Shoe polish stands begin to vanish, lose their shine

Shoe laces, dye, and other shoe accessories are on display for sale at the Alpha Shoe Repair Corp., Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, in New York. Business at the shop is down 75% compared with prior to the pandemic. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Bertha Gomez shines a customer’s shoe at the Alpha Shoe Repair Corp., Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, in New York. Once a common practice, the tradition of getting a quick polish from a rag-toting shoeshine has become more of a rarity, and many stands have disappeared across the country. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Bertha Gomez shines a customer’s shoe at the Alpha Shoe Repair Corp., Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, in New York. Once a common practice, the tradition of getting a quick polish from a rag-toting shoeshine has become more of a rarity, and many stands have disappeared across the country.(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Jairo Cardenas owner the Alpha Shoe Repair Corp., works on a boot repair, Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, in New York. Business at the shop, which he’s run for 33 years, is down 75% compared with prior to the pandemic. Shoe repairs typically bring in more money than shines. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Jairo Cardenas, the owner the Alpha Shoe Repair Corp., repairs a boot, Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, in New York. Business at the shop, which Cardenas has run for 33 years, is down 75% compared with prior to the pandemic. Shoe repairs typically bring in more money than shines. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Customer Ray Ozoria gets a shoeshine from Bertha Gomez at the Alpha Shoe Repair Corp., Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, in New York. Once a common practice, the tradition of getting a quick polish from a rag-toting shoeshine has become more of a rarity, and many stands have disappeared across the country. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
An employee repairs a pair of women’s shoes at the Alpha Shoe Repair Corp., Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, in New York. Shoe repairs typically bring in more money than shines. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Jairo Cardenas, left, owner the Alpha Shoe Repair Corp., shows the repair made on a customer’s shoes, Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, in New York. Business at the shop, which Cardenas has run for 33 years, is down 75% compared with prior to the pandemic. Shoe repairs typically bring in more money than shines. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)