One of the things that make leather shoes a little tough to care for is because they are prone to becoming stained, scratched, marked up and they can also end up drying up and cracking. There is nothing more unsightly that a good pair of leather shoes that have started cracking on the outer surface. The drying up of the shoes can also make them fall apart over a period of time. After spending whatever amount you spend on your leather shoes, the next most reasonable thing to do would be to protect them through proper cleaning. Below are simple but very important ways of keeping your shoes in top shape so they can serve you longer.
- Clean your shoes – It is the very first step of the shoe care process. When cleaning the shoes ensure that you get the proper products and also use the right cleaning technique so you do not end up damaging the surface. A smooth leather cleaner is the best and you can then get the cleaners in spray form, gel, liquid or foam created specifically for the leather material. The good thing about the cleaning products is that they come with instructions of use so it should not be that hard for you to get it right when cleaning your shoes. After washing, you can polish using a shoe shining cloth.
- Condition the shoes – Cleaning leather shoes may not be enough; you should also consider conditioning the leather. The conditioning helps in strengthening and keeping them protected from harmful elements so they last for years. You can easily find a leather shoe conditioner from the stores and all you need to do is to use a soft cloth to rub in the conditioner in small shoe areas until you have the entire shoe covered. You can then wipe away any excess conditioner the shoe can’t soak in.
- Polish your shoes – Polishing leather shoes may in some cases look unnecessary, but it can go a long way in keeping the shoe looking good. You should start by selecting a polish color that matches the color of your shoes and a quality shoe shining cloth to rub the shoes down after polishing. But because most shoe polishes have toxic chemicals, it is best that you use gloves and polish the shoes in an area that is well-ventilated so you do not end up inhaling. Apart from the shoe polish, you can also consider using the insides of banana peel, walnut oil and olive oil for the same purpose.