Everyone adores leather shoes and wants to keep them looking new for as long as possible. Before buying good leather shoes, always know the difference in them and learn how to maintain them. There are two types of leather that come in shoes. Finished and unfinished leather has quite a difference in textures. Finished leather is smooth as it does not have textures whereas Unfinished leather is not smooth in texture. Clean your shoes on a regular basis to maintain them looking their best, especially in harsh weather like snow and ice. Condition them every a month or so to keep the leather supple, and then polish them for a beautiful sheen. Though many modern shoes come with a protective covering, you may want to waterproof them. When putting them away, make sure to preserve them properly so that they remain pristine. Here is the ultimate guide for caring for your leather shoes.
Cleaning dirt and mud stains on leather shoes
Cleaning of the shoes is the step for caring for shoes. Always remove the dirt on shoes with a soft material cloth. Clean and scrape dirt and mud only using dry cloth or soft brush to avoid any damage to the shoes. Use any leather cleaner or saddle soap with a small quantity of water for cleaning. Do not use sponges for cleaning leather shoes as they contain chemicals that can damage your shoes. Use brush or cloth in circular motions for maintaining smoothness on leather.
Cleaning of salt stains on leather shoes
Cleaning of salt stains are also very important as the stains may damage the leather if not cleaned on time. To clean salt stains, water and vinegar are good solutions. The mixture should contain one part of vinegar and 2 parts of water. Use the mixture on the leather shoes by using only a soft brush or cloth. This mixture also helps in removing the excess wax polish on the shoes.
Drying of leather shoes
Always keep your wet shoes to air dry under room temperature. Don’t put the shoes directly under sunlight or use heat for drying as it damages the leather. Leave them overnight for drying.
Polishing of leather shoes
Taking care of leather shoes includes conditioning and polishing them. An ideal routine of care should circulate on every 25 wears. Conditioning helps in maintaining the leather as it can dry out and cracks can appear after wearing for long durations. For conditioning first apply conditioner in circular motion and remove the excess left, after that apply wax based polish again in circular motions. Use only a soft clean cloth or horse hair brush for protective care of shoes. At last use a soft clean cloth for giving shine to your shoes. By the grip of fingers, stretch the cloth tightly and add a little water to it. Rub the cloth in circular motions until the wax doesn’t harden and appears to shine.
Waterproofing of leather shoes
Waterproofing is an important step in caring for leather shoes. Using beeswax products or spray on products can give a good protection to shoes from harsh weather. Waterproofing is done only once in a season for a good go. Waterproof shoes using a clean cloth or soft brush and apply the product in circular motions. In case of spray on products, always keep 8 inch distance while spraying on shoes. Putting galoshes on shoes can also protect them from absorbing moisture and salt in harsh or rainy weather.
Maintenance of leather shoes
Caring leather shoes comes with a lot of different steps. A good leather is kept long-lasting and protected by giving proper care to it. Leather shoes absorb moisture from rain, dew and sweat. Giving them breaks in wearing them will give them time to dry out. Leather shoes tend to lose their shape if kept wet for a longer time or on multiple days. In such cases, a shoe tree will help in drying out the moisture and also in keeping shoes in shapes. For picking the right shoe tree, find an unfinished cedar that will help to make a shape of human foot and also help in absorbing moisture. Wadded up newspaper is also an alternative to shoe trees but it can only help in absorbing moisture, and not in keeping shoes in shape.
Storing of leather shoes
Storing shoes also requires some basic steps in protecting them. Always clean the stains before storing them to avoid damages to leather. Use fabric bags for storing leather shoes, as leather needs to be stored in a way that it gets fresh air to rid itself from moisture. Avoid storing leather shoes in boxes for good care. Leather shoes sometimes get smelly due to using or storing them. Use black tea bags or a combination of vinegar and baking soda to remove the smelly odour.
Preserving leather shoes is something that you should do on a regular basis. There are some numerous things you can do to extend the life of your shoes, such as using leather conditioner or taking them to a cobbler, but these seven basic actions will help in retaining their quality and also take care of the majority of the work. If you take excellent care of your shoes, you’ll be amazed at how much longer they endure.
