We all have those leather shoes that we just love and want to last forever right?, and also, chances are that if you are a girl you probably have had invested in those designer expensive leather shoes at least once in your lifetime.
So, caring for leather shoes can seem a bit intimidating at first but is actually very easy if you do it carefully. Proper care for leather shoes (whether dress shoes, boots, or casual sneakers) really comes down to two main concepts: keep them clean and keep them dry. So here are 6 steps to care for those expensive leather shoes:
1. Change your shoes everyday
Leather needs to breathe, I mean, you all know that leather is a skin itself treated to last as long as possible, so what is different with your own skin?. You let your skin breathe every day so why not do the same with your shoes.
It's because of that reason that we recommend to have at least 2 pairs of shoes in your regular rotation and avoid wearing the same pair everyday. Your feet sweat and the leather absorbs the moisture so wearing them everyday can cause damages like stretching, scuffing, creasing and staining besides the worst of the damages, bad smell.
Wearing different shoes every other day gives time to your leather shoes to dry and this way you will also increase the longevity of your shoes.
2. Clean them after you wear them
Everytime we use our shoes they get dusty and a bit dirty. Keep a brush or a microfiber cloth handy so when you get home you just brush the dust and clean them after the day.
If you do this as often as you can, you are avoiding the dirt to get stuck on the shoes and also possible future stains because of the dirt.
3. Store leather shoes with a shoe tree inside
Ok we know this one is a bit tricky but, If you can find in your nearby stores a shoe tree (this shoe shaping devices that often have the stores or the shoemakers) then please buy them since they will make your caring for your shoes easier.
Remember that leather absobs moisture and odour so keeping the shoes shaped with the shoe tree will avoid any crease or deformation caused by humidity. If you can't find one or just don't want to invest in one you can also use paper inside of them but please don't store them with paper inside for a long time.
4. Avoid using leather shoes in the rain
As stated before, leather absorbs humidity so avoiding the rain seems pretty obvious right?. If there's nothing you can do and you have to go into the downpour with your shoes try to have some shoe protectors for it or even plastic bags that you can put on your shoes and try to protect them as much as you can.
Also, the same applies for snow, try not to expose them so much to the snow or even salty streets.
If your shoes get wet, don't put any heat source close to them and just let them dry naturally with the shoe tree inside or the paper in them while they dry.
5. Hydrate your shoes every 6 wears
See it as protecting your skin. We bet you have your skin routine every night right?. Leather products should get the same care just not as often.
Try to buy a leather polish that you can use to hydrate your shoes every 6 wears and avoid getting them dry and cracking. Shoe polish helps moisturize and also bring a layer of protection to your leather shoes that repels dust and water.
6. Store shoes properly when you are not using them for a long time
If you are not going to use your shoes for a while we recommend to put them inside a fabric dust bag to protect them and also allowing them to breathe while they are stored.
We hope you start taking care of those expensive leather shoes by following these simple 6 steps and keep them shining for a long time.