Draft:Bootblacking (BDSM)

Bootblacks take care of the boots, garments and other gear of Leatherpeople. The practice of bootblacking holds significant cultural and symbolic meaning, representing craftsmanship, dedication, devotion, and service. While bootblacking is an activity that can be done privately at home, many bootblacks enjoy working the stand in leather bars or at events. Through the service to their community members, they are not only preserving the physical items (many of which have been gifted or inherited over several generations) but are also collecting the stories of their wearers. Therefore, bootblacks play a central role in the oral history of the leather scene. While outsiders often link bootblacking to service-oriented submission, bootblacks might take on any role in a BDSM dynamic.

History
The term “bootblack”, meaning “one who shines shoes”, was first used in 1817, according to Merriam-Webster. 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, as well as shoeshine stands in public spaces, which could be found in many cities in Europe and the US before World War II.

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.

Techniques
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.

Still, the most common items during an average bootblack shift at a leather bar remain 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.

Some bootblacks include boot worship and other forms of play as part of their service.

Bootblack pride flag
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.

Titles and Competitions
Bootblacks might participate in competitions, demonstrations, and events where their skills are showcased and celebrated. While many local and regional bootblack competitions with different focuses exist in the US today, the most well-known titles are International Mr. Bootblack and International Ms. Bootblack, which from 1999 on replaced the formerly gender-neutral International Bootblack Competition (1993-98).