Tag Archives: shoe shine

Back-to-school checklist for shoe repair shops 

This time of year means kids of all ages are heading back to school—and along with them, lots of gear and supplies that may need fixing and polishing. 

We’ve put together a list of common shoe repair and shoe care needs that come up during the back-to-school season.

Review our handy checklist and your shop will be ready for anything your customers ask for this fall:  

Fix a broken backpack

Backpacks are the essential back-to-school supply. Every student needs one and possibly has a favorite with a broken zipper or ripped leather that they can’t bear to part with. Stock up on zippers, sliders, snaps, leather skins, leather strapping, awls, needles and other findings to help them hang onto to their prized possession. 

Clean up my (sneaker) act

Athletic shoes can get dirty and dingy over the summer. Make sure your customers are heading back to school in style by stocking an athletic shoe shampoo (like this one from Ralyn) as well as Sneaker Rescue shoe wipes to keep sneakers looking good on-the-go. 

Waterproof shoes for class-hopping

Students have to venture out in all types of weather during the school year. Make sure you are stocked with a weatherproofing spray, such as Ralyn Aquatec or Moneysworth & Best Campmate Pro-Tex.

Resole a favorite pair of shoes

Kids and adults alike tend to become attached to a favorite pair of shoes. Help your customer get more wear out of their favorite pair with new soles. We recommend Soletech and SVIG full or half soles, which are available in a variety of textures. 

Eliminate the sneaker stink

When gym class is back in session, shoes are bound to get stinky. Help your customers destroy foot odor with the innovative new Ralyn DeoSole shoe deodorizing patch. Or for everyday freshening, the Ralyn Shoe Deodorizer spray. 

Make athletic activities more comfy

Daily sports practices can wreak havoc on a pair of shoes and make them uncomfortable. Stock up on a variety of sports-inspired insoles and orthotics to suggest to your customers, such as the Sneaker Magic Step, Viva Sport and Viva Sneaker by Pedag, as well Powerstep’s Pinnacle Junior, which is made just for kids.

Polish up interviewing skills—and shoes 

Help recent grads make a good impression in their first interview or job by shining up their shoes. Make sure you have all the shoe shine accessories you need, such as shoe polish, shine brushes, shine cloths and fully-stocked shine boxes. And don’t forget to send them home with a DIY solution like the Ralyn Leather Shine Sponge or Angelus Instant Shine.

With a little help from you, your customers will be ready to shine this school year!

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Made in USA—we proudly support local shoe and foot care businesses

Manufacturing Marketing magazine recently published an issue devoted to USA-made products, including 6th-generation Annin Flagmakers who has been manufacturing USA flags since 1847.

Here at Justin Blair, we have been partnering with locally-made companies since we started our business over 40 years ago.  On the heels of Independence Day in the USA, we would like to acknowledge the shoe care and foot care products we carry that are made in the USA and the manufacturers we partner with who manufacture many (or all) of their products locally.

We also manufacture many of our own products locally, including more than three-quarters of our Ralyn Shoe Care line.

Core Products

Core Products’ best-selling Tri-Core Cervical Pillow and Soft Comfort CorPak Hot & Cold Therapy packs are manufactured at their industrial sewing and textile manufacturing facility in Wisconsin.

Plastazote Sheets

We convert Plastazote—a latex-free, non-toxic and hypoallergenic foam used for orthotic formation that is free from all residual chemicals—in-house in our Chicago facility. As a result of manufacturing locally, we can assure the highest quality—as well as produce custom sheets, strips, or laminates in any size.

Ralyn Shoe Care

Ralyn Shoe Care, our in-house line, is made for shoe care professionals by industry experts. More than 80% of our line is manufactured in the USA, including our top-sellers, Ralyn Aquatec, Ralyn Leather Lotion and Ralyn PediMates.

Disposable Foot Sox

Our brand of disposable foot sox is manufactured at our partner’s dedicated hosiery plant in North Carolina. We sell a range of foot sox used by top footwear retailers, from the top-selling Women’s Disposable Foot Sox, to specialty foot sox such as Men’s Disposable Foot Sox, Disposable Cushioned Athletic Sox and Disposable Trouser Sox.

Join us in celebrating and supporting these manufacturers whose products are MADE IN THE USA!

 

Ralyn Shoe Care makeover: how we updated a local shoe care kiosk

 

We recently did a “makeover” on the Shoe Hospital shoe care kiosk in the B Concourse of Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.

The kiosk offers travelers a quick shoe shine, as well as grab-and-go shoe care products. With a record-setting 79+ million travelers passing through O’Hare each year, we wanted to help Shoe Hospital attract as many potential shoppers as possible, so we upgraded their kiosk with a selection of Ralyn Shoe Care products to appeal to the on-to-go traveler. 

Whether travelers are seeking comfort or needing a quick shoe upgrade, the Shoe Hospital kiosk now offers Ralyn Shoe Care insoles, shoe shapers, travel shine kits and shoelaces—plus our new DeoSole shoe deodorizing inserts and fitting aids to improve shoe fit and comfort (perfect for travelers on long flights).

See our full line of Ralyn Shoe Care products. 

To schedule a shoe care makeover for your kiosk or shop, reach out to one of our sales representatives.