How To Care For Your Shoes

When it comes to your wardrobe, a good pair of shoes is one of the best investments you can make. Not only do they elevate your outfit, but with the right care and attention they can genuinely last a lifetime. But to ensure their longevity, they do need to be looked after. We work with Saphir Medaille D’Or for shoe care - Saphir are world-renowned as the undisputed leaders in the field, and diligent use of their products can help keep your shoes looking their best almost indefinitely.

Polishing 
Saphir Medaille D'Or most famous product is their Renovateur, made from beeswax and mink oil. Renovateur is the holy grail of shoe care products - regularly applying a light coat of Renovateur will help keep your shoe’s leather supple, protected and restored. The best time to do this is prior to polishing.

There are two kinds of polish - cream and wax. Cream offers a more matte finish, but is better at nourishing older, dry or scuffed leather. Wax offers a more high-shine patina and works best on smooth calf leathers.

For a basic polish, apply a thin layer of polish all over the shoes using a soft cloth and leave them to sit for a minute or two, giving the polish time to soak in. Then, with a stiff polishing brush, brush down the surface of the shoes using brisk horizontal strokes. Do not scrub. Once they have been brushed fully, you should have a good shine on your hands. Using a small woollen polishing pad, revisit the whole shoe, with particular attention to the toe. This should help it achieve an even richer, deeper shine.

Stains
Saphir Renomat is a specialist leather cleaner for smooth leathers (rather than suede). Renomat works by breaking down buildups of silicones and resins in the leather itself, getting rid of dirt and marks preparing the leather to receive fresh polish. It’s often a good idea to clean your shoes with Renomat prior to your first polishing, especially if you’ve been using non-Saphir products up to this point. However it does not need to be used every time you polish your shoes as it can be too rough on the leather - instead, keep them refreshed with Renovateur.

Suede
For suede, instead use Saphir Omnidaim. Omnidaim helps restore suede to its natural state of beauty without damaging it. Omnidaim comes with a special suede brush for application and general cleaning. Ensuring your shoes are completely dry, use your suede brush to gently brush away the dirt and grime in small motions with a light hand. If necessary, brush against the nap of the suede but always finish brushing in the direction the natural grain to maintain its smooth finish. Once your shoe is free of dirt, apply Omnidaim to a wet brush and gently work into the suede, then leave to set for several hours. When they're dry, brush them again in the direction of the grain.

Storage
Invest in cedarwood or limewood shoe trees for your shoes (and avoid plastic alternatives). They are hands down one of the best things you can do for your shoes - the cost of them will be easily cancelled out by the years, even decades, they can add to the lifespan of your shoes. Shoe trees work by helping shoes stay in their original shape; they keep the leather stretched so it doesn’t wrinkle or crack, and the wood absorbs moisture after wear and wicks away odor. We offer shoe trees with our custom-made shoes, and can also order them for your existing shoes - speak to us if you’d like to know more. Always put your shoes on and take them off using a shoe horn in order to keep their shape intact and maintain the shape of the heel. If a heel gets broken it is very hard to fully restore it.