Leather Shoes Need Care And Love! Use These Tips To Keep Them In Shape For Years…

Look after your shoes and they will look after you. Nothing holds true with this sentence than leather shoes. Sure, high quality leather shoes are expensive but the initial price is often paid back tenfold in the years to come. Just like everything else however, a pair of well-crafted leather shoes showcases an expiry date. Take care of your leather dress shoes and wear your favorite pair for a long time to come!

Shoes Care Tip #1: Use Quality Wooden Shoe Trees

Invest in high quality shoe trees for your new leather shoes. This is necessary if you want to retain your shoes’ original shape. Good quality shoe trees will also absorb perspiration from the pair better than other methods. Look in the market for the highest quality wood, ideally the same design as the designer’s original last. Good quality wooden trees won’t feature anything synthetic.

Additional Tip: One pair will be enough. Just place them in your shoes (for one day) after wearing for the best results.

Shoe Care Tip #2: Use Good Quality Polish to Brush

Leather should be polished often to retain its natural shine and luster. In fact, give them a good brushing as soon as you take new shoes out of the box! Purchase a product that has the ideal balance of both polish and conditioning, like the Saphir Renovatuer. Made from a conditioning blend of mink oil and shea butter, this polish will bring out the shine in your leather dress shoes.

Additional Tip: Remember to polish your leather shoes before each time you wear them. Heading out in bad weather? Don’t forget to rub them down.

Shoes Care Tip #3: Allow Leather Shoes to Dry Naturally

Many people make the mistake of placing wet leather shoes right next to the radiator to dry. What you should know is that leather WILL crack when subjected to any source of heat. The only thing you can do is allow your leather shoes to dry naturally by stuffing newspaper or tissue paper. This will absorb excess moisture.

Additional Tip: If your shoes are covered in mud, dry them naturally and then brush off the mud. Polish the pair, as normal.

Shoe Care Tip #4: Use a Suede Brush to Remove Marks

Suede isn’t like leather. Caring for this material requires different tools, like a proper suede brush (with brass bristles). This brush will gently clean suede shoes and loosen dirt, allowing the material to breathe.

Additional Tip: Sandpaper is effective when it comes to removing and cleaning stubborn stains. Take care that you don’t damage the delicate surface.

Shoe Care Tip #5: Add a Layer of Rubber for Extra Sole Protection

If you request it, your cobbler can place a rubber sole on the bottom of your leather shoes. This will protect the actual sole from damage and provide extra traction to the wearer. It’s also easier and affordable to replace rubber than worn leather soles.

Your leather dress shoes are an investment. Good quality and well-crafted leather shoes can only go a long way if you take good care of them. Want to have your favorite pair of shoes repaired at the last minute? Our excellent shoe repair and shine service CAN help!