The Real McKoy: The “Shoe Shine Guy” Pierce McKoy Is A Local Legend

DURHAM, NC – The term “local legend” is used to describe people that have become hallmarks of a community. They are individuals who are famous, while still living, for doing something extremely well. No one personifies this image more than Pierce McKoy, the “Shoe Shine Guy” with a stand on the sidewalk of downtown Durham.

Walk into a coffee shop on Main Street and mention the name of this legend to the barista.  You will find him responding with a warm smile as he tells you about his encounters with the legendary shiner of shoes.  It seems as though everyone in downtown Durham speaks warmly of Mr. McKoy.  To understand the warmth in this smile, one simply needs to watch the man in action as he shines a customer’s shoes.

Customers that sit in his elevated black chair that adorns the sidewalk on Main Street find themselves treated to the type of shine that can only be crafted through years of experience by a man that prides himself on the skill of his craft.  The reason Mr. McKoy has been able to build himself into a pillar of the shoeshine world comes from his familial roots in Durham.

As a young boy, his mother, Esther McKoy, told her son to always be his best. McKoy remembers his mother, a hemodialysis lab technician, expressed her desire for her children to be great at whatever they chose to pursue.  As a young boy, Esther McKoy required her boys to read a story from the newspaper the right way.  Instead of simply saying each word on the page, she told them to read it with personality in an effort to show them the “right way” to read.  

This mindset of doing things the right way has served her son well as it has allowed him to shine shoes all across the country.  From a stand outside the legendary Jackie Gleason Theatre in Miami to Chicago, Memphis, San Antonio, an upscale club in Raleigh, and now on the streets of Durham.  With each customer he serves, he exhibits a work ethic and attention to detail that is indicative of the mindset his mother instilled in him as a boy. The mindset of a legend. He prides himself in not doing “quick shines” because he takes the time to do it the right way and gives each customer the best shine they have ever seen.

When asked about his meticulous attention to detail with his business, he explains, “Shining shoes is the highlight of my life.”  The sixty-five-year-old makes it very clear through his words and actions that he takes immense pride in being a master of his craft.  He explains that he has little respect for the shoe shiners focused on getting as many customers shined as possible because they are focused on the number of their customers instead of focusing on the quality of their work.  

While it would be easy to assume this beacon of the community spends all his time with his hands in polish, one would only see a piece of the man. When he is not gracing the sidewalks beside 501 Realtors, he can be found singing as a musician. There is even footage of him with his group, The Lover Boys, on stage at the legendary Durham Performing Arts Center.  

The next time you stroll down the streets of downtown Durham, heading towards the Beyu Caffe, make sure to say hello to the friendly man that has found himself as an image of pride to the community as he warmly greets everyone that walks past his stand.  And the people lucky enough to sit in his chair walk away with a warm smile from the beautiful craftsmanship and charismatic personality that has made Pierce McKoy a legend in the city of Durham.