How to take care of shoes the right way to keep them looking great

We all want our shoes to last. To do so, it’s important to know and understand the best practices for upkeep, cleaning, and repair. For those looking to find better ways in which to keep their shoe collection lasting into the new year, we’ll take a look at a few practices and techniques below in order to make the most out of your purchases.

Best Practices for Long-Term Care

Esquire.com has some great (and truly in-depth) tips for shoe upkeep. They talk about shoe trees, repairs, what to do with a wet pair, odors, polishing techniques, whitening techniques, and so much more. We’ll take a look at some of the more important aspects of how to take care of shoes and what types of shoe care accessories you will need, below.

It’s important to note, that for suede, you can’t actually polish away scuff marks that may accumulate. Instead, use a suede eraser — or what Esquire calls a “brick of crumbly rubber” — and this will get rid of small scuff marks.

For wet foot gear, stuff them with newspaper and then dry them away from a direct heat source. For leather, a direct (and high) heat source can actually dry them too quickly, which may cause them to crack. After this occurs, it’s sayonara to that pair. So do be sure to dry away from a direct heat source.

For those looking to get rid of salt stains that may have accumulated during the course of the pair’s lifetime, try a little bit of vinegar mixed with water to get them out. Remember, don’t apply too much of this mixture. Only use small amounts.

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Polishing or Whitening Techniques

For more information on how to use shoe trees, repair work that may need to be done to keep your pair lasting through the years, and more, head over to Esquire. They discuss wonderful methods for stopping odor, drying foot gear after a rainstorm, and specific polishing or whitening best practices.

What they provide are simple step-by-step methods for certain products you may need and what type of cleaning you’ll need to apply depending upon what type of shoe you own: leather sneaker, canvas sneaker, leather shoe, casual, etc. It’s a relatively all-encompassing site that offers a great deal of information for those looking to make the most out of their shoe investments.

Unique Ways to Keep Them Clean

In addition to the Esquire site, TLC offers a few creative ideas for minimizing wear-and-tear, cleaning practices, and general upkeep on how to take care of shoes:

• For those frayed shoelaces, try a little clear nail polish. Dip the ends of the laces into the polish and it will be easier to lace them up next tim

• Try a baking soda paste for those hard to get off scuff marks from daily use

• What’s petroleum jelly good for, you ask? Well, buffing your sneakers, for one thing. Use for leather and apply with a soft cloth. Be sure to wipe off the excess amount of jelly and then buff with a new, clean cloth or rag

• Try this: use a light amount of spray starch on your new loafers, before their first romp around town. This will actually keep dirt from becoming stuck-on and will make them much easier to clean

• Many people already know this one, but use baking soda in small amounts for your interior of foot gear in order to keep that “foot smell” at bay

• Salt can also be a great way to curtail smells emanating from your wing-tips; put a little salt in your shoe. It will help to control moisture build-up, which is a contributing factor to bad odors

• A variety of items can be used to keep shoes looking brand new, from hair spray to lotion, and more

Resources:

Esquire.com: How to Take Care of Your Shoes.

TLC.com: How to Care for Your Clothes.

Above photo attributed to Louis Beche