How to Care for Leather Shoes in Summer - Oscar Hunt Shoe Guide
When you think about it, suit shoes really are the hardest working part of any man’s wardrobe. Pounding the pavement day after day and withstanding all kinds of knocks and bumps; they put up with a lot.
However, that’s no reason why they shouldn’t last for seasons to come, provided you know how to protect leather shoes - particularly over Summer.
‘Why Summer?’you might ask. It’s less to do with heat and much more to do with the humidity. And for leather shoes, humidity represents the risk of mold. Have no fear though - that’s why we’ve put together our guide of Summer shoe care tips. Let’s dive in!
Cleaning
In terms of how to clean leather shoes, there’s a process to be followed. It starts with removing the laces of your shoes, grabbing a shoe brush and gently removing any dirt and grime that might have built up over time. From here, you’ll want to wipe the shoes down with a damp cloth and some saddle soap - a specialised variety of shoe cleaner.
The next step requires patience. Ideally, you’ll let your shoes air dry before applying a leather conditioner and a polish. A trick for young players is to ensure that you’ve spot tested the polish somewhere discreet on the shoe to ensure a colour match.
From here, it’s simply a matter of buffing with a horse hair brush to maximise the shine.
Maintenance
Even if you’re diligent with your leather shoe care, there are instances where you’ll need to engage the help of a professional - particularly if you’ve had your shoes for quite some time. Our recommendation is to not leave it too late.
For example, if you can see that the heel of a shoe is starting to wear down or that the sole is wearing thin, taking them to a cobbler as soon as possible will reduce the chance of any long term damage and also ensure that your shoes can be transformed back to their previous glory.
To minimise these visits from the outset, we recommend adding a layer of ‘Topy’ to any premium men’s shoes in Australia. This is a thin piece of rubber that is added to the leather sole of a shoe to help protect it from wear and tear.
Storage
While knowing how to clean your shoes is important, it’s just as critical to know how to store them properly. For the men’s footwear that we sell at Oscar Hunt, we recommend keeping your shoes on shoe horns (ensuring that they maintain their shape), and storing them in dust bags in a well ventilated space.
To get further shoe care recommendations or to explore our range of men’s footwear, we invite you to swing by your local showroom today.