Shoe care: secrets and recommendations

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Our shoes have a very hard time in today's aggressive urban (and not only) environment. It just so happens that she often has to deal with unpleasant phenomena of the world around her. And, as you know, sudden changes in temperature, reagents, dust and dirt penetrating into any surface are real thieves of shoe beauty. They steal the beautiful appearance of our shoes and boots. And it seems that a new pair of shoes is simply impossible to wear for more than one season (at best).

But here, as in any business, the right approach to a freshly purchased pair of shoes is important. Proper shoe care can not only restore and maintain its presentable appearance, but also extend its life, and therefore service for your benefit. Let's take a look at some questions regarding this practical and beautiful, and sometimes expensive accessory.

What is the right shoe care strategy?

1. Don't tearoutsole

Everyone knows this, but how many people follow this law? Always forget that you can take off your shoes with your foot. In more detail, usually, when we come home from work in the evening, hungry and tired, in order not to strain ourselves once again, we "cling" with one toe of the boot to the other boot in the heel sole.

This barbaric method is only good when you want to destroy your shoes. Because, no doubt, after a short period of time, the sole in the heel area will definitely come off, and you will have to run headlong for a fresh pair of shoes, along the way complaining that the previous ones, apparently, were of poor quality and for some reason were torn. By the way, when putting on shoes, it would be nice to start using a special horn, the one that lies on the dressing table in the hallway.

2. Don't put off until tomorrow

An important point in shoe care is to remove dirt from it as soon as you come home. Don't waste time. Your feelings about this are understandable. I don’t want to start washing and further caring for shoes when I come home after a hard day, but it’s necessary. Otherwise, the dirt will first soak the shoes wholeheartedly, then dry out and thus clog everything that can clog with dust and s alt.

How to act in a situation where you do not want to scrape nasty lumps? Just go and start doing it! Yes, yes - think less and do not give yourself a chance to leave the shoes in this form until the morning, so that in the morning you can reduce the entire shoe care procedure to wiping the upper part with a damp cloth and "tapping"remnants of yesterday's dried mud coming out of the entrance. Looks good, doesn't it?

Oh no! First, if you want to look decent, then shoes must be clean, even when you go out in the rain. And the fact that your shoes will be smeared again upon arrival at your destination is not a reason. Shoes are always clearly visible - yesterday's dirt on it or today's.

Secondly, a washed and dried pair will serve you much longer. So without wasting precious time, run your boots under cold running water (or a bucket of cold water) as soon as possible. Here you need to quickly wash your shoes or sneakers, using a rag or brush, in order to get to the most corrugated places of the sole. After water procedures, dry a pair of shoes and proceed to the next step.

3. Comfort and dryness

Shoes need to be dried if necessary. So it will not only extend its lifespan, but also will not ruin your reputation with a musty "aroma" that will arise inside shoes and sneakers from sweat and moisture.

Dry in the right way for your shoes and boots. Some vapors can be dried using a dryer - a special device that is probably known to many. But if your shoes are very dear to you and you are afraid of spoiling them, then in the drying process you can use the old and well-known method - stuffing shoes with paper content. Surely you have unnecessary newspapers that are shoved into the box for everyone. So - this is their "finest hour". May they be useful here! Stuff your shoes with crumpled newspapers. The paper will absorb moisture without damaging the shoes.

4. Skincare

After cleaning the shoes and thoroughly washing them, and then wiping the outside with a dry cloth, use the shoe care kit that you have. Read what is written on their label. There are usually well described all the nuances of using this product.

Shoe care products can have a different consistency and the same different direction of impact on these shoes. Cream and tinting emulsions are probably the best known. But there is also shoe spray and wax, and silicone glosses, and much more! Right now we will figure out: when and how to apply these products.

Cream for the skin of your… shoes

Caring for leather shoes requires care and pedantry. In no case should it be wetted often, let alone washed with the addition of aggressive detergents and powders. A necessary procedure is the application of shoe polish. As we probably agreed, shoes are cleaned, washed and lubricated with caring compounds only in the evening. She needs to be given time to fully absorb the necessary elements of the product.

Do not forget that high-quality shoe polish has water-repellent properties. Sometimes, as part of the "general cleaning", leather shoes still need to be washed delicately with moderately warm water and with the addition of a little shower gel. This technique will allow you to remove somethe number of previous layers of shoe polish. They once served as a barrier to dust entering the pores of the boots, and now they too need to be removed.

After washing off the old layers of cream, be sure to wipe your shoes and apply a fresh layer.

Suede passion

Care for suede shoes is carried out with the help of special products designed specifically for this shoe material. Aerosols, sprays, impregnations and gums - this is not the whole list for accurate and effective care. After removing dirt from the surface of the boots, you need to rub them using a special stone for suede. You can also use a special spray.

Next, let the suede pile dry and comb it to lift it up. Such shoes cannot be washed and subjected to other manipulations with ordinary water. It is better to use a product once a month that repels this very water.

To athletes

Care for men's shoes made of textiles and synthetic materials comes down to cleaning with a brush and sponge. You can also wash the sneakers in the machine at a low temperature. Naturally, before washing, you should wash the sole with passion, using a brush. By the way, women's sneakers can also be freely subjected to this method.

Light shoes

Shoes made of light leather and its substitutes are cared for with a colorless cream. Do not use improvised means for these purposes. Vaseline and baby cream are not the best care products. Sameapplies to all types of vegetable oils. These substances will only dull and darken the skin.

Do you want the soles of your favorite shoes or boots to last a very long time? In this case, purchase a specialized tool specifically for this element of footwear. It retains the elasticity of the sole and is most often used only after walking on wet asph alt. Of course, do not forget to perform all of the above manipulations for proper shoe care before processing the sole itself.