BY JANET C. WETZEL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MIDDLETOWN -- From his antique wood and marble stand in a corridor of City Centre Mall, the Shoe Doctor ministers to the soles of the well-heeled and the downtrodden. Bill Myers started shining shoes at age 11 for a nickel a pair. Since then his expert touch has rejuvenated thousands of shoes.
"Sit down, relax. Let me see those tired old shoes," said Mr. Myers, 89, a smile wreathing his gently lined face. Brown-rimmed glasses can't hide the feisty twinkle in his eye.
"As long as they're leather, I can take care of any shoes," he said, reaching for his polishing wares. "I can dye them, I can stretch them and I can polish them and make them look new. Green, yellow, black, white or blue -- don't matter. Just bring them to me and I'll take care of them."
The doctor just celebrated his 18th year shining shoes in the mall. But he's wondering how long he can maintain his "office" under the mall roof that protects him. City officials are considering a proposal to spend about $17 million to remove the mall's roof and reopen the street.
Mr. Myers, who sings in the choir at Mt. Zion Baptist Church and plays saxophone in the church band, said he's not worried because his fate is in the hands of the Lord. "I'm going to be doing this as long as the good Lord wants me to do it. When he says its time to quit, I'll quit. And if he wants me here, he'll make a way."
It will likely be months before the city fathers decide the mall's fate. Meanwhile, Mr. Myers, also known as "the Godfather of Sole" continues to do what he does best -- shine shoes.
As James Irvin climbed onto one of the oak chairs, the Shoe Doctor grabbed a can of his special polish. He dipped his strong fingers into the can, and with swift, fluid moves, he rubbed the polish onto every centimeter of the shoe.
"I'm a happy man," said the doctor, breaking into a lively rendition of "She'll be Coming Around the Mountain." He tapped out a rhythmic beat with the soft polishing cloth, snapped it crisply, then wrapped it around the back of the shoe to buff the heel, finishing with a flourish.
Wearing a jaunty chauffeur's hat and a jacket bearing his Shoe Doctor title, Mr. Myers keeps up a steady banter as he works, telling of his birth in South Carolina, one of 13 children. They moved to Middletown, and at age 18 he went to work at what is now AK Steel. He served in the Army Air Corps in World War II, and then he and four brothers formed the Myers Brothers Cab Co. In the 1950s their Myers Brothers Orchestra played for dances and other events. He went back to the steel mill, retiring in 1974.
After retiring he bought the shoeshine stand and set up shop in City Centre Mall. Over the years he had stands in the Butler County Courthouse and Dayton Mall.
"I love this. I like to keep busy. You sit around, you get stiff," he said.
There's little danger of that, folks say.
"He's incredible," Connie Burress said of Mr. Myers, who has been a member of Mt. Zion Church since before she was born. "He's well known here. He's always been a very active and very loyal member of our church."
Mr. Myers' response: "When you do something for the Lord, you live better and longer."
His better life includes nearly 49 years with his wife, Norma, as well as seven children, nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He spends seven hours a day minding his shoeshine stand and often walks away with no more than $10 for his effort -- a shine for a pair of shoes is $2. But he leaves content -- no complaints.
"I'm an old man, but I ain't asleep. I'm alive. I'm well. I'm happy," he said.
