Tips & Care

1. Are the shoes too big?

“What are insoles?” you may ask. An insole is a soft cushion (usually made of foam, jelly or leather) that you place inside your shoes to provide support, cushion and even warmth to your feet.

Although often intended to help with posture problems and other discomforts, they are also extremely useful for taking up extra space in shoes that are large.

Full insoles are a fantastic solution if your shoe is too long across the length of your foot, and are available in a variety of materials and styles to suit your needs:

Foam insoles – if you want general stability and shoes with a close fit, foam insoles are ideal for making things more comfortable. You could also get a pair of insoles with impressions that fit perfectly to the shape of your foot for an extra touch of luxury.

2. How to stretch your shoes if they’re too tight

Wearing several pairs of socks and those shoes, hold a hair dryer to the parts of the shoe that are tightest while you bend or move your feet. This will help stretch them out. Just be sure to let the shoes cool down with your feet still in them.

Ruffle the newspaper, dampen it lightly – note: it should not be soaked or you will damage the insole – let it dry and remove it before wearing.

3. Shoe shine & care

The polish and leather conditioner is like a moisturizer for your shoes. It will help prevent cracking, wrinkling, fading and peeling.

Depending on how often you wear your shoes, leather polishing should be done regularly. All you need to do is dab a small amount of polish or leather conditioner onto a clean, dry cloth and work it into your shoes in a circular motion.

Remove excess polish with a new, clean cloth and buff with a pair of socks until you see no stains or residue. Beeswax polish is great for protecting and nourishing your skin.

As for colour matching, your local shoemaker should have a range of polishes in different colours and shades to match, but if not, opt for a clear polish to moisturise the skin.

Suede shoes can be a nightmare under bad weather conditions. That’s why it’s best to invest in a silicone-based claer suede protection spray, this way you can ensure your suede shoes are weather resistant.

Drop the protector onto the suede upper parts of the shoe and allow it to dry and absorb the product overnight. This way you can enjoy your shoes rain or shine, as it protects the fabric from things you might step on or things that might fall on your shoes while outside. Such an effort makes any cleaning much easier for you and more efficient, too.

Make sure you waterproof your leather, canvas, and suede shoes with water repellent spray. Just spray within 15-30cm of the shoe and let it dry overnight. Repeat every two months.

4. Cleaning

Nubuck and suede are extremely delicate. For dry stains, try steam and a small amount of white vinegar and water in a nail brush to remove dirt. Dry with a clean cloth, never scrub or brush too vigorously. Invest in a good soft-bristle brush to remove dirt.

For leather sneakers, small scuff marks can often be removed with a few nail polish remover swabs followed by a wipe.

If your sneakers need urgent washing, yes, you can put them in the washing machine and see how. First of all, wipe your trainers with a cloth and, if possible, take off the soles. Place the sneakers inside a pillowcase, with a towel or two and set your washing machine to cold wash. Once washed, let them out to air dry and voila.

5. Take care of your sole

Monitoring the condition of your sole and making sure it’s in good condition is vital to taking care of your shoes. Experts tend to have conflicting opinions on how best to extend the life of a leather-soled shoe; applying an additional rubber sole over the original leather sole is a surefire way to increase their longevity.

Command number one is to take very good care of your soles & heels. You can bring your soles back to your local shoemaker as soon as you see signs of wear and tear. A girls’ night on the dance floor can have a direct impact on your soles and heels. Don’t let your heels wear down to the metal structure underneath the leather. Regularly replace heel tips before the metal is exposed.

6. Care after the rain

No matter how hard we try, it is almost impossible to avoid rain during the year. Make sure you take care of your shoes immediately after each downpour by stuffing them with newspaper and storing them in a warm but ventilated place to dry properly.

The sooner you can get the fabric of your shoes dry, the better. But please, whatever you do, never resort to the hairdryer… The weather can be an unpredictable one, which means your leather shoes might get wet from the rain one day.

If this ever happens, don’t leave your shoes to dry next to a heater or with something like a hair dryer, as the heat from these items can cause the leather to crack.

7. Shoe storage

Ideally, it’s a great idea to invest in a quality storage unit to keep your shoes in the best possible condition when you’re not wearing them. Raw cedar absorbs any residual moisture or odour and the shape of the shoe tree means your shoes won’t wrinkle.

As for your leather shoes, it’s best to keep them in shoe bags. That way they won’t get scratched, are safe from dust and are kept away from light that can damage the leather. Also, plastic bags ensure that your leather shoes retain their moisture by preventing them from drying out.

Training shoes

The best way to store your trainers is to keep them padded with acid-free paper or newspaper to help them keep their shape and absorb any excess sweat. Be careful not to use paper with prints/text on it, so that the ink doesn’t transfer to your shoes.

Suede shoes are best kept in an open area where they can get fresh air, as unlike other types of shoes, suede shoes need air to be able to breathe.