Leather Shoe Care Basics

Shoe care is easy to take for granted. But well cared-for leather shoes last a lifetime. That’s why you’ll want to use a leather cleaner and conditioner so that you can look after your best shoes in style. The craftsmen at fine American shoemaker Johnston & Murphy have offered some simple steps for taking care of our leather footwear that will keep them looking good and wearing well for a very long time:

Always store leather shoes with moisture-absorbing cedar shoe trees, to prevent leather cracking and permanent creasing where the toe bends.
Always use a shoe horn when putting on shoes to prevent the back of the shoe from breaking down. Never force feet into the shoes.
Always keep shoes away from direct heat to prevent the leather from drying out. Leather should always dry naturally.
Give shoes a rest between wearings. Leather shoes should have one full day to dry out from natural foot perspiration and should not be worn on two consecutive days.
When polishing shoes, use only a high quality paste or cream that will help moisturize leather and keep it from drying out. Never use a liquid polish on leather shoes.
Never use any type of cleaner that contains an acid or a detergent. Both are damaging to fine leather, and will age the shoe.
If shoes become heavily soiled, use a mild application of Ivory soap on a damp cloth, wipe off, and allow to dry. Then apply shoe cream. This treatment should restore the original lustre without any damaging effects to the leather. Once you’ve restored the condition of your leather shoes, if the soiling happened to drain some of the color from particular areas, you could then look to Select right leather paint required to give your shoes a touch-up of color ready for the next time you wear them.