How to care for leather shoes?
a bitter day at work, unsatisfactory health, lack of mood – and then you finally get home and leave shoe care “for later.”Gradually, you begin to notice that the shoes are “somehow different” – they have either lost their shine, or have dried out, but they already look completely unpresentable.
If you are familiar with this state of affairs, it’s time to pull yourself together and start taking care of your shoes. Proper care can extend its life several times; therefore, these simple daily actions should not be neglected.
You should start caring for your shoes immediately after purchasing them: rub the leather with cream or shoe polish to make it more elastic and soft. This initial treatment will make the leather less porous and protect against external influences such as reagents, dust and sand, and, not to mention, it can help the new shoes fit better on the foot.
It is especially worth paying attention to the fact that in everyday shoe care – wash them immediately after you take them off. For washing, use water at home temperature, because warm water destroys the skin structure. Prolonged exposure to water is also undesirable; as a result, you need to wipe your shoes with a damp cloth quite quickly. Once a week, for better protection from dirt, use a special shoe soap or milk: in addition to gentle cleaning, these products can help get rid of leftover cream. After washing, the shoes should be wiped with a dry fleece or flannel cloth.
When choosing a product for processing, you must pay attention to the composition and understand the function that any element performs. Thus, compositions containing alcohol can help cope with dust, oils make it possible to renew the appearance of the skin, wax protects against external influences, and fluorocarbon resins provide a moisture-repellent effect. Do not use products that contain silicone: instead of caring, they clog skin pores and gradually lead to deformation and cracks.
Once every few days, after the shoes have been wiped, you need to rub them with cream or other caring composition. It is important to use either a gentle shoe sponge or a brush with real bristles for this. The cream should be applied in a circular motion in an extremely thin, barely noticeable layer – this will make it possible to avoid greasy stains from coming out, but will keep your shoes in better condition. It is advisable to wrap the treated shoes in real cloth and leave for 20-30 minutes so that the cream is absorbed, after which remove the excess cream with a soft cloth, polishing the surface at the same time.
How to care for leather shoes? During the treatment of shoes, you must not forget about the sole: once every six months, rub the sole with shoe polish or special shoe compositions based on animal fats – this will make it possible to avoid cracks from appearing and, as a result, water penetrating inside. Be sure to dry your shoes after treatment.
Under no circumstances should wet shoes be dried on a radiator or near visible sources of hot air – hostile heat will make the leather brittle, contribute to deformation and will soon give rise to cracks in the sole area. Even a shoe dryer can do a nasty job. Shoes should only dry properly at home temperature, and since they are quite wet, you can put crumpled prints inside, which are handy to pick up excess moisture, and change them from time to time. The actual process of drying shoes takes from 10 to 14 hours, as a result of which it is not advisable to wear the same pair every day.
What else is important to know about caring for leather shoes?
— Leather soles are extremely sensitive to moisture, so in the off-season, try to avoid puddles.
— For additional protection from water, you can treat the surface of your shoes with water-repellent wax. In addition to its main function, such wax protects shoes from darkening. During the rainy seasons, processing should be carried out once a week, and the rest of the time, processing monthly will be sufficient.
— To quickly dry shoes, use a vacuum cleaner without an attachment. Unlike a hairdryer and other improvised means, a vacuum cleaner will gently draw in excess moisture and will not stress your shoes with excessively hot air.
— In winter, treat the entire surface of your shoes with dirt- and water-repellent products every two days to prevent the damaging effects of chemicals. Castor oil can also help remove any existing white stains. Thoroughly dry and wash your shoes, then wipe the stained areas with a cotton ball soaked in castor oil, and dry them again.
— Avoid using inexpensive, unexplained products to treat your shoes. A low-quality product can lead to unexpected consequences, such as turning black shoes a dirty green. Remember, high-quality shoe care products are the key to their longevity, so don’t try to skimp on them. — If you don’t have a special shoe shampoo or shoe milk, you should wipe them with a mild soap solution or airy soap foam.
— For storing leather shoes, it’s a good idea to buy shoe trees—special wooden or plastic devices that mold to the shape of your foot, thereby protecting the shoes from deformation.
— Don’t forget about a special shoe deodorizer. Applying it to the inside of your shoes no more than once every couple of weeks will keep them clean and looking neat for a long time.
If you’re hesitant to experiment or simply don’t have the time for proper shoe care, you can turn to professionals who can restore your shoes to their original condition. For example, they can apply a “preventative” sole pad—a special attachment that can be used to protect against any negative environmental influences and, in winter, improve traction on slippery surfaces. And remember, buying a valuable pair of genuine leather shoes doesn’t guarantee trouble-free, everlasting performance; on the contrary, it requires meticulous care and maintenance to ensure they last for more than one season.
How to care for leather shoes
