FEATURED BOOTBLACKS

Boy Jack

Boy Jack is a self-taught bootblack originally from Staten Island, NY. Now living in Bayonne, he has showcased his skills locally at Santa Saturday, Sinner Sunday, and NJ Leather. He also serves as an on-call bootblack at The Eagle NYC—and may soon be appearing there on a more regular schedule.

Outside of bootblacking, Jack has been deeply involved with SAGE (Services & Advocacy for GLBTQ+ Elders) for more than a decade. He believes in a moral obligation to “pay it forward” at every bootblacking event, sharing what he’s learned with others in the community.

Jack has taken his craft on the road to Palm Springs, CA, Wilton Manors, FL, and recently popped both his MAL and IML cherries in 2025. He’s also an active member of several leather and motorcycle clubs across the tri-state and New England regions, including Empire City MC.

Wherever you spot him, expect a warm smile, a ready laugh, and a big hug.

Bruce, The Bootblack

Bruce (he/him) hails from the Garden State. Collared to SIR Stone and a proud member of the Stone Leather Family, Bruce began his bootblacking journey under the mentorship of Master Steeletoe and has continued perfecting his craft by learning from every bootblack he’s encountered along the way.

You’ll often find Bruce in Asbury Park for Sinner Sundays and Beer Busts, and serving as the Bootblack Coordinator for the New Jersey Leather Contest presented by Dragonslair Productions and the NJ Leather Family—where he received the Community Champion Award in 2025. Beyond New Jersey, Bruce has worked the stand at The Bike Stop for Philly BLUF and represented the Mid-Atlantic community at MAL 2024. He’ll return to the stands at MAL in January 2026, eager to love on all that beautiful leather once again.

Bruce also curates the NJ Community Bootblack Stand, which has joined him at The Woods, Camp Out, Folsom Street East, OURfest, the Keystone Leather Competition, IMsLBB, and the Northeast Leather Competition.

If you’re in need of a stand for an event—or want to learn more about bootblacking—you can reach Bruce at [email protected].

Meteor Onyx

Meteor Onyx has studied bootblacking for three years. He is apprenticing under Northeast Bootblack 2020/2021, Steeltoe ONYX, and has trained briefly with Mx. SELF Southeast Bootblack 2023, Apollo. In 2026, he crossed as a full brother of ONYX Northeast with the Forces of Nature line.

He has bootblacked for Mr. Eagle NYC 2027, Avatar ONYX, and at parties around NYC. He will also bootblack at Mid-Atlantic Leather in January 2027. He serves on the board of Folsom Street East as an at-large member and produces the cigar enthusiast party, Chain Smoke.

Meteor believes bootblacks are memory-keepers and part of the fabric that holds our community together. By caring for the gear that identifies us, we quite literally preserve the culture. He has a niche in rehabilitating vintage leather, especially reviving and mold-treating vintage jacket linings. No job is too big or too hard.