A Shoe Care Guide For Men
Shoes are the cornerstone of a men’s fashion structure. As the common saying goes, you can sum up a person by the shoes he wears. They are the primary building block of menswear. But buying good shoes isn’t enough, you also have to maintain their quality and luster. This is important because the condition of your shoes can either make or mar your entire impression upon a person.
A pair of shoes if well cared for, can last for a long duration be it a pair of blucher-type, bal-type, single or double monk-strap shoes, and it is important to make purchases according to your utility. No matter how expensive a pair of shoes you buy, their value solely depends on how you keep them. Given below are a few basic methods which, if followed correctly, can add age to your prized shoes.
Buying Proper Shoe Care Products
These are a few supplies that you should have at hand if you seek to maintain and tend to your shoes:
- Shoe leather conditioner/cleaner
- Shoe polish
- Soft cotton swipes
- Shoe polish brush
Shoe Leather Cleaner/Conditioner
This can be procured from any dealer of shoe supplies. The thought of buying a leather conditioner though seems an extravagant idea initially, and it eventually proves its worth in time. Since leather grows rigid over time, a conditioner is necessary to maintain its quality. Proper conditioning keeps the shoe material as good as new.
Shoe Polish
This item is an essential shoe care product and is basically a common household product too. One major perspective that one should keep in mind while buying a shoe polish is the colour. You have to be aware of the different blacks and browns, the various pastel shades and buy polishes accordingly.
A small difference between the leather colour and the polish will change the entire look of the shoe. It is advisable to buy your shoe polish from a trustworthy dealer for the decency of a pair of shoes depends on the quality of polish used.
Soft Cotton Swipes
The fabric used for wiping your shoes must be soft and highly absorbent. This is to ensure the proper wiping off of grease, moisture, and dust from the shoes. You may buy fresh swipes from any nearby retailers or you could also recycle old cotton clothes for this purpose. Wiping the shoes after every use is essentially the first step of shoe-care. Hence it is very important to keep such materials at hand.
Shoe Polish Brush
A polish brush is the main tool of your shoe care toolkit. If you own a variety of colored leather shoes, then it’s advisable to buy a separate polish brush for each. This is because using the same brush for all polishes will ruin both the polish material as well as the shoes. Also,you need to make sure that the texture of the brush suits the shoe material. Soft leather shoes require fine-haired brushes whereas thick boots require brushes with well-defined bristles.
How To Use The Shoe Leather Cleaner/Conditioner?
After having bought all the above-given products, you need to get into the real shoe care business. Select a suitable spot for the cleaning process and arrange your shoe care supplies and shoes together. Next, take one of the cotton wipes that you’ve kept aside for shoe cleaning and wipe the shoe’s surface clean.
Then apply a small amount of shoe conditioner to a fresh swipe and rub it all over the leather area. After having generously coated the pair with cleaner, keep them aside for around fifteen minutes. During this gestation period, a fuzzy coat or misty layer will form over the shoes. Use another swipe to wipe this haze off and your shoes are squeaky clean.
Cleaning and conditioning is the first step to your shoe care guide. Without this step, no amount of wiping and polishing will maintain the shoe’s quality. The leather needs proper regular conditioning to keep up its inherent comfort and suppleness.
How To Polish Shoes Perfectly?
Leather goods are normally dull to look at and require regular polish to look glamorous. Given below is the way to give your shoe a good polish that will last throughout your day out.
Take a small amount of shoe polish on your shoe brush and cover the pair with it. You needn’t use a large amount of polish because one thin layer of polish is enough to bring out the glaze. Extra polish will only tarnish your shoes and smudge colour on whatever it comes to contact with.
After you’re done with the brushing of your shoes, wipe them vigorously with a few drops of water. This will induce heat and help the layer of polish to settle down firmly. This little trick will help to uphold the glaze or shine for a remarkably long duration.
Shoe Care For Over A Long Time Period
The number of times you need to condition and polish your shoes depends on how often you wear your shoes. If you use them for office, then it’s advisable to polish them at least once a week and condition twice a month. If you use your shoes only occasionally, then you may polish them just before the event. But you need to condition them regularly, whether you wear them or not. This is to make sure that the leather doesn’t get hard and cracked due to lack of care. Conditioning your shoes every now and then will maintain the shoe’s flexibility and texture.
You are also advised to buy pairs of shoe trees for all shoes. A shoe tree is a device that is used to fill the shoe when not in use. This is an important step in preserving the shape and size of the shoe. It also reduces the risk of shrinkage and rotting of leather.
These steps will bring out the best in a man’s footwear and keep them in their best shape for a long duration.