earn their living by doing shoe shine in India where you can get your shoe shine for just 2 Indian rupees(5 cents)and you have given tip for 90 rupees its allot.
https://www.mytailorstore.com


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## wacolo (Jul 21, 2006)

Our shoeshine man charges $3 and does a great job. But I am always apalled at the number of people I see leave no tip at all.


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## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

I normally shine my shoes myself, but I do get them shined by a pro on a semi-regular basis. There's a great shoe shine shop next to the Starbucks on KC's Country Club Plaza. I go in, get a "cup 'o Joe" to go, grab the NY Times, head next door and enjoy one of my favorite "life rituals."

I spend around $5 with a $2 tip.


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## LoneWolf (Apr 20, 2006)

Nice Guy Eddie: C'mon, throw in a buck! 
Mr. Pink: Uh-uh, I don't tip. 
Nice Guy Eddie: You don't tip? 
Mr. Pink: Nah, I don't believe in it. 
Nice Guy Eddie: You don't believe in tipping? 
Mr. Blue: You know what these chicks make? They make ____. 
Mr. Pink: Don't give me that. She don't make enough money that she can quit. 
I don't tip because society says I have to. All right, if someone deserves a tip, if they really put forth an effort, I'll give them something a little something extra. But this tipping automatically, it's for the birds. As far as I'm concerned, they're just doing their job.
Mr. Blue: Hey, our girl was nice. 
Mr. Pink: She was okay. She wasn't anything special. 
Mr. Blue: What's special? Take you in the back and ______ your _____? 
Nice Guy Eddie: I'd go over twelve percent for that. 


Seriously, though I tend to get get shoeshines in airports where the service is complimentary in which case I tip $5.00, or minima, in which case I'll tip 2-3 bucks.


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## Ace_Face (May 19, 2007)

LoneWolf said:


> Seriously, though I tend to get get shoeshines in airports where the service is complimentary in which case I tip $5.00, or minima, in which case I'll tip 2-3 bucks.


I once spoke with a fellow who told me the best shine he ever had was in an airport, Atlanta I believe. He said that the guy used one of those hand held butane torches to warm the leather, then applied the polish and followed the usual routine. He swore that the shine lasted for a year...


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## Orgetorix (May 20, 2005)

At my shine stand in DC, I paid $8 and tipped $2, mainly because that worked out to an even ten-dollar-bill.

I haven't found a good shine place in Louisville yet.


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## red96 (Jun 26, 2007)

I guess I don't live by the usual 20% tip rule with the shoe shine guy. If it's a $5 job, I'll generally give the guy $8.

It's sort of the same rule with waitresses at breakfast joints. If I spend $7 on a breakfast order, there's no way I'm leaving her only a $1.40 (20%). I'll leave a $3-4 tip in those cases...


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## jimbob (Jun 24, 2006)

*shoeshine*

Here in Pittsburgh our leading mens store (Larrimore's) offers complimentary shines. The guy is about 80 yrs old so I tip him $5 when I need a shine for some reason. I usually do my own but you sometimes run into some obstacle and need one


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## Mark from Plano (Jan 29, 2007)

Kav said:


> They took away silver coins, the staples in PLAYBOY, Western Union telegrams, the sweet sound of morse code at sea, complimentary glasses and road maps at gas stations, drive in movies to figure out the intricacies of bra hooks by the dim light of JEREMIAH JOHNSON and gave us Britney Spears , commercials for natural male enhancement and Beach bunnies who wail over a dead blue whale smelling up the beach as they tan in hospital needle polluted sand. I pay $7 on the rare chance I can do it, tip $3. It's like giving money to PBS. I'm supporting a vanishing piece of american culture and ritual of being a male those fools on The Man Show, Penn and Teller etc would never understand.


+1 Kav. Nailed it, except for the price.



JLibourel said:


> There is a shoe shine man at the car wash I go to, and I sometimes avail myself of his services. His fee is $5, and I usually tip him $2, which I think is fair enough.
> 
> It must be rough on the poor chap in the sneakers and sandals world in which I live, but I gather that quite a few men will bring in their shoes for him to polish when he is on duty.


+1 also on the sentiment. This is the going price in Dallas as well.

There are actually two different shoe shine stands (unaffiliated) in the lobby of my building. Although it would be nice to patronize both, I feel my limited support is better allocated to one, so Dave gets my business unless he happens to be closed, then the other guy gets a shot.

In the old days (about 20 years ago) when I worked in Ft. Worth there was a guy with a stand under the awning of a building on the street. He was an institution. He would remember your name after your second visit and provided a bit of entertainment with his shine, singing and dancing and telling bawdy stories to those he thought might appreciate them. He was old even then, so I'm sure he's gone now.

It is an both an art and a connection to the past and what it means to be a man in modern America. Like a shave in a barbershop it may not have a place in our post-modern world. But I still like it. I know how to shine my own shoes. I even do it occasionally. And I can appreciate that there is dignity in it. But getting a shine from someone who knows what they're doing is a like the luxury of a fancy dinner...for only $5 plus tip. I hope it's one that will still be available to my sons some day. I'm trying to do my part to make sure that it is.


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## Brian13 (Aug 9, 2006)

i charge 10 dollars for my shines. 

i usually shine my own shoes , so on top of that price, i give myself a 2 dollar tip.
sometimes when i do a good job i give more, but always 2 dollars at least; i would feel bad if i gave less.

what i do is save all those tips in a tip jar and by myself a nice pair of shoes with that saved money.


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