How a Small Tin of Shoe Polish Conquered the World

MELBOURNE — For over a century, a small metal tin with a bird on the cover could be found in millions of homes, military barracks, and offices around the globe. That famous tin contained Kiwi Shoe Polish—a household staple whose unique smell was once synonymous with discipline, pride, and smart dressing.

At its peak, Kiwi was sold in more than 180 countries and held over half of the global shoe polish market. In places like Malaysia and Singapore, the brand became so popular that "to kiwi" became a everyday verb meaning to shine one's shoes.

However, changing times have brought an end to its legendary reign in the West. In 2022, Kiwi shocked consumers by announcing its complete exit from the United Kingdom. Just a year later, the brand confirmed it would end sales in the United States by mid-2024.

How did a modest Australian invention from 1906 become a global favorite, only to vanish from Western high streets a century later?

Born in Melbourne

The story began in Melbourne, Australia, in 1904. A Scottish immigrant named William Ramsay and his business partner, Hamilton McKellar, started making boot polish in a tiny factory.

Shoe polishes already existed at the time, but older brands were mainly used to preserve leather rather than make it look good. In 1906, Ramsay released a revolutionary new product designed to do three things at once: preserve leather, restore its color, and produce a brilliant shine.

Ramsay loaded boxes of the new product onto a horse and cart, riding out to local farms to sell it directly to farmers. He named his creation "Kiwi" in honor of his wife, Annie Elizabeth Meek, who was from New Zealand. Unintentionally, as the polish spread across the world, it helped make the flightless kiwi bird the national symbol of New Zealand.

By 1908, Ramsay introduced "Kiwi Dark Tan," which added waterproofing to shoe leather. Australian boot polish was soon praised as the finest in the world.

World War I and Global Success

Despite early competition from rival brands, Kiwi gained an advantage that no advertisement could buy: World War I.

When war broke out in 1914, both the British and United States armies officially adopted Kiwi shoe polish. Millions of soldiers were issued Kiwi tins to protect their leather boots against the harsh mud of European trenches. When the troops returned home after the war, they brought their habit of using Kiwi with them, sending international sales skyrocketing.

For its first 60 years, Kiwi remained under Australian ownership. But as it grew into a multinational giant, it changed hands several times:

• 1970s: The company merged with Nicholas International Ltd., forming Nicholas Kiwi.
  
  
• Global Expansion: Production expanded in Ealing, UK, to supply Europe and the Middle East, with factories later moving across France and the UK.
  
  
• 1984: American giant Sara Lee Corporation acquired Kiwi.
  
  

By 2005, Kiwi was being manufactured across the globe, including in Australia, Canada, France, India, South Africa, the UK, and the USA. It grew so dominant that antitrust regulators in the US and UK stepped in during the 1990s to prevent a total monopoly in shoe care products.

In 2011, Sara Lee sold its shoe care business to S. C. Johnson, a major American cleaning products company based in Racine, Wisconsin.

Changing Times and the Modern End

For over 110 years, Kiwi seemed unstoppable. However, major cultural shifts over the last decade dramatically changed how people dress:

1. Casual Footwear: Traditional leather dress shoes have largely been replaced by sneakers, soft boots, and casual footwear that require little to no polish.
   
   
2. Remote Work: The COVID-19 pandemic permanently changed work habits. Millions of people shifted to working from home, wearing casual clothes instead of polished dress shoes.
   
   

Responding to dropping demand, owner S. C. Johnson made the decision to pull Kiwi from store shelves in the United Kingdom in late 2022, followed by the United States in 2024.

While Kiwi continues to be sold in select international markets where leather shoes remain standard everyday wear, its presence in major Western retail stores has officially come to an end. What started with a horse-drawn cart in 1906 became one of the greatest export stories in history—leaving behind a lasting mark on global trade and industrial heritage.

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