Your leather footwear is undoubtedly one of the most important investments when it comes to your attire. Unfortunately, the cost of shoes can be a bit high especially if you are interested in real quality but this also guarantees you durability if well taken care of. How to handle your shoes on a daily basis will determine how long it serves you and also how it looks after a few weeks. If you want your leather footwear shiny and exuding a pinch of perfection, below are some tips to follow with every passing day: –
Always store them while they are clean
Let’s be frank here. Cleaning shoes can be a boring task especially if you are the kind of a person who likes nothing to do with overall cleaning processes. However, if your leather shoes will last for many years and maintain a clean look, you will have to make sure that they are cleaned every time you wear them before storing them on the shoe rack or any other place. Make sure to clean the dirt, including mad with a wet, soft sponge or cloth and then rinse them properly using the same kind of a material. Normally, dirt will eat into your leather shoes if it rests on them for long and this will affect their feel and look. To avoid this, always make sure they are cleaned same day after use or the following day at least.
Store them in an open place
There is always a temptation to store shoes in a box as a way of protecting them from dust accumulation. However, storing your leather shoes in a box or enclosed place will only expose them to humidity and this will eventually have a negative impact on them. it is always advisable to use a shoe rack or if you don’t have one, just place them on a mat somewhere in the open.
Always keep them dry
Water can have a very negative effect on your leather shoes. As such, it is always important for you to dry your shoes when or if they become wet and this can be done using a dry piece of cloth and then stuff them with some newspapers to help them dry fast. You could also expose your shoes to some outdoor temperature but never expose them to direct sunshine for long or place them near a heater as this will cause the leather to crack. Cracked leather footwear will always look unpleasant.
Use shoe trees
If you’ve ever observed keenly, your leather shoes tend to shrink a bit and you almost tend to force your feet into them the next time you want to wear them. Leather shoes will also crease with time if not properly taken care of. This is normally caused by perspiration which slightly soaks into the leather. You can avoid this by simply using shoe trees which are designed to stretch the leather so it can remain in good shape. Shoe trees will always help restore the footwear original shape.
Condition your shows regularly
Your leather footwear is made from animal skin and just like human skin, it needs conditioning from time to time. Conditioning works as nourishment for your shoes thus protecting them from extensive wear and tear. As you condition the leather, it restores moisture, natural oils and flexibility thus preventing against cracking of the shoes.
Apply the right shoes polish
Wax polishes are ideal for leather shoes as they not only make them shine but also penetrate through the leather giving them the best kind of treatment. Wax also forms a coating over the leather thus protecting it from other elements including water. Whenever you want to clean the shoes, all you need is a piece of clothe and you’ll get the best shine.
Always buy the right shoe size
Although this might sound absurd, buy the right shoe size greatly helps in maintaining your leather footwear. Oversize shoes will always form a fold along the toe box and this gets worse with time. Buying the right size and using shoe trees will help keep your footwear in the best of conditions.
It is also important to have different shoes which you can wear in alternating way. wearing the same pair of shoes everyday will eventually see it wear out more quickly and also deny you time to take care of it adequately.
