How to Care for Shoes

Clean shoes. Storing footwear without completely removing sand, dirt, and other contaminants will degrade the quality of the material over time. This is especially true for shoes made from leather or suede, and cleaning before storing can be quite beneficial for all footwear. Even if you only plan to store your shoes at night and use them again the next morning, it’s a good idea to clean them before storing them. Before storing shoes, let them dry completely.

• Clean leather or suede footwear using a soft, non-abrasive brush to remove dirt and grime from the shoe. Use a special cleaning product for leather or suede to remove stains.
• Clean canvas shoes by brushing away dirt with a brush, then using soapy water to wipe away stains.
• Wash plastic footwear with soap and water.

Sort footwear by season and by purpose of use. If you used to throw your boots, heels, and sneakers in the same place, only to have to rummage through the mess, then this is where you need to be. your footwear type. Sorting shoes by season and by use will help keep your wardrobe organized and your shoes in better condition than if you threw them all together.

• Store heels and luxury shoes together.
• Store winter boots and other winter boots in the same area.
• Store flip-flops, sandals, and other summer footwear together.
• Store sneakers and loafers together.

Store footwear in a dark and controllable place. Shoes will always be in top condition when they are not exposed to too much sun or too hot or too cold. The perfect place to store shoes is a dark, cool wall cabinet, but not too hot or stuffy. If your closet doesn’t have enough space, you can store your shoes under your bed or on shelves mounted on your bedroom wall.

• Do not store shoes in basements, garages, or other areas that get cold in winter and hot in summer. The fibers used in footwear will deteriorate in these weather conditions.

Stuff acid-free paper into the shoe. If you plan on not using your shoes for a month or so, stuff them with paper to maintain their shape. Make sure you use acid-free paper, because paper often contains acids that can damage the material of the footwear. Avoid using newsprint as they can discolor footwear.

• Cutting toilet paper cores to stuff inside shoes is also good.
• Use shoe trees to preserve valuable shoes. If you own a pair of genuine leather shoes, use shoe soles to keep them in top condition. The soles are made from cedar wood which will help the shoes retain a fresh scent, and they also help repel moths (sir) and many other insects. You can find shoe soles at shoe stores or through online websites.

Store boots upright. If you want to preserve a good pair of boots, use a straight tree shoe rack so that the shoes can be kept upside down. If the boots are tilted down, they will form permanent folds after a few months of storage. If you don’t want to invest in a straight tree stand, try this trick: use empty, dry wine bottles to prop up your shoes.