Taking care of your leather shoes and boots
That said, it is still entirely possible to ruin any quality footwear if you don’t know how to properly care for them. To make your investment last, we highly recommend taking some simple steps to take care of your footwear. It will not only make them last longer, it will also make each pair look and feel better with time and use.
- Don’t wear the same pair of shoes or boots two days in a row. Your footwear needs to rest and dry up between uses. Preferably with a good pair of cedar shoe trees inserted – this will aid in removing moisture and bad odours.
- With a microfibre cloth or a shoe brush – give your shoes a quick brushing off after each use. This will prevent dirt working its way into the leather over time.
- If your shoes become wet, resist the urge to dry them on a radiator or on a heated bathroom floor, as this will dry out the leather. Instead, put in a shoe tree and let them dry in room temperature for a few days. If you don’t have shoe trees yet, use newspaper.
- Moisturize and polish your shoes once a month.
How to moisturize and polish your shoes:
You will need: One brush to clean your shoes, and another for shining each colour shoe. One small brush or microfibre cloth to apply each kind/colour of polish. A separate microfibre cloth for applying conditioner. At least two pairs of cedar tree shoe trees.
Before you start, make sure your shoes are clean and dry. Easy cleaning can be done with a damp microfibre cloth or a brush. We have found horsehair brushes to be a good choice.
If your shoes or boots are very dirty or have layers of old polish piled up on them, it might be wise to use a leather cleaner before you do anything else. There are a variety of options here, from the traditional saddle soaps to the more severe stripping agents. Be sure to buy a high-quality cleaner, and simply follow the instructions on the product.
Next, apply a good quality condtitoner to replenish the leather’s natural moisture and flexibility. This is best done with a microfibre cloth.
For a matte natural shine, use a cream polish with a colour matching your footwear. Work into the leather with a microfibre cloth or small brush. When the polish is dry, use another, larger brush to polish to a natural shine.
For a high shine, use a wax polish with a colour matching your footwear. Work into the leather with a microfibre cloth or a small brush with natural hair. Leave to dry for 10 minutes. Then polish with another larger brush for a high shine. For an extra high gloss, we recommend going over once more with a used nylon stocking or pantyhose. The result will surprise you!