Man turns passion into purpose with shoe shine shuttle

By Alysia Burgio

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    DETROIT (WWJ) — Shoe shining is a skill you don’t hear often these days. Many might say it could be considered a lost art.

“Shoe shining was not even in my radar,” said Elisha Smith, owner of Mr. E Mobile Shoe Shine Service.

You may have heard the phrase “the best things in life are unexpected,” that couldn’t be truer for Elisha Smith.

He goes by Mr. E and is best known for his shoe-shining skills.

“I have noticed over the years that it really changes somebody’s personality and confidence,” Smith said.

Confidence that Smith learned after being taught the craft by a former colleague more than 20 years ago.

The bulk of his business at that time was inside gyms and dealerships where he quickly became a staple in the community.

“They (customers) started actually opening up to me and telling me things they were dealing with, so I had a chance to really speak into their life, and god always gave me what to say at that right moment,” said Smith.

Smith had found his passion, and then the pandemic hit, forcing everything to shut down.

“I said, ‘God, listen, you gave me this business, and it’s not just a business, this is a ministry for me. I said I don’t want to let it go, so you have to show me the next thing I need to do for the business. And at that point, he spoke just one word to me … and he said, ‘bus,'” Smith said.

It wasn’t until 2021 that Mr. E took his shoe-shining skills mobile to create his very own shoe-shining shuttle.

“To have that you didn’t have to go nowhere, and I come to you, that was like a gamechanger. And at this time during COVID, they (customers) can feel safe because I didn’t have to go in their house, they just put everything on the porch, I just grab the bag,” Smith said.

It was then Mr. E’s Mobile Shoe Shine Service took off and has been on the road ever since.

“It’s a blessing to be able to give a service that’s dying that people really took pride in,” said Smith.

After all these years, Mr. E is still that familiar face whose purpose is to not only make your shoes stand out with some polish but also keep customers coming back, each time with more pep in their step.

“I don’t have to go anywhere or drop anything off. He comes right to us. He’s awesome. He’s one of a kind, and we’re very happy to have him here,” said loyal customer Kevin Koshkarian.

As for what’s next for Mr. E, he says he hopes to expand his business even further.

“My goal is to be able to give this service to more states. Maybe train people to do shoes because this is such a lost art. I’m just so glad to be doing what I’m doing because I’m so passionate, and if I can change one person’s life by just doing their shoes, it’s a win-win for me,” said Smith.

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