With the high cost of shoes today it only makes sense to take good care of them. It only takes a little of our time on a regular schedule to make our shoes look better and last longer.
There a few simple things you can do regularly to take good care of your shoes. Unfortunately many of us give little or no thought to taking care of our footwear. In the long run this only costs us money, footwear that is not taken care of will grow old faster and will have to be replaced. The bottom line is we spend more for shoes than we have to.
A good coat of polish a couple of times a week will keep the uppers soft and supple. The uppers will not dry out and crack and naturally your shoes will look much better. Use a good wax polish, the brand you use is up to you, they are all pretty much the same, any wax polish should do the job. We only suggest you use liquid polish for white shoes. Find a product that is lanolin based, water based liquid polishes will dry the shoes out in a hurry and the uppers will crack. It’s like getting your shoes wet every time you polish them. For any color except white, never use a liquid polish.
A good pair of work boots deserves the proper care. Many manufacturers of work boots will recommend their own oils and creams. If not, get a good boot oil and use it often. The only concern for you is that some boot oils might cause stretching, so choose a product that does not cause stretching. We use the brand Snow Seal most of the time. Snow Seal will darken your boots a little but for waterproofing them and protecting the leather uppers is a very good product. I like to heat it up some, in front of the fire, and rub it into the seams with my hands. Another consideration when buying a work boot is, can they be resoled. Shoe repair shops today can resole almost any type of construction but the best construction for resole is something called a Goodyear Welt. To make a long story short, this means the out soles are sewn to the uppers.
Part of taking good care of your shoes is changing them often. Rotate through your favorite shoes and you will get much better wear. Letting them sit in the closet for a day or two allows them to dry out inside. For those who wear athletic shoes on a daily basis this is particularly important.
If you take good care of your shoes they will take good care of you. It takes very little effort and the rewards of proper shoe care are will worth that effort.
I have found that wearing a different pair of shoes everyday is the easiest way to save money on shoes. It costs a little more in the beginning but you will be surprised at how much longer they last.
I have found if I keep my work boots oiled they last much longer. When the leather is allowed to dry out it cracks, plus, they are more comfortable when well oiled.