SELF's Bootblack Academy - A 3 year intensive program
Have you always wanted to learn to bootblack and didn't have anyone to ask? Do you need to brush up on your basics? This is the intensive series for you. In the course of SELF event weekend, we will spend time reviewing the contents of a basic bootblack kit, types of leathers, cleaning boots/shoes, conditioning of both oil tan and polishable boots, a basic shine, and a high shine.
For Bootblack Academy 101 - Join us Friday as we explore different types of leather, basic bootblack kit supplies, caution in handling leather, key questions to ask, and listening to the client in the chair. On Saturday, we will delve into how to use the tools in your kit, how to fully inspect boots, how to wash boots, and how to pick a conditioner. Finally, on Sunday, we will get down to the nitty-gritty of the shine. We will start with the basics and work our way up to a high shine for boots that need them. Bootblack Academy 101 is an 8+ hour intensive!
For Bootblack Academy 201, we will explore managing a queue, connecting with clients, all things lacing, repairing minor and moderate damage commonly found on boots, dealing with bodily fluids on leather, general leather toy care, and erotic bootblacking. Bootblack Academy 201 is a 9 hour intensive!
For Bootblack Academy 301, we will cover Dyeing and Patina, managing mold and mildew, and care of non-leather items including latex, rubber, canvas, and more. The weekend conclludes with a roundtable discussion to help the next steps in your bootblacking journey.
SELF's Bootblack Academy is a multi-year endeavor which fully supports Bootblacks and their education. This year is 101, 201, and 301. Take the journey and be part of this progressive learning experience.
YOUR ACADEMY EDUCATORS
Bootblack Academy Educators, from around the country, as they teach the next generation of bootblacks from their wealth of knowledge.
Bootblack Academy 101: Goldie_Locx, Master Lucian Raven, Innocent Darlington, and Ms Tori
Bootblack Academy 201: by SpankCake, Mycalyne, Sir Andrew, Keriis, and Tidbit
Bootblack Academy 301: by Alistair LeatherHiraeth, Daisy Blue, and Keriis
LIMITED SEATS - BUY YOURS
| Bootblack Academy 101 Cost for this 8+ hour seminar is $50.00. Seats are limited. Successful candidates will receive completion patch. |
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| Bootblack Academy 201 Cost for this 8+ hour seminar is $50.00. Seats are limited. Successful candidates will receive completion patch. |
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| Bootblack Academy 301 Cost for this 8+ hour seminar is $50.00. Seats are limited. Successful candidates will receive completion patch. |
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SCHEDULE
Bootblack Academy 101
BBA 101 2026 Description
For this intensive, your Bootblack Academy journey begins. On Friday, Ms. Tori, SE Bootblack 2016, and Goldie_Locx, Bootblack for House of Valor, will take you back in time to learn more about our illustrious Bootblack history. They will also discuss common and some not so common items found in a bootblack’s kit as well as the anatomy of a boot.
On Saturday, Master Lucian Raven, Midwest Master 2025 and ILW Bootblack Coordinator, will go deep into cleaning and conditioning oil tans.
On Sunday, Innocent, Northwest Bootblack 2023 and International Ms. Bootblack 2024 First Runner-Up, will help you learn the ins and outs of bringing out a high shine and working it up to a mirror shine. Bootblack Academy 101 is an 8+hour intensive.
9:00am to 11:45am
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Room ATL 1
Bootblack Academy 201
BBA 201 2026 Description
For Bootblack Academy 201, based on your feedback, we are changing things up a little bit this year.
On Friday, TidBit, Southeast Bootblack 2018, and Mycalyne, Southeast Bootblack 2019 – 2023, will be exploring how to best manage a queue and make connections with your client while working the stands at a bar or an event. They will also discuss all things laces including aglet repair, different lacing patterns and how to flag with laces.
On Saturday, SpankCake, International Ms. Bootblack 2024, will be showing you how to repair minor and moderate damage commonly found on boots.
On Sunday, our ever popular class on Erotic Bootblacking with Sir Andrew, Southeast Bootblack 2008, Southeast Leatherfest Boy 2012, and Mr. Southeast Leatherfest 2024-2025, will make its return! Speaking of leather sexy times, Keriis, Southeast Bootblack 2024, will be exploring how to deal with bodily fluids on leather and general leather toy care. Bootblack Academy 201 is a 9 hour intensive!
Friday 12:00pm - 2:45pm, Room ATL 1
Saturday 12:00pm - 2:45pm, Room ATL 1
Sunday 9:00am - 11:45am, Room ATL 2
Bootblack Academy 301
New for 2026: SELF’s Bootblack Academy 301
This advanced 8+ hour intensive designed to deepen skills and support continued growth.
On Friday, we’re bringing back the popular Dyeing and Patina class in response to requests for more time to learn and practice these techniques. Daisy Blue will revisit the foundational principles taught in their BBA 201 (2025) class and provide expanded hands-on practice.
On Saturday, we are thrilled to welcome Alistair—Bootblack Europe 2020 and International Mr. Bootblack 2022—who will be joining us virtually from across the pond to share expert guidance on managing mold and mildew.
On Sunday, Keriis, SE Bootblack 2024, will cover care for non-leather items, including latex, rubber, canvas, and more. The weekend concludes with a moderated roundtable discussion led by Daisy Blue, titled “What’s Next,” guiding participants through thoughtful prompts to help shape the next steps in their bootblacking journey.
Presenters: Daisy Blue, Alistair, and Keriis
Friday 3:00pm - 6:00pm, Room ATL 1
Saturday 3:00pm - 6:00pm, Room ATL 1
Sunday 9:00am - 11:45am, Room ATL 3
BOOTBLACK ACADEMY HISTORY
Lady Catherine dreamt of creating a comprehensive, ongoing, solid educational program for bootblacks—something unlike anything available in the country previously. Her vision went beyond the standard 101-level classes often squeezed into hour-and-a-half formats at various events. She saw the need for a deeper, broader experience, with a curriculum crafted to build a mastery of skills over time. This dream included multiple instructors from across the nation, each bringing expertise shaped by their unique regional climates and needs, fostering a rich and varied learning environment.
At the heart of this vision was the recognition that, while SELF (SouthEast LeatherFest) has a proud tradition of highly skilled bootblacks, this endeavor would reach far beyond the Southeast. It would be a national—and, hopefully, even international—endeavor, uniting bootblacks from diverse backgrounds, intersections, and experiences to share their knowledge and elevate the craft together.
To bring this vision to life, Lady Catherine created a structured, multi-tiered program that offered a depth of education previously unseen in the community. The foundation of this structure was a nine-hour instructional weekend, an immersive experience where participants could develop their skills in a focused, hands-on environment. The program would span three years, with hours of instruction each year, providing a comprehensive, multi-year path to attaining vast skills in many areas.
She named it Bootblack Academy and reached out to some of SELF's finest and most respected bootblacks. Together, they began the journey of turning this ambitious vision into reality—a program built on passion, dedication, and a shared commitment to advancing the art and craft of bootblacking.
The people who put the meat on the bones of the structure were Tidbit and Ms Tori. The outline of what would be studied was created, and the training program was assembled. Ms Tori gathered a stockpile of practice boots while Tidbit built the syllabus. Tidbit, Ms Tori, and Lady Catherine selected the bootblacks who would participate as instructors for the first SELF Bootblack Academy 101. Our instructors were Ms Tori, Tidbit, Goldie, and SpankCake. We sold out in our first year with 27 attendees and had many requests for BBA 101 to be held again. For SELF 2025, last year’s graduates will move on to 201 with a new set of more advanced classes, and we will bring in a new class of 101 bootblacks. It is the first of it’s kind and no one has provided continued and on-going education which builds upon the skills of prior years.
2026 is the first year that Bootblack Academy 301 will be offered. This year marks the completion of continuing to offer top-notch education. It will mark the completion of having offered all three years of the intended program. SELF is very much looking forward to making history!