Think about it you regularly wash your clothes, dust your lamps, soak your pots and pans but when was the last time you properly cleaned and buffed your shoes?
Seems odd that as a whole we seem to neglect our footwear and yet it's something we wear repeatedly over the span of years! Exposed to the elements our footwear goes through a lot in the day, and over the period of a single year, our shoes have dealt with water, dust, mud, sludge, and in some rare cases in the UK actual HEAT.
Even though Percy Stride shoes are designed and manufactured with a 25-year lifespan in mind, they aren’t invincible! Care and attention are needed to keep them looking and feeling in the best condition possible over those 25 years so we thought we’d put some of our best tips and instructions together for you….
Moisturise right after purchase!
Seems odd, they are brand new shoes, right? Well technically yes but they could have been in their box for quite some time and if they are real leather, they are probably a bit dry, and dare I say it may be a bit dusty.
We suggest you start as you mean to go on and get in the practice of care right away. I little dab of conditioning cream straight on the leather will bring out their colour and give an additional layer of protection right out the box!
Get some shoe trees
It might have been quite some time since you’ve seen some shoe trees but they are certainly worth a purchase if you have some quality shoes in need of maintaining. Leather shoes especially really benefit from cedar shoe trees as they allow the shoes to retain their shape, pull out unwanted moisture (the sweaty kind), and absorb any foot odour. I know some of us probably like to think “my feet don’t smell” and they might not but we all still lose half a pint of sweat from our feet every day, after some time, that’s going to leave a pong.
Don’t kick them off!
Remember to always treat your shoes with love and respect, do so and they will serve you for years. We are all at fault when it comes to mistreating our shoes, especially after a long day, but kicking off your shoes in the hall or standing on the backs while nipping out with the bins is something you should be absolutely not doing. By discarding your shoes in this way, the shape of the upper is compromised and you could be doing damage to the leather. Remember you can re-sole your soles but recreating an upper is near impossible!
Clean first!
This is an important one! Before doing anything to your shoes always make sure you’ve brushed off any debris or dirt, the last thing you want is to be applying polishes and creams to a dirty surface and get flecks of muck stuck in the polish.
Protection Spray
It might seem like a bit of a money trap or unnecessary purchase at the time but having some protection spray at hand can be a lifesaver especially in the British weather! A good protection spray will allow water and dirt to simply slide off your lovely shoes without leaving stains or causing stubborn scratches and marks. Protection spray is especially important for suede. Suede shoes are beautiful and available in an array of colours you don’t often see with real leather but it’s also extremely temperamental. A good protection spray will keep suede moisture-free and act as a shield against the weather.
We often forget about our shoes and neglect them, thinking we can just get another pair if we need to. It's that attitude that feeds our bad behaviour and encourages us to neglect them in the first place
We have dedicated a whole page on our website all about the do's and don'ts of shoe care, it's worth taking a look if you have more questions!
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