The original Shinola brand was founded in 1907, and, although it was growing in popularity, Shinola’s rise in demand really hit its peak during WWI due to the sheer number of army boots that needed shining. Of course, Shinola wasn’t the only shoe shine out there, but the brand name might be one of the most memorable for the saying “You don’t know sh*t from Shinola.”
The origin of this popular colloquialism leads us back to two people—a Private and his General. So the story goes, a disgruntled young Private decided to shine his General’s shoes one day with sh*t rather than Shinola. The rumor spread along the front lines, and when the war ended, the legacy was imprinted on the American vernacular.