Smart Zhet…exploring the local sneaker culture
Laundry is one of my worst enemies and I know I am not alone on that one.
While I used to manage back in the day, washing clothes has lately become a monumental task, thanks to the time constraints that come with growing up.
These days I have made it a point to let my local Laundromat carry that cross for me. The only problem is that they don’t offer shoe cleaning services which means I still have to wash my kicks. Sucks!
Someone once asked why I wear clean clothes but then mess up my look with dirty shoes. My response was that I love wearing dirty shoes, they tell stories of where they have been (Converse and Vans addicts throw that same line all the time).
The truth is that I seldom get around to cleaning my shoes and when I do, oftentimes it’s a shoddy job. Cleaning sneakers and tennis shoes is not that easy. There seem to be a science to it.
I was recently introduced to Smart Zhet, a professional sneaker cleaning and shoe care service (not to be confused with the fellas that pester you on street corners offering to polish your shoes). I didn’t know that was even a thing.
What I can tell you is that these guys have mastered the art of taking great care of shoes and will make all your problems in that regard go away.
Before we even get to the cleaning aspect, their knowledge of sneaker culture is deep. A brief conversation with the founder Tonderai Leonard Adam, popularly known as O.G Scabo, left me feeling dull. He made me realize that there is more to shoes than meets the eye.
Founded in 2018 in the high density suburb of Glen Norah, Smart Zhet has become a household name in the sneaker community.
“We are a pioneer brand in professional sneaker cleaning and shoe care service, operating from a workshop in Glen Norah C,” said Scabo.
“It all started as a hunch and a litmus dip on a conceivable gap in the market. A market in which we had witnessed the older folk clean shoes with a one-size-fits-all approach, with abrasive tools and harsh detergents.
“Then there were the iconic street corner shoe polisher vendors whom we have all been clients to, however, their polish or suede color renews tend to smudge over when you wash the shoes at home.”
Scabo says the foundation of the initiative was inevitable and convenient enough to address the shoe problems they were seeing people encounter.
“Smart Zhet sneaker care ranges from standard materials like canvas and leather to premium material like suede, flynit, mesh and nubuck, that is from your standard Converse to the premium Versace.”
The entrepreneur has always had an eye for sneakers, with the aspect of taking care of them being a necessity.
“The love for sneaker care started at a tender age. Growing up in the ghetto you had to keep the pair you had clean or else they would be ruined and the next pair will be only available on Christmas day.
“Me and my friend Ndabenkulu Khumalo had a dry wash technique for our sneakers and we used it to look fresh on the streets back in the day.
“Being sneaker enthusiasts, over the years we devised other cleaning techniques. In 2018 the entrepreneurial bug bit me and I researched further, evaluating ways I could make a unique and viable sneaker cleaning enterprise.”
In the early days, friends and family were the primary customers with referrals being a key component of the business.
The initiative has grown in popularity, with celebrities who include TeeMak, Ric Chasers and DJ Towers to name a few making up the client list.
“For now we use social media marketing to communicate the value that our brand offers. We are glad because of the possibilities that the internet brings and we are really exploiting this millennial privilege.
“Once a client enquires with us, we will attend to their request and ultimately give them a price list and necessary information.
“After they confirm that they are interested in our service they are advised to take their sneakers to our drop off zone at Kwame Mall, cubicle 12 in the capital’s CBD.”
Customers pay upon dropping their sneakers or shoes. In the event that they feel uncomfortable paying before they see the outcome, they can pay half and then the rest when they collect their kicks.
Prices vary according to needs with an ordinary deep clean costing US$5 while a suede and nubuck deep clean with restoration goes for US$15.
“From the drop off zone, the shoes are taken to the workshop were they are cleaned and dried by air, not direct sunlight which causes yellowing and shrinking of shoe materials. They undergo reconditioning, nourishment of suede materials and repainting. The minimum lead time is 48 hours depending on the work involved.
“After the whole process the clients are contacted and notified that their sneakers are ready for collection.”
Smart Zhet also does house calls as some of their clients have large collections and do not want their shoes leaving their sight.
“This is viable for those clients that have a large shoe collection and cannot bring every pair to our drop zone or the work shop.
“It also attracts clients who have a sneaker collection full of luxurious and rare pairs that they don’t want to risk taking out of the house. A minimum of 10 pairs is required to be eligible for this service.”
Andrew Moyo is a veteran entertainment journalist with over a decade of experience. He has worked for some of the biggest publications in Zimbabwe including The Sunday Mail.
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