Bootblacks take care of the boots, and garments such as leather jackets, vests, boots, chaps, harnesses, as well as other gear of Leatherpeople. While outsiders often link bootblacking to service-oriented submission, bootblacks might take on any role in a BDSM dynamic.

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The term “bootblack”, meaning “one who shines shoes”, was first used in 1817, according to Merriam-Webster.^[1] While the trade of shoe shining has been around at least since the age of the Industrial Revolution, the origins of bootblacking within the leather community remain unclear. Possible points of reference are military traditions of polishing boots^[2], as well as shoeshine stands in public spaces, which could be found in many cities in Europe and the US before World War II.^[3][4]

Bootblack stands as well as bootblacks operating in leather bars have been documented in the US since the 1970s.^[5] The Leather Archives & Museum keeps multiple objects relating to bootblacks in its collection, amongst them a bootblacking chair, that was used by ‘Daddy’ William Shields, Jr. in gay bars in Chicago, Boston, Providence and New York City between the 1990s and 2000s, and since 2014 is part of the museum’s permanent exhibitions.^[6]

The first documented case of shoe shining in a fetish context can be found in the diaries of Hannah Cullwick (1833 – 1909). Cullwick meticulously recorded the amount of boots she cleaned on a monthly and yearly basis. She cleaned hundreds each year, sometimes by licking them. She once told her lover Arthur Munby that she could tell where he had been by how his boots tasted.^[4]

While bootblacking is an activity that can be done privately at home, many bootblacks enjoy working the stand in leather bars or at events, conferences, socials and contests. A booth usually consists of one or more elevated seats for customers to sit comfortably while the bootblacks clean, buff and polish their shoes, similar to professional shoeshine stands. Depending on the setting and the people involved, the experience can range from a pampering and a friendly chat, comparable to a visit to the hairdresser, to sensual or erotic play (e.g. in the form of boot worship).^[7]

Through their service, they are not only preserving the physical items (many of which have been gifted, earned or handed down) but are also collecting the stories of their wearers. Therefore, bootblacks play an important role in the oral tradition of the leather scene.^[7][3]

The diversification of the kink scene has been accompanied by an evolution of gear, so that bootblacks today not only care for different types of leather attire, but also vegan leather, rubber, neoprene, and others. Each step in bootblacking requires patience, skill, and an understanding of the proper care of each material to ensure the items not only look aesthetically pleasing but are also well-maintained for longevity.^[5]

Still, the most common items during an average bootblack shift remain to be leather boots. Depending on the type of leather, these are either cleaned and conditioned or polished using horse-hair brushes and shoe polish. Many bootblacks are particularly proud of their mirror shine technique (also known as spit shine), which makes the toe cap shine with a glasslike high-gloss finish. A proper spit shine may involve multiple layers of wax and water or saliva, and precise buffing with a cotton cloth or nylon stocking.^[8]

Some bootblacks include boot worship and other forms of play as part of their service.^[9]

The Bootblack Pride Flag was designed by Jesse ‘Spanky’ Penley in 2005. It was introduced to the public at the International LeatherSir/ International Leatherboy weekend in Atlanta, GA on October 6th, 2005. Using the Leather Pride colors, the diagonal stripes differentiate it from the leather pride flag. The flag only uses three stripes, two blue, and one white. The width of the stripes, signify the wide range of people who are, and appreciate boot blacks. The unisex boot stands for the non-gender specific nature of bootblacking. The large red heart positioned behind the boot, signifies the heart that the bootblack puts behind their boots.^[10]

Bootblacks might participate in competitions, demonstrations, and events where their skills are showcased and celebrated. The most well-known bootblack competitions are International Mr. Bootblack (IMrBB), International Ms. Bootblack (IMsBB), and International Community Bootblack (ICBB).

The oldest bootblack contest within the leather scene is the International Bootblack Competition that was founded by Harry Shattuck in 1993 at the International Mr. Leather event, which in 1999 was split into International Mr. Bootblack (IMrBB) and International Ms. Bootblack (IMsBB). Harry Shattuck, who had been an IML contestant in 1979 and 1986, had been bootblacking at the Gold Coast and the IML Leather Market in prior years.^[11] Since the late 1980s, he had been trying to set up a bootblack contest at IML to get more representation for bootblacking in the leather scene. In 1993, he organized the first bootblack contest, which was one of the expansions and improvements of the 1990s at the ever-growing conference. The rules were simple: each IML package contained a ticket for a bootblack session and the bootblack who collected the most tickets over the weekend won. The winner and thus the first International Mr. Bootblack was David Morgan. Due to the great popularity with visitors, the bootblack contest was continued in subsequent years.^[5] In 1999 the first International Ms. Bootblack was held at International Ms. Leather with Leslie Anderson as the first woman to win an international bootblack title.^[12]

• Boot worship
• Bull polishing
• Leather subculture

• Dominguez, Linda A. (2021). The Passion of Bootblacking. Agar ISBN 978-1-956096-04-0.
• Andrews, Vincent (2021). The leatherboy Handbook III. ISBN 978-1955748032.
• Wendell, Daddy (2012). Beyond Bootblacking. A Guide to selecting and caring for Leather Gear. ISBN 978-1470054489.
• McDiarmid, Andrew (2007). Bootblacking 101. A Handbook. ISBN 978-1887895699