Shoe Care 101

Shoe Care 101

Shine your shoes after you buy them and before you wear them. Shine them regularly for as long as you own them.
When you remove your shoes, insert a ceder shoe tree to draw out inner moisture and reshape the leather.
Remove a salt stain as quickly as possible by lightly applying a mixture of 2/3 water, 1/3 vinegar with a rag and drying with a towel
Waterproof your shoes with mink oil (may darken the color of the leather), a wax-based polish (light protection) or a specialty leather cleaner, saddle soap, Murphy’s Oil Soil, or ivory soap and avoid products that contain detergents or acids.
To keep your shoes from drying out, every few months apply a specialty moisturizing conditioner or buff in a dab of petroleum jelly.
If your shoes are wet, stuff them with newspaper or a small towel to draw out the moisture. Replace the paper/towels periodically as they get saturated . Never place your shoes near a heat source: this can dry out and crack the leather.
Remove scuff marks by rubbing the scuff with non-gel toothpaste. Rinse,wipe and let dry.
When your shoes become really worn out, send them back to the manufacturers for refurbishing or resoling instead of buying a new pair