HOW TO CARE FOR ELEVATOR LEATHER SHOES:6 EASY STEPS
Elevator Leather shoe care can seem daunting, but leather is actually incredibly durable when given just a little love. Proper care for leather shoes (whether dress shoes, boots, or casual sneakers) really comes down to two main concepts: keep them clean and keep them dry. Just a few simple steps will greatly improve the longevity of your footwear.
Here are 6 steps to care for your elevator leather shoes.
1. DON’T WEAR YOUR SHOES EVERY DAY
Leather needs to breathe, just like your skin. You should always have at least two pairs of shoes in your regular rotation to avoid having to wear the same pair every day.
Your feet sweat throughout the day (facts are facts), and the leather absorbs that moisture. Damp leather is more susceptible to stretching, scuffing, creasing, and staining. Wearing them every other day gives them adequate time to dry, increasing the longevity of your footwear by a significant amount.
2. CLEAN THEM AFTER EACH WEAR
Keep a shoe brush or microfiber cloth handy and give your shoes a quick clean after each wear. This will keep any dirt or grime from being ground into the leather as time goes on, saving you from having to deal with staining later on.
3. STORE LEATHER SHOES WITH A SHOE TREE IN THEM
A cedar or poplar shoe tree is perhaps THE most important part of shoe care, and it’s usually the most overlooked step. Leather is porous, so it absorbs moisture and odour, eventually causing it to break down. A shoe tree absorbs that moisture and odour while keeping the shoe’s proper shape to prevent creasing. You can extend the life of your shoes dramatically with just this single step alone.
4. AVOID INCLEMENT WEATHER
This should go without saying, but if at all possible, avoid wearing leather shoes in a downpour and try not to traipse through salt- and snow-covered sidewalks in the winter. Water can stain even waterproofed leather shoes, and leather soles become more vulnerable to abrasive surfaces like concrete when wet.
If you know you’re going to have to wear them in the rain or snow, wear a pair of galoshes to protect them all around. In fact, we suggest keeping a pair of galoshes at home AND in your car just in case.
If your shoes do happen to get wet, avoid the urge to dry them near a radiator or window. Heat and sunlight can crack and damage the leather. Just let them air out on their own (with a shoe tree) for a couple of days.
5. POLISH THEM EVERY 6 WEARS
Just like you don’t want your leather to get too wet, you also don’t want it to dry out because it can crack. We know. It’s fickle. Luckily, there is an easy way to keep a healthy balance: Use a shoe polish every 6 years or so.
Shoe polish helps moisturize the leather while adding a layer of protection to repel dust and water. It also restores color and hides scuffs and blemishes. You just have to decide between wax or cream polish (or both).
Cream is more moisturizing than wax, and it creates a natural finish. Wax polish offers slightly better protection and a higher level of shine, but it can be more drying. We suggest starting with cream and finishing with wax, but the choice is up to you depending on the finish you want.
Apply the polish to clean the shoes in a circular motion using a microfiber cloth. If you want to go the extra mile, you can use a pig hair brush to work it in deeper. Finish off with a polishing glove and/or brush to buff the shoe and bring back the shine.
6. STORE SHOES IN A DUST BAG WHEN NOT IN USE
Dust can work its way into leather shoes over time, resulting in staining and degradation. If you won’t be wearing your shoes on a regular basis, keep them in a fabric dust bag to protect them while also allowing them to breathe.
There are certainly other steps you can take to prolong the life of your shoes, like using leather conditioner or taking them to a cobbler for rejuvenation, but these six simple steps will do the majority of the heavy lifting. You’ll be surprised how much longer your shoes last if you take proper care of them.
LEATHER & TEXTILE SHOES CARE
High-quality Elevator shoes require individual regular care.
A.SMOOTH LEATHER
To get rid of any dust and dirt, you should first clean the shoe with a brush. After this step, please regularly apply a colorless (or matching) shoe polish and rub this all over the shoe, letting the polish penetrate the leather. Finally, re-polish the shoe with a soft cloth.
The shoe should be regularly impregnated on rainy days or in autumn and winter time. Significant strain is put on the leather if the shoe becomes soaked.
B.SUEDE LEATHER
Small particles of dirt can be removed from suede leather very easily by using a brush. If you have cleaned the shoe whilst wet or with a special cleaning foam to remove stubborn dirt, then you should roughen the shoe afterward using a brush.
C.GREASED LEATHER
1. Use warm water and a brush to remove dirt from footwear. Dry with a cloth. For heavily soiled areas, apply Foam Leather Cleaner with a cloth or brush. Wipe the cleaner away with a damp cloth and allow the leather to dry.
2. Apply a light, even coat of All Natural Boot Oil, Mink Oil, or Natural Leather Conditioner to the leather with fingers, cloth, or sponge. Proper conditioning keeps leather healthy and extends the life of the footwear.
D.PATENT LEATHER
To clean patent leather shoes, a soft cloth is normally sufficient. As even fingermarks can be left on the surface, put a cloth in your bag and take it with you. Brushes are not advisable for cleaning, no matter how soft, as scratches may occur. For the intensive care of patent leather shoes, you can use specific care products for patent leather. This maintains the resilience of the material and tiny movement creases are minimized.
E.HAND-PAINTED LEATHER
Hand-painted shoes are unique in the way they are finished. Beginning with a blank canvas of natural leather base, our master craftsmen apply the color by hand in layers to create a deep, rich and truly individual patina. With proper maintenance and attention, your shoes will retain their excellent appearance and comfort in wear for years to come.
If you have mud on your shoes, please wash them with a warm damp cloth and allow them to dry thoroughly before applying your selected shoe care product.
Only water-based creams should be used to moisturize the leather and retain the depth of colour. Any wax or cream with too much solvent could strip the painted leather finishes and should be avoided.
We recommend using the creams for the Brush-painted and Hand-Painted leathers. We suggest a neutral shoe cream to keep the original colour, and occasional treatment with the appropriate colour if they are fading or need a scuff treatment.
The leather surface after processing will be natural decolorization showing a two-color effect. This is a normal phenomenon.
Keep the upper clean, if you encounter oil or stains, cleaning will cause local decolorization.
The shoes after a long time of wearing will occur such as wrinkling, resulting in decoloration or cracking and other phenomena. Appropriate wearing should be done according to the situation.
F.TEXTILE
Clean your textile shoes using a brush straight away after you’ve been out, to remove dust particles and dirt from the street from the fabric. The best way to deal with stubborn dirt is with a damp sponge, but this takes still – soles should be kept as dry as possible so as not to dissolve the glue. Glue is also dissolved if you wash your fabric shoes or trainers in the washing machine. We always recommend that you keep them away from the washing machine!