Our shoes are very hard in the conditions of a modern aggressive urban (and not only) environment. It just so happens that she often has to deal with unpleasant phenomena of the world. And, as you know, sudden changes in temperature, reagents, dust and dirt penetrating into any surface are real shoe thieves. They steal the beautiful appearance of our shoes and boots. And it seems that it is simply impossible to wear a new pair of shoes for more than one season (at best).
But here, as in any business, the correct approach to a freshly acquired pair of shoes is important. Proper shoe care can not only restore and retain its presentable appearance, but also extend its life, and therefore service for the good of you. Let's look at some issues regarding this practical and beautiful, and sometimes expensive accessory.
What is the right strategy for proper shoe care?
1. Do not tear the sole
This is known to all, but how many comply with this law? Forever forget that you can take off your shoes with your foot. If in more detail, then usually, having come home from work in the evening, hungry and tired, so as not to strain again, we “cling” to another shoe with one toe of the shoe in the area of the heel of the sole.
This barbaric way is good only when you want to destroy your shoes. Because, without a doubt, after a short period of time, the sole in the heel area will necessarily come off, and you will have to rush headlong after a fresh pair of shoes, simultaneously complaining that the previous ones were apparently 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, out there that lies on the pier in the hallway.
2. Do not put off until tomorrow
An important point in shoe care is removing dirt from it as soon as you get home. Do not waste time. Your feelings about this are understandable. I don’t feel like coming home after a hard day to start washing and further caring for shoes, but I have to. Otherwise, the dirt will first soak the shoe wholeheartedly, then it will dry out and thus clog with dust and salt everything that can clog.
How to act in a situation where you do not want to scrape vile clots? Just go and start doing it! Yes, think less and don’t give yourself a chance to leave the shoes in this form until the morning, so that in the morning you can shorten the entire procedure for shoe care before wiping the upper part with a damp rag and “tapping” the remnants of yesterday’s dried mud leaving the entrance. It seems to look normal, right?
And no! Firstly, if you want to look decent, then the shoes must be clean, even when you go out in the rain. And the fact that your shoes will be oiled again upon arrival at your destination is no reason. The shoe is always clearly visible - yesterday’s dirt on it or today's.
Secondly, washed and dried steam will serve you much longer. So, without wasting precious time, rather carry your bots under a stream of cold water (or in a bucket of cold water). Here you need to quickly wash your shoes or sneakers, using a rag or brush, in order to get to the most grooved places of the sole. After water procedures, wipe dry a pair of shoes and proceed to the next step.
3. Comfort and dryness
Shoes should be dried if necessary. So it will not only extend its life span, but also will not spoil your reputation with a musty “aroma” that will appear inside your boots and sneakers from sweat and moisture.
Drying should be done in the right way for your shoes and boots. Some vapors can be dried using a dryer - a special device that many probably know. But if your shoes are very dear to you and you are afraid to spoil them, then in the drying process you can use the old and well-known way - stuffing shoes with paper contents. Surely you have unnecessary newspapers that are shoved into a box by everyone. So - this is their "finest hour". Let them benefit here! Fill your shoes with crumpled newspapers. The paper absorbs moisture without damaging the shoes.
4. Care products
After cleaning your shoes and thoroughly washing them, and then wiping them with a dry cloth, use the shoe care kit that you have. Examine what is written on their label. It usually describes well all the nuances of using this product.
Shoe care products may have a different consistency and the same different direction of impact on these shoes. Cream and tinting emulsions are probably the most famous. But there are also spray for shoes and wax, and silicone shine, and much more! Right now, we’ll figure out when and how to apply these products.
Cream for your skin ... shoes
Caring for leather shoes requires care and pedantry. In no case should it be often wetted and especially not washed with aggressive detergents and powders. A necessary procedure is the application of shoe polish. As we probably agreed, the shoes are cleaned, washed and lubricated by caring compounds only in the evening. She needs to give 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 delicately washed with moderately warm water and a little extra shower gel. This technique will remove some of the previous layers of shoe polish from the surface of the shoes. Once they served as a barrier to the penetration of dust into the pores of shoes, and now they also 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
Suede shoe care is carried out using special products specifically designed 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 use a special spray agent.
Next, suede pile should be allowed to dry and comb it to lift. Such shoes should not be washed and subjected to other manipulations using ordinary water. It is better to use a remedy once a month that repels this very water.
Athletes
Caring for men's shoes made of textiles and synthetic materials comes down to cleaning with a brush and a sponge. Also, sneakers can be washed in a car at a low temperature. Naturally, before washing you should wash the sole with a predilection using a brush. By the way, women's sneakers can also be freely exposed to this method.
Bright shoes
Care for shoes made of fair skin and its substitutes occurs with a colorless cream. Do not use improvised means for this purpose. Vaseline and baby cream is not the best care product. The same goes for all types of vegetable oils. From these substances, the skin will only fade and darken.
Do you want the sole of your favorite shoes or boots to serve for a very long time? In this case, get a specialized product specifically for this element of shoes. It maintains the elasticity of the sole and is most often used only after walking on wet asphalt. Of course, do not forget to process all of the above manipulations for proper shoe care before processing the sole itself.