Shoe Care Tips for Different Types of Shoes

Shoes have developed an enormous amount over time, yet there is one eternal constant with shoes – they bear the load of the whole human body, and they bare it over all kinds of rough terrain and in all types of human activities. Accordingly, you are going to need to look after them!

There are some constants to a proper shoe care routine. These are things like washing them and airing them out at night, which apply in all cases. However, things get specific pretty quickly when it comes to shoe care and, in the majority of cases, you’re going to have to defer to what types of shoes you are caring for. Therefore, to really get down to the nitty gritty of shoe care, you should consult an article devoted to your specific shoe type – there are certainly many out there. Nevertheless, for a general introduction, it is certainly possible to set out the main things to remember for every type of shoe.

General Shoe Care

Shoe care experts ShoeFresh advise that the best way to begin with any type of shoe care is to invest in the products that you will need in most cases. You should certainly have a shoe stretcher as getting the shoes into the perfect shape for your feet is an essential component of shoe care. A good foot odor eliminator is also a wise choice, as the foul smell after extended use is bad enough but allowing moisture and bacteria to build up inside your shoes is a sure way to see them degrade faster.

You should also, generally speaking, avoid putting them in the wash, as the vast majority of shoes do not respond to this particularly well. You should also always air them out at night, often stuffed with newspaper or some other moisture-absorbing substance.

For a final general point, also bear in mind the thing that degrades shoes is, far more than any other factor, simply wearing them. Avoid overwear and mix up your shoe care choices on a daily basis.

How to Care for Different Kinds of Shoes

As mentioned, there is much more to caring for each kind of shoe than can be listed here. With that in mind, here follows only the most important shoe care tips for some different kinds:

Sports Shoes

Running shoes are made of canvas and rubber, and they see more wear than most other kinds of shoes – because you are running in them! Thus, you should clean them and dry them after nearly every use. You should also take special care not to deform them.

Sheepskin Shoes (Ugg Boots)

To care for your Uggs, the trick is to go gentle. The soft fabric they are composed of should not be vigorously scrubbed and you should gently clean them with a wet cloth.

Walking/Hiking Boots

These shoes are resilient, but dirt can very easily become caked into their many rigid grooves and small cavities. Hence, you give them a good scrub often and pay attention to points of wear.

Leather/Patent Leather

Leather is in a class of its own when it comes to recommended shoe care. There are many things to consider here and many stages to the leather care/cleaning process. The most important thing to bear in mind though is that you will need a proper leather cleaning kit with polish and other leather-treating substances. Carefully deal with scuffs and always keep leather shoes in the right shape.

As mentioned, you need to get more specific to care for a certain shoe type more thoroughly. Nevertheless, the above tips should indicate the best place to start.