As a professional man, you invest a lot of money in your wardrobe. You have to. You need to dress for success every single day. And yes, that includes your shoes. But there is no point in putting a lot of money into dress shoes if you are not going to take care of them. That goes without saying.
Men who struggle to take good care of their shoes might find themselves in a position of not knowing how. That is understandable. The good news is that ignorance doesn't have to be permanent. The internet is a goldmine of information about all things shoes. Consider this post. Below are four tips for keeping your dress shoes looking like new.
1. Invest in Shoe Covers
GC Tech makes a state-of-the-art waterproof shoe cover for men. It's expected that advising men to invest in shoe covers would be tops on our list. But it also makes sense from a practical standpoint. You can implement the other three tips you'll read later, but they won't be of much value if you take your shoes out into the weather without protecting them.
Men's overshoes, whether they are slip-on or zip-up shoe covers, have but one purpose: to protect your shoes against the elements. Our shoe covers do so by way of a waterproof yet breathable fabric that is lightweight, durable, and even fashionable.
2. Regularly Clean Your Shoes
Even with shoe covers, your dress shoes will get dirty. Your number one priority here is to not let dirt accumulate. The dirtier your shoes are, the more likely some of that dirt will be permanently embedded in the leather.
There are different ways to clean different types of shoes. It really pays to know what kind of leather you are working with. In most cases, you start by loosening dirt with a soft brush. Finished leather can be further cleaned with a damp cloth and mild soap. Unfinished leather requires a special cleaning agent, like saddle soap.
3. Condition the Shoes
After you have cleaned and thoroughly dried your shoes, they need to be conditioned. It's no different than dealing with any other leather product. Again, different shoes are best served by different conditioning agents. Your shoes may be good candidates for a high-quality shoe wax. You may have another pair which are best conditioned by a resin or spray conditioner.
The manufacturer or retailer who sold you your shoes should be able to tell you the best way to condition them. Just don't skip this step. Failing to condition your shoes only encourages the leather to dry out and crack.
4. Store Your Shoes Properly
Finally, how you store your shoes matters. Let's say you go out in the rain but forget to take your GC Tech waterproof overshoes. Your shoes are wet by the time you get home. Take them off and stuff them with tissue paper or paper towels to absorb the water. Once they are fully dry, do a thorough cleaning and conditioning. Never store your shoes wet.
Clean and dry shoes should be stored in a shoe bag away from direct sunlight and heat. The one exception is suede. It is best left in the open air; don't put suede leather shoes in a bag. Do not allow them to sit in direct sunlight, either.
You have invested a lot of money in your dress shoes. Don't let that money go to waste. Take care of your shoes by following the four tips you read in this post. They will take care of you in return.
