In the 1940s, the polish became a product of Best Foods and was renamed to Shinola (losing the apostrophe). After Wetmore's death in 1923, the company was sold and became part of the '2 in 1-Shinola-Bixby Corp.', beginning a series of acquisitions related to the brand. Keeps new shoes from looking old.” It became the largest manufacturer of the product in the world circa 1917, being carried into war by doughboys. For example, “Makes old shoes look like new. The company used a series of slogans to promote the product. Known by 1917 as simply The Shinola Company, the firm saw success expand globally, selling especially well in Europe, during the rise of World War I as many young men entered the military and were expected to be well-dressed during training. Several Shinola-branded shoe shining accessories were sold as well, such as shoehorns and the Shinola Home Set which included a polisher, bristle dauber, and the polish itself. Shinola was produced in several colors: black, white, oxblood, red, tan, and brown. The tin came with a patented key 'for the convenient lifting of the lid'. Shinola polish was noted for its distinct dark green tin with red and gold lettering. By 1909, the company had moved to a larger facility to handle increasing orders. In 1886, Wetmore was promoted to vice president, and a few years later, to president of the company. Wetmore designed a replacement and initially called it SHINOL′A. Wetmore found that the polish was cheaply made, did not hold or bond well, and 95% of it was dyed black using lamp black. The company was primarily focused on carpet cleaning, but sold several specialty products, including boot and shoe polish. At age 18, he went to work for the American Chemical Manufacturing and Mining Company, which was founded in Rochester, New York (near Brown's Race) in 1877. George Melancthon Wetmore (August 31, 1858 – June 10, 1923) was born in Gates, New York and, after attending military school, got a degree at the Rochester Business Institute.

A July 1912 review of Shinola shoe polish from Commercial America, a trade magazine of the time.

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