How To Care For Your Leather Shoes In 7 Easy Ways
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By PAGE Editor
Premium leather shoes, whether dress shoes, boots, or others, can last a long if well-maintained. Quality leather will endure the test of time even in demanding environments. Though more costly than their manufactured counterparts, handmade leather shoes are usually made from premium, full-grain leather with utmost care and attention to detail by skilled artisans. Your choice will, however, depend on preference or price.
Your leather shoes are an investment that you’ll want to take care of by using only quality shoe care products from trusted companies. You want products that will condition your leather shoes and maintain their shine without compromising quality. You can visit collonil.com.au and other similar sites to check out leather cleaning and maintenance products.
Below are tips to help you take care of your leather shoes to ensure their proper maintenance and longevity:
Don’t Wear The Same Pair Everyday
If you must wear leather shoes every day, have at least two pairs so that you can wear them alternately every other day. This is because leather tends to absorb moisture from the morning dew, rain, or sweat from your feet and needs adequate time to dry off.
Damp leather is prone to creasing, stretching, and staining. Moreover, wearing leather shoes that have not dried well will make them lose shape and also smell bad. Letting your leather shoes dry will not only make them breathe but will also prolong their life.
Condition Them Regularly
Shoe leather is delicate and must be regularly conditioned to maintain its appearance. A good quality shoe cream applied around the shoes and rubbed in is enough to nourish and prolong the life of your leather shoes. Wax polish will do the job if you are after an extra sheen.
But if your shoes are older and appear dull and drier, deep conditioning is recommended to penetrate the leather and bring it back to life. Your leather shoes should be conditioned after three to six months, depending on how often you wear them.
Clean Them After Each Wear
All leather shoes, whether formal leather shoes or boots, should only be cleaned when dry to avoid damaging their fabric. Cleaning your leather shoes after each wear is the best way to maintain them and will ensure that they’re free from grime which may be hard to remove if left on the shoes for a long time. You should clean them using a microfiber cloth or a shoe brush.
Store Your Leather Shoes With Shoe Trees
As mentioned earlier, leather shoes can quickly lose their shape, especially when wet. Shoe trees- shoe inserts shaped like a person’s feet- can help your shoe maintain its shape while absorbing moisture. Use the wooden ones instead of their plastic counterparts because of their ability to absorb moisture.
In the event that you don’t have shoe trees, wadded-up newspaper stuffed into the shoes can also do the trick.
Avoid Wet Weather
You should avoid wearing your leather shoes in wet weather because water can penetrate even sealed, waterproof shoes. In addition, damp leather soles are also susceptible to abrasion against rough surfaces. For precaution, always have a pair of galoshes to protect your leather shoes just in case you find yourself in such weather conditions.
If, for any reason, your leather shoes get soaked, resist the urge to dry them in direct sunlight or near a heat source. This will only cause them to crack, crease and harden. Instead, insert shoe trees and let them air dry naturally for a few days.
Polish Them After Every Six Wears
You should polish your leather shoes every few weeks or after six wears to moisturize and keep them in top shape. Polishing them will also create a barrier to prevent dust and water from accessing your shoes and mask defects and stains.
Store Them In A Permeable Bag
If you don’t plan on wearing your leather shoes for a long time, you should store them properly. Leather shoes should be stored in aerated places to prevent moisture build-up. Avoid sealed plastic bags, which will, over time, form moisture and damage your shoes.
Shoe boxes are also not adequately ventilated. Storing your shoes in a permeable place like a dust bag will allow air circulation while protecting your shoes from dust and degradation.
Final Thoughts
Leather shoes need two things to be in tip-top shape: to be kept dry and clean. With just a little effort and time, you can save money that you would have otherwise used to have stains and grime removed from your leather shoes.
With proper care, your leather shoes can last a very long time.
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