Tips to Maintain Leather Shoes

By Victor Thomas


Leather shoes are the most expensive variety of shoes. Though it is expensive it is worth buying as it gives a professional and royal look. So, for the long life of your leather shoes, it should be maintained carefully. Maintaining a Leather shoe is not a very difficult task but at the same time it is very challenging. It should be given a special care. There are few tips to maintain leather shoes.

The first and a very important tip to maintain a leather shoe is that always have two pairs of leather shoes, so that you can use it alternatively. Thus the usage is shared, increasing the life of both the shoes. Due to the constant usage of the shoe, the moisture of the skin may get deposited in the inner sides of the shoe, which leads to the shrinking of the leather. So, everyday after using the shoe just remove it and allow it to dry on a cedar shoe tree. A cedar shoe tree is usually made of wood, which should be kept inside the shoe. This absorbs the moisture from the shoe and keeps it dry and it also keeps the shoe in shape.

Apart from that, cleaning aspect is also very important. A leather shoe must be cleaned everyday and thus it allows the leather to breathe. It should be cleaned using a saddle soap. A saddle soap is a special kind of soap used for cleaning the leather shoes. The cleaning process includes cleaning of the shoes with a saddle soap first and then following it with the application of mink oil. If it is cleaned with a saddle soap it is a must to condition it with mink oil. All these products will be available in the shoe stores itself. These two products can be used for routine cleaning. To remove any grease or oil from the shoe another special product called Goop is used. If there are any scratches or cuts in the shoe Pine gum will help to repair it. It also helps to restore the color if it has faded.

Avoid leaving the shoes in direct heat like near a fireplace or a stove. If you tend to walk on a watery surface more often, which may damage the shoe, you can apply a waterproofing to the outer of your shoe. Beeswax is very good water- repellent. Conditioning of the leather is also very important. To avoid the leather from cracking, conditioning is required. Conditioners for shoes are available in the shoe stores, you can use that. For softening the leather, Lanolin is used and emu oil restores the moisture. Eucalyptus oil helps to avoid the declining of the stitches. It should be kept in mind that some of the branded shoes may have specialty products to be used on it to maintain. No other products should be used.