How To Take Care of Real Leather Shoes
May 05 , 2021
Tags - How To Take Care Of Real Leather Shoes
It’s important to remember - leather is skin.
And so, if it’s not properly taken care of, it can become dry, start to crack or even stain.
I’m sure we can agree, we want our shoes to last - especially as real leather shoes can be quite costly; we don’t want to be replacing them every few months.
To make the most out of your leather shoes, here are 4 methods to take care of them.
1. Clean
When cleaning your real leather shoes, you should gently rub them with a dry soft cloth to get rid of any dirt that’s loosely sitting on the surface.
Then, once the majority has been wiped away, you can clean them with a special leather cleaner with a brush - note, use as little water as possible at this stage.
However, if you don’t have a leather cleaner, you can use a mixture of 1 part white vinegar and 2 parts water - then gently rubbing this onto your leather shoes.
Moreover, using water and vinegar can eliminate any way polish buildup.
Finally, once your shoes are all clean, let them air dry at room temperature; using heat can damage the leather.
2. Polish
We all love a polished shoe - there’s no denying that!
And, real leather shoes require regular treatment with a good quality polish to protect them.
So, after cleaning them thoroughly, it’s time to bring back that shine.
First, remove the laces as it can stop the polish from spreading evenly, then begin applying the polish.
Note, you should polish your shoes every 25 wears or so, to keep the leather moisturised and prevent cracks from appearing.
As such, apply the polish using light pressure and in circular motions and wipe off any excess; once the excess is wiped, you’ll be able to reapply in the sections where it looks uneven.
Lastly, if it’s a spit shine you’re after, tightly stretch a cloth over your shoe and rub it over the area until it shines.
3. Weatherproof Them
As we know, the weather is very unpredictable - one minute it’s sunny, the next pouring with rain.
For this reason, you should protect your leather shoes from any weather using either a protective spray or a beeswax product - beeswax provides a good deal against the weather.
Again, you should apply this gently with a clean cloth or a soft brush.
It’s worth noting here, beeswax products can often leave a thick layer so a spray may be a better option - but they don’t last as long.
4. Store Them Properly
To increase your leather shoes’ life, you need to store them properly after each wear.
Firstly, after each wear you should give them a break for at least a couple of days so that they can completely dry out.
Secondly, you should be inserting shoe trees when you’re not wearing them, because leather can lose it’s shape if not properly supported; shoe trees act like a foot when not in use.
Finally, you should store your leather shoes in a breathable fabric bag - using a plastic bag will not allow moisture to escape.
Final Thoughts
To sum up, you need to make sure you have a good routine when caring for your leather shoes.
If you follow these methods above, your shoes should last for longer and still look as new as the first day you bought them!
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