Kiwi is a global brand of shoe polish brand, originally developed in Australia in 1906 by William Ramsay. Kiwi has grown to be the dominant shoe polish in many countries since it was used by both the British and U.S. Armies in World War I. However it announced its exit from the UK market in 2022. As of 2023 the Kiwi brand is owned by S. C. Johnson. The polish was originally made by an Australian company, which first marketed the product in 1906. William Ramsay and fellow Scottish expatriate in Australia, Hamilton McKellar, began making boot polish and other products in a small factory in Melbourne in 1904. While a number of older leather preserving products existed, including the Irish brand "Punch", which was first made in 1851, and the German brand, "Erdal", which went on sale in 1901, Kiwi's introduction in 1906 made it the first shoe polish to resemble modern varieties, aimed primarily at inducing shine. Ramsay and McKellar launched an improved formula, marketing it in Melbourne as "Kiwi Boot Polish". Ramsay loaded boxes of the product on to his horse and cart and sold it to farmers to protect their boots. Ramsay named it "Kiwi" after the flightless bird native to New Zealand, the home country of his wife, Annie Elizabeth Meek. More information...
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