Maintenance Tips for Your Casual Leather Shoes

We’ve become so accustomed to leather shoes as our official casual wear that we can’t imagine life without them. Which is why when it comes to caring for this footwear staple, it’s good to know what to do should misfortune strike your shoes.

Here are a few tricks to help restore your favorite leather shoes so you can fall in love with them all over again.

Dirty Shoes:

Put the soap down and step away from the water. That’s no way to get rid of all that caked up dirt from your involuntary slip in the mud last weekend. Take a dry soft cloth or a brush made for cleaning leather and lightly wipe away the dirt. If your shoes are patent, you can wipe the dirt off using a damp cloth without ruining the surface since it’s already coated.

Soggy Shoes:

The weather is deceptively nice and you decide to take your moccasins for a walk but the sky darkens and you’re caught in a monumental storm. Forced to return home in squishy shoes, it looks like the they have met their fate. But this is where those old newspapers lying around come in handy. Cram as much newspaper as you can into your shoes and let them dry naturally. Just be sure not to apply any heat or they’ll never see the light of day again.

Smelly Shoes:

Feet aren’t always the best-smelling body part, and our shoes suffer the consequences. Simply airing out your loafers and lace-ups is a good idea, but a more effective alternative is to invest in a shoe tree made of cedar. Inserting them into your shoes soaks up any lingering odors and moisture while helping to maintain their shape.

Lots of Shoes:

It’s good to stock up on more than one pair of leather shoes like mules for comfort and patent leather heels for fancy occasions. Not only is this an excuse to go shopping, but you’ll avoid having to wear the same pair every day, therefore extending the life of your shoes.

All is not lost if your shoes come across hard times. Follow these basic guidelines so you’ll never have to part ways with your beloved shoes again.

From ankle boots to slip-ons, collect them all for your affairs.