Buck Harder on Bootblacking

GUEST POST: Buck Harder discusses the significance of bootblacks within the leather community.

Recently, Buck Harder published a post on his social media about bootblacking. It received quite a bit of attention. One commenter suggested he publish it somewhere in a more permanent and shareable form. Thankfully, Buck chose my newsletter on which to do that.

Buck appeared on our podcast, On Guard Cigar Salon, to talk with me and my castmates about bootblacking for our Bootblack Basics episode. Being a nationally respected bootblack, we were honored to have him on our show.

(Audio version available on iTunes and Spotify.)

Below is what Buck originally posted to address the question “What’s the significance of a bootblack?”

I've recently been asked the question: "What's the significance of a bootblack?"

So, I've been doing some thinking, and some writing. I want to share my thoughts for those of you who might be interested.

I've been operating under the assumption that most people who follow me on my social media platforms and see my content regarding bootblacking have at least some idea of what bootblacking is and the place that bootblacks tend to hold in the leather community. But that's not necessarily a fair assumption. The internet is a big place.

First, let's look at what bootblacks are and what bootblacking actually is.

Boiled down, bootblacks are where leatherfolk and shoeshines overlap. At their core, bootblacks are typically service-oriented individuals (not necessarily submissive, because there is a big difference between being service-oriented and being submissive) who have chosen to develop skills to care for and maintain leather gear, typically honoring a deep understanding of the attachment, history, and legacy that a leatherperson's gear tends to carry with it. The motivations behind why a bootblack decides to pursue this endeavor will vary, and in many ways so will the way a bootblack carries out their craft. But the end goal tends to be the same – the care of the gear.

So, when someone tells you that they’re a bootblack, what they’re telling you is that they have a passion and an interest in taking care of leather, primarily with regards to the boots or gear that leatherfolk tend to have.

I will also add that bootblacking is not restricted entirely to leather. I know many bootblacks, myself included, who also have an interest in things like rubber, neoprene, sneakers, and other materials.

Sitting for a bootblack is generally a more connected experience than let’s say going to get your shoes shined at the airport or in some other similar non-leather setting.

Also, bootblacks by and large tend to be very knowledge-hungry and in many cases nerdy with regards to their interest. Many bootblacks become quite knowledgeable about the products and techniques they use.

That said, all of this will vary. The concept of bootblacking is not monolithic. Different bootblacks will bootblack for different reasons. They will have different skillsets. They will have different experience levels.

All of that said, what's the significance? What is the importance behind bootblacks, and why does it matter?

Simply put, bootblacks are physical representations of much of what I feel is, or should be, prioritized when we discuss the leather community as a whole. At a surface level, bootblacks care for and maintain the gear that we wear and play in. Many leatherfolk have their identity rooted, at least to some degree, within their gear, whether it's limited to just their boots, some identifying marker such as a pup hood, or as extensive as their penchant for full-leather attire. To that end, bootblacks provide care for and maintenance of physical representations of a leatherperson's identity as a leatherperson.

Beyond that, many leatherfolk, myself included, feel that our gear has history to it. Gear might have 30, 40, 50, or 60 years of heritage behind it and they are vehicles to innumerable stories and memories. By and large, bootblacks have an understanding of this and ensure that great care is taken to help make sure those stories keep being told. Not just in the gear but in the very nature of sitting for a bootblack and sharing some of those stories.

Speak to any experienced, actively working bootblack and you'll quickly learn that many of us carry with us a plethora of stories of play, discovery, love, lust, joy, sorrow, and heartbreak. We've heard about former lovers and friends who have passed on, and in sharing those stories, those people and experiences live on with them.

Bootblacks also often carry within them and their work a true sense of community and empathy. To touch on what I said earlier about bootblacks typically being service-oriented, many of us want nothing more than to see our community thrive. Many of us see our role as creating a space of authenticity and integrity at our bootblack stands. We help foster a space where connection can occur.

I've often envisioned sitting for a bootblack as being like going to your favorite salon: a place to relax, feel rejuvenated, and feel cared for. There's a reason you have people like International Ms Bootblack 2018, Teagan, who carried with her the phrase “Take Refuge” during her run for SouthWest Bootblack and then onto her run as International Ms Bootblack. She, like many others, views the stand as a place where you can feel safe in the knowledge that it's a place of refuge, of acceptance, and occasionally of being built up.

I see some post online about how they see bootblacks as being “the backbone of the community,” or other similar sentiments. I truly am sincere when I express that in many ways that's not hyperbole. Bootblacks are some of the hardest working people at many of the events that you'll see them at. They’re some of the biggest supporters you can have in your corner as a leatherperson.

So, what is “the significance of a bootblack?”

We are the proud caretakers, workers, supporters, cheerleaders, historians, storytellers, secret keepers, occasional therapists, uplifters, and community-builders of the leather community.

It’s a responsibility that few of us take lightly, and many of us take on with pride.

So, please, tip your bootblack.

You can find Buck on TikTok and Twitter (often adult content on Twitter).

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