Isn’t it crazy that our shoes are often the priciest part of our whole outfit, yet they’re the items we tend to take care of the least?
Instead of wearing our favourite trainers to death, letting our suede boots get soaked in the British rain, or throwing away canvas shoes that can be saved with a quick clean-up, let’s make looking after our footwear a priority in 2020.
Unless you want your favourite pair to end up in shoe heaven (AKA the wheelie bin), then read on to find out what our top tips are for keeping them in mint condition.
1. Protect the Soles
The soles of our shoes put up with a lot of wear and tear, so it’s only natural that they’ll be the first part of the shoe to fall apart.
Try to remember to clean the rubber soles of boots and trainers after every wear using a dish scrubbing brush and some warm soapy water. A dab of nail polish remover on a cotton cloth can also help remove stubborn marks off the side of rubber soles, and if you’re really keen to make them last as long as possible then you could try sticky sole protectors on shoes with little tread.
2. Dry Them Properly
Scrunch up the pages and pop them inside your shoes after cleaning or a run in the rain and leave them somewhere warm to dry. The newspaper will help absorb the moisture from your shoes, and will also help them keep their shape. Double win!
Remember to pop them in your paper recycling bin once you’re done, or save them for another time.
3. Try The Teabag Trick
There’s nothing worse than shoes that stink, but you don’t need to splash out on fancy sprays or powders to keep your gym trainers and work boots odour-free. This cheap and easy hack made headlines when Lynsey Queen of Clean shared it on her blog and Instagram page!
If you’re a tea drinker, stick a few (unused) teabags inside each of your shoes overnight and let the magic happen. The dry teabag will absorb bad odours caused by bacteria and heat.
4. Rotate Them Regularly
Yip, they’re your favourite pair in the whole world, but seriously if you want to keep them longer than a couple of months please stop wearing them every day.
Get into the habit of only wearing the same pair of shoes for two days in a row (max!), and on their ‘rest’ days give them a quick clean outside and let the insoles air out.
5. Use a Suitable Stain + Water Protector
Before you’ve even stepped outside in your new shoes, you should try and give them a quick spray with a stain and water repellent. Some of the brands we carry offer their own specific cleaning kits, so take a look on the OFFICE website to find the best one for the job.
Not to sound like Captain Obvious, but your suede boots will wear out real quick if you wear them in the winter without waterproofing them first. Make sure you let any surface dirt fully dry out before giving them a deep clean. Use a suede brush to remove the dry dirt before using a suede cleaner to freshen them up. Use the newspaper trick from tip 2 and let them air dry fully before wearing them again.
A good fabric stain protector will help your canvas shoes and trainers looking as good as new against spills and splashes when you’re out and about – all they should need is a quick wipe with a damp cloth to remove the dirt.
And don’t forget to treat your leather shoes with care. Yes, they’re tough, but they’ll still crack and dry out if they’re not treated properly. Make sure you polish them often, and use a special leather conditioner to keep them in great nick.
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And it’s as easy as that!
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