David Shalmoni didn’t get into the shoe-shine business because he loves shoes or enjoys getting his hands dirty. It was the conversation involved that piqued his interest.
When Shalmoni — a London native — was working at his parents’ shop at Denver International Airport when he was in college, he would notice the shoe shiners working nearby and observed how much fun both the workers and the customers seemed to be having. And the money seemed good.
“When it was slow I would peer out and see shoe-shine guys having fun and laughing, so I applied,” Shalmoni said.
Nearly 20 years after getting his start shining shoes, Shalmoni, 37, and his Solebox shoeshine kiosk has become a staple of the 16th Street Mall, and he’s looking for ways to grow while creating a brand for his business.
Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, Shalmoni always knew he wanted to work for himself. After a stint on the West Coast as a pianist with a record contract, he returned to Denver and thought a shoe-shine business in the heart of downtown Denver would be a great fit.
He noticed a need for shoe shiners and knew that it wasn’t something many in his generation were willing to do.
“Itap not a glamorous business, but there’s glamour in getting to know the city,” he said.
At first, Shalmoni rolled a three-chair apparatus he had built down the mall and set up shop in front of the Starbucks at 303 16th St. He later built a permanent kiosk and rebuilt it after making some design changes while working with the Downtown Denver Partnership in the same location.
Since then, other kiosks nearby have used a similar design and Solebox has become an example of how to build a structure and do business on the mall.
“He’s not the first to have a kiosk, but he’s one of the first to build a custom kiosk on the mall. I think the design and way we worked has set a good tone,” said John Desmond, executive director of the Downtown Denver Business Improvement District and vice president of downtown environment for the Downtown Denver Partnership.
Since starting on the mall in 2009, Shalmoni said his business has grown each year and he’s taken on a partner who runs a stand inside Independence Plaza at 16th and Curtis streets. Now, he’s recently launched a drop-off box and is shopping it around to different office buildings. Here, customers can drop their shoes in the box for a shine or repairs, which would be returned to the customer’s desk the following day in most cases.
Solebox services men’s and women’s dress shoes and high heels. Shalmoni hopes to expand to the Cherry Creek area and the Denver Tech Center to open up more stands and have drop boxes in multiple buildings.
Shalmoni’s partner, Amando Bravo, said he first met Shalmoni several years ago when he was working three or four jobs and struggling to learn English. Bravo, who hails from Mexico, said he heard from family members to just smile and nod when talking to Americans when he didn’t understand what was being said.
Shalmoni recognized how personable Bravo was, offered him a job and later, when Shalmoni was able, made Bravo a partner along with his other partner, Nick Peterson, who ran the business while Shalmoni lived in Florida.
“I never thought about shining shoes. I didn’t know if I wanted to shine shoes, but I had nothing to lose,” Bravo said.
Now Bravo speaks very good English and, like Shalmoni, has a big personality that makes him ideal for the shoe-shine business. Shalmoni has built his business on friendliness and creating a rapport with customers.
Shalmoni said he feels that the 10 minutes he spends with customers shining their shoes and making small talk can be a great escape for customers, and for him it gives him the social element he needs. And he feels like a key cog in the fabric of the city.
“What I love about the business is that I’m part of the community,” he said.