Shoe Care – 3 Golden Easy Rules
We all know it. We must take care of the things we have. They will last longer, they will age better and you will enjoy them more while wearing them. But (and here comes the but..) we all know that we often get caught in the thing called life and simply don’t have the time. No matter how bad we want it and no matter how much we want the meditative pause to care for our shoes there just doesn’t seem to be enough time. Well, the good thing is that you can come a long way with these simple rules.
We’ve spoken to our friend Anders Sundström who has a Swedish Championship Title in shoecare on his curriculum. And yes, he knows a thing or two about caring for your shoes.
Anders claims there are 3 golden rules:
1. Always use shoe trees. No exception.
2. Rotate between shoes. Do not wear the same pair two days in a row.
3. Polish quickly after each use.
Shoe trees
Shoe trees will help maintain the shape and structure in between wears. We recommend using a pair in cedar wood which will encourage the evaporation of moisture to help the leather recover in the best way possible. In addition, the cedar trees will help eliminate any undesirable odors.
Rotate between shoes
This is crucial. Let your pair rest for at least 48 hours before you put them again to good use. The shoes need time to recover from the humidity produced by your feet and the outdoor elements and prolong the lifetime of your shoes.
Polish after each use
You don’t have to sit down and do a serious polish each time. The trick is to dust off excess dirt to avoid it penetrating the leather. The same goes for suede. Have a suede brush in your hallway ready to brush off your shoes after a day’s use. The key is to make this a routine so that you avoid wearing your shoes to the limit and then finally doing a serious shoe care session. Little and little everyday goes a long way.
Follow these rules and you will do a big favour to your shoe arsenal.