You cannot underestimate the importance of shoes. They say a lot about us. And it’s not about expensive shoes versus inexpensive ones. It’s about well-chosen shoes that are well-tended. I apply the same degree of care to my Florsheims as I apply to my Aldens.
In addition to regular leather conditioning and shine, and maintenance and protection of the soles with taps, I also preserve the appearance and longevity of my shoes with cedar shoe trees.
One of the tenets of smarter shoe care is that we should never wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row. Why? The shoes need time to dry from the moisture (or perspiration) created by our feet. Between wearings, the shoes also need to restore their shape. They need a break. That’s where shoe trees come in.
A shoe tree maintains the shape of the shoe and prevents it from collapsing into its creases when your foot isn’t in it. The reason for cedar is that it provides a natural deodorizer for the shoe.
The only “never” that I know of with respect to shoe trees is to never put a shoe tree in a shoe if it’s soaking wet. If you get caught in the rain, get thrown into a swimming pool by a drunk ex-lover, or get accidentally hosed down by a rookie fireman (you know how those things happen), lay your soaked shoes on their side until they’re completely dry. Stuffing newspaper in them will help them dry faster. DO NOT put them near a radiator.
The only other time I don’t use shoe trees is when I travel. If I’m packing a nice pair of leather shoes (other than the pair I’m actually wearing on the plane), I stuff my socks into them. This saves space in my luggage and creates temporary but sufficient tree-like support for the shoe while my foot isn’t in it during the trip.
In other words – barring the super-soaking and travel scenarios described above – always keep cedar shoe trees in your shoes whenever you’re not actually wearing them. Your shoes will thank you.
A good time to buy shoe trees is when you buy the shoes. Any worthy shoe shop also sells cedar shoe trees. An exception for the budget-conscious might be a high-end shop like Alden, who’s cedar shoe trees are wonderful but unnecessarily expensive. My online resource is Woodlore (an Allen Edmonds company). Theirs run $20/pair, but my last purchase was during a sale in which they were practically giving them away with a 2-for-1 sale.
8 Comments
Living in the Great Northwest, it is not uncommon for my shoes to become soaked when I get stuck out in a rain storm. A little trick I learned from my logger friends who work day in and day out in the elements with very expensive leather boots is first to clean the soaked shoes with saddle soap as this will remove dirt and grime that will pull the good oils out of the shoes why they are drying (aging the leather quicker), and then, stuff them full of newspaper as the low humidity paper will draw the moisture out of the shoes quicker and also allow the shoes to maintain their shape too. It really works like a charm!
George – Great post on shoe trees… On another topic… noticed the olive green jacket or “field coat” you are wearing in your Uber ride with man’s best friend… what brand of jacket is this ? it is exceptional and perfect for fall. Thanks for sharing as I have been trying to find this coat for a long time
George, I couldn’t agree with you more. With proper care, a pair of shoes can stay in great condition for decades. My favorite pair are ones by Gucci (Tom Ford era) double monk straps in the finest leather. It’s going on 20 years that I own them and wear them still.
I have just found your blog and love it. Terrific articles, including this one. I have now saved cedar shoe trees in my amazon.com wishlist, haha. Look forward to more posts!
Thank you!
George, maybe a future post topic would be on your use of clothing hangers. I always wonder what are the benefits of using thicker hangers for suits and shirts, as well as using wood hangers instead of plastic or other material.
do you maintain the shoe trees always on your shoes, or only for a couple of hours after taking them off?
Shoe trees are in my shoes whenever my feet aren’t.