Golden maintenance rules
Leather, nubuck or suede are skins.
So you have to take care of it.
There is only one comprehensive word for this:
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Maintenance!
Use a shoe horn to put on your shoes
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Use a shoe horn to put on your shoes and untie or unbuckle them so as not to strain the slides too much.
This will avoid damaging the buttress.
Place mouthpieces
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When you come home with damp shoes still warm from the heat of your feet, immediately put unwaxed wooden shoe trees in your shoes.
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These will absorb moisture, tighten the shoe on its original shape and reduce walking creases.
They thus help to avoid the appearance of unwanted folds.
Note: If the shoe trees are made of plastic, add newspaper inside the shoe to absorb moisture.
Let Your Shoes Breathe​​​
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After a day of use, your shoes need to breathe in order to evacuate the stored humidity.
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Prefer alternation. Allow the shoes to rest for at least 48 hours before wearing them again.
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Waterproof your shoes
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Waterproofing protects your shoes not only from rain but also from dirt and stains.
In order to ensure optimal protection of the shoe, it is recommended to waterproof it before first use, three times for optimum protection, leaving to dry between each application, and paying particular attention to the junction between the sole and matter.
So that your shoes are always protected from the weather, the application must be repeated every 8 to 10 uses, on previously cleaned shoes, because the waterproofing agents lose their effectiveness over time.
All materials, with the exception of patent, oily and synthetic leathers, stretch and Gore-tex, must be regularly waterproofed.
To know: You can waterproof your leather and textile bags in the same way to protect them from stains.
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Never dry your shoes
near a heat source
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Let your shoes dry at room temperature, with shoe trees so that they do not become deformed.
Never dry your shoes near a heat source, such as a radiator. Proximity to a heat source could dry out the leather and cause premature aging.
If you've caught the rain and your shoes are very wet, let them dry well overnight, leaning on your side, away from any heat source. You can also line them with newspaper or paper towels which will absorb the moisture present in the shoes.
Namely: it takes about twelve hours for a shoe to dry properly.
