Penn Station Shoe Repair and Shoe Shine is a small shoeshining business in New York City. On a recent weekday, customers sat down at the shoeshine business and pulled out newspapers and phones to read while their shoes got shined. The shoeshiners cleaned the footwear and added an oily substance to protect the shoes’ leather material. When finished, the customers paid eight dollars for the work. A sign hanging at the little business reads, “We’re not God, but we do save soles.” Shoeshining has a long history in the United States, dating back hundreds of years. But today, the tradition of getting a quick shine is weakening. Shoeshine stands are disappearing in cities and towns across the country. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified the business decline. More people work from home than in the past. And it has become popular to wear more casual work clothes. All this means fewer customers for shoeshining businesses. Nisan Khaimov owns the Penn Station stand. He said his stand would shine 80 to 100 shoes each workday before the pandemic. Now it is between 30 to 50 from Tuesday to Thursday and even fewer on Mondays and Fridays. The work-from-home model that is common across America is hurting his business. “Until people come back to work, the problems will not be solved,” said Khaimov.