What’s the best way of taking care of my shoes before I wear them for the first time, or after long periods of wear?

The best care for your shoes is the kind of care you would want for yourself. Treat your shoes gently; don’t overtax them. Only wear them for the kind of activities they were intended for, and keep them protected from scuffing and soiling. After cleaning them thoroughly, apply only shoe care products made for your type of shoe. Take your time over it, and always make sure you give them the downtime they need to relax. This will ensure a long life.

The five golden rules of shoe care:

Impregnate your shoes before you wear them for the first time.

This will protect your shoes from moisture and soiling. The most effective way of creating a lasting protective shield around your shoes is to impregnate them very sparingly on a regular basis. Always avoid soaking your shoes. If you are using an impregnation spray, always keep a distance of around twelve inches, or thirty centimetres, between nozzle and shoe.


Fit shoe trees into your shoes after wearing.

There are shoe trees available in all common shoe shapes and fashions; every shoe has a matching shoe tree. Depending on what you need, you can select your shoe trees from a number of materials such as plastic, wood, or foam. Once placed into shoes still warm from wearing, the shoe tree will smooth out the worst of the creases that form as you walk. Shoe trees promote air circulation in the shoe while absorbing foot sweat.
Aromatic red cedar wood shoe trees contain ether oils that lend your shoes a pleasant scent while acting as a deodorant.


Always use shoe trees for wet shoes.

Leave wet shoes to dry out at room temperature. Never dry your shoes on a radiator; this is especially hard on leather, speeding up the aging process in the material.


Shoes need to relax, too.

Treat your shoes to a breather of at least twenty-four hours before wearing them again.


Regular care will increase your shoes’ lifetime.

Very high-quality leather shoes need to be cleaned, polished and impregnated once a week. Only polish clean and dry leather. Always use care products that match your shoe. Every material has its own care needs that you should bear in mind when selecting a care product; you can only be sure of receiving good advice from a professional shoe specialist. Always use a shoe tree, as this makes shoe care much easier while protecting the heel caps on your shoes.