Putting Reston's Best Feet Forward

For $6, Clint Hodges can make your shoes as good as new.

Hodges is the co-owner and operator of Exec-U-Shine shoe shine stand in the lobby of the He has had the Reston stand for 13 years.

During a typical weekday, a steady stream of visitors stop by and step up to rid their shoes of scuffs.

Once upon a time, stands like Hodges' were everywhere, particularly in traditional business city centers like Washington, DC. Hodges, 67,  also owns a stand at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill.

The DC stand is a little busier. But as hats and wingtips have given away to logoed polos and khakis, business casual has hurt business everywhere.

"It's kind of slow right now," said Hodges, a retired Army veteran. "Business is not even what it was five years ago. People dress more casual, they work from home. They don't pay attention to their shoes anymore."

In July and August "they don't even wear shoes at all," says Hodges. Sandals for work would have been unheard of a generation ago.

Still, there are folks who recognize the value of buffing out the scuffs. Andrew Bostock, an executive at L3 Communications in Reston stopped by one recent weekday for Hodges to work on his wingtips.

Bostock comes from a military background as well, so he says having shined shoes is important.

"I used to shine them myself," Bostock said as Hodges went over the wingtips with a brush. "But it is hard to find all the supplies."