Now you got your new pair of shoes. They look pretty, nice and shiny. You take them for a first walk or a dance and after some time you discover they don’t shine that much anymore. You see some bruises and scratches, some wrinkles or stains. Every time you use them they look worse and worse. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In this article we will give you some simple tips and techniques that will help you to enjoy your beauties for a long , long time!
- Use shoe trees
Shoe tree will hold the shape of your shoes while you’re not wearing them. The best shoe trees are made of cedar wood, but basically any type of wood is better than the plastic shoe tree. They will hold the shape, absorb the moisture and make them smell nice!
2. Use a shoe horn
Putting the shoes on without using a shoe horn can damage the heel part of your shoes. Before you put the shoes on unlace them to make as much room for your feet as possible then gently slide the feet in using a shoe horn. That will prevent the bending of the leather and will keep it in a nice shape.
3. Dust bags
Dust bags are your shoes best friends. Let’s say you take your shoes on a trip and put them in your suitcase. You can use a plastic bag for that but it will not allow your leather shoes to breathe. Dust bags will also prevent scratches from the other objects in your luggage. If you keep your shoes in a crowded drawer it will work too. And last but not least – if your dust bag has straps, you can use it as a backpack to take your shoes to the dance!
4. Shine your shoes!
How often should you shine your shoes? That depends on how often you use them. If you take them out few times a week you probably should cream and polish them every week. If it’s just few times a month, just take care of that once every couple of weeks.
If you’re a dancer you probably don’t wear your shoes outside. You prevent them from getting wet in the rain or from getting their soles damaged on a hard cobblestone. That is why you don’t need to use hard wax on your leather shoes. What you need instead is a shoe cream or grease that will keep the leather nourished, soft and flexible. There is a plenty of online videos on how to polish shoes using a cream. There are also a lot of different producers of shoe care products and accessories. Just follow the clients’ reviews.
