On the right foot
> How to take good care of your shoes
W Eput our footwear under a lot of stress every day. But experts say there are a few simple things we can do to protect our shoes and boots from damage.
The most important tip for shoe care is to go shopping. That's because it's best to have several pairs of boots or shoes, particularly in wet weather, so that you can wear them for one day and then let them air out and dry for the next two days.
"Since the shoes have to absorb at least one shot glass full of moisture every day, they need this time," says Claudia Schulz from the Federal Association of the Shoe and Leather Goods Industry in Berlin. This ultimately makes them last longer.
Another important tip is to take precautions before you even wear new boots or shoes. Master shoemaker Helmut Farnschlaeder from the Foot and Shoe Info Office trade association advises waterproofing shoes before you wear them for the first time. This helps protect them from water and dirt, and should be repeated from time to time.
Shoes made of smooth leather should be cleaned at regular intervals. Schulz recommends thin shoe polish or wax paste for this purpose.
Rough or suede leather should be roughened with a small brush made of copper wire, Schulz advises. Farnschlaeder, on the other hand, advises using a rubber brush for suede leather.
Patent leather needs particularly good care, otherwise the material can become dull or start to split. Schulz advises using special products such as patent leather oil or lotion. You can also wipe patent leather to remove any dirt with a cloth – just make sure it's not too damp.
If the leather does split, it will need to go to a shoe repair specialist. This is more likely to happen in areas with creases, where the material loses its shape. It's therefore a good idea to keep leather shoes on a socalled shoe tree, which should ideally be made from unpainted wood.
An alternative to the shoe tree is to stuff the shoes with newspaper, advises Farnschlaeder, as the paper will also help absorb moisture.
Waterproofing can also help prevent tears: "Cracks can form in the leather if it is really wet and then dried too quickly. Because it prevents soaking, waterproofing also protects against cracks," explains Bernd Glassl from the German Cosmetic, Toiletry, Perfumery and Detergent Association (IKW).
This is particularly important for suede leather. Sprays containing fluorocarbon resin are good for this, although they are not very biodegradable.
To ensure that the leather won't dry too quickly and split, shoes should never be left to dry on or under a radiator or next to an oven. Schulz also advises against using a hair dryer.
Once the shoes have dried, if there are water lines on them, these can be removed with soap and water, says Schulz. Glassl advises using shoe shampoos.
"In less serious cases, a sponge moistened with water may be sufficient. If not, the shoe should be made really wet and cleaned with shoe shampoo and then stuffed with newspaper so that it can dry slowly."
Avoid the washing machine, even for sneakers and fabric shoes, the experts say. The adhesive can dissolve or even rub off on the rest of the fabric, resulting in ugly yellow stains, especially on white sneakers, explains Claudia Schulz from the Federal Association of the Shoe and Leather Goods Industry.
Instead, she advises using special care lotions for the textiles. Scratches in the material can be treated with an opaque white shoe lotion. A shoe eraser can also help remove dark marks from light suede leather. – dpa variety of checks and reinvented vintage flower prints.
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