Shoe care

Please find below some useful tips on looking after your new shoes!

Repairs

Timely repairs are extremely important in order to prolong the wear of any type of footwear and to prevent damaging their construction, especially heels and soles.

• Slim heels, like stiletto or kitten styles, need to be checked regularly as the heel tip has a much smaller surface area compared to a block heel, where weight is distributed over a larger surface area.
• Narrow pointed toe shoes will also need special care for the same reason, as the toe is smaller and more inclined to wear quickly.
• Leather soles are made of a natural material, which is regarded as more comfortable, flexible and kinder to your feet. However due to their porous nature they are not waterproof and can often require repair sooner than a synthetic material, particularly if worn in wet conditions on numerous occasions.

Shoe care products

Before wearing any new shoe or boot we advise you to invest in suitable shoe care products, in particular protector spray. Ensure that you check the suitability of the product before use. Protector spray is a great help primarily against water penetration but can also help against soiling (these sprays do not however guarantee to waterproof).

 recommended are  products by Collonil and Dasco.

• Smooth leather - protect with suitable spray and apply neutral or tinted polish only if a suitable shade can be found. We do not recommend a tinted polish for lighter, more delicate colours as they can often discolour if not a close match.
• Suede - protect with suitable spray and remove any marks with a suede block, if necessary. Remember to be very gentle to avoid any loss of colour or damage to surface. There are some suede cleaning products on the market; however the nature of suede means that marks can be harder to remove and any cleaning products must be checked for suitability and application instructions must be followed carefully.
• Brush the pile with a suede brush to revive the surface if slightly flattened.
• Nubuck - protect with suitable spray and brush with a soft suede brush to revive surface. Marks can be removed with a suede block (follow instructions above).
• Satin, silk & other fabrics - protect with suitable spray before each wear if possible. Cleaning can be difficult; if necessary make sure the product is suitable for the type of fabric and a test is carried out. Instructions must be followed carefully. Satin will lose some of its sheen when the fabric fibres have become abraded, in wear or during cleaning.
• Genuine skins i.e. snake and fish - protect with spray especially for genuine skins. Cleaning products must be used with great care and only applied with very soft cloths.
• Pony skin - protect with suitable spray and brush lightly with soft brush. No cleaning products are recommended.
• Patent leather - protect and clean with patent gloss spray.
• Printed suede - protect with spray especially suited to delicate materials; we recommend Collonil's 'rainproof'. No cleaning products are recommended due to the delicate nature of this material.
• Snake printed leather - protect with spray especially suited to delicate materials; we again recommend Collonil's 'rainproof'. Marks can usually be removed with a clean eraser used very gently, however always try this on a small area in a non-prominent place, to ensure it does not remove colour.
• Sheep skin - protect with suitable spray and treat reverse side as suede. Fur side can be lightly brushed to revive appearance but only cleaned with very mild soapy water, making sure not to soak or saturate. This may cause staining and fur to become matted.

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