Use your shoe regularly and rotating them with another shoe in your closet, that’s the best way to take
care a care of your shoe for daily basis. Rotating them will give the leather material back to it’s normal
shape, because the leather material will change as you move. Shoes also need a day off, just like you.
We suggest you to avoid using the same shoe for two consecutive days for its longevity. So, two or three
pairs of leather shoes in your shoe rack will be perfect, its also make it easier when you lose your
favourite shoe under the sofa.
Most of the leather material contains natural oil in it. As time goes by, you should clean and treat them
periodically to keep the oil content that eroded from the upper layer (and a little below it) and also keep
the leather material stay supple after months of usage.
Another thing that you should consider to taking a good care of your shoes : buy a wooden shoe tree.
Why? Our feet has 250.000 sweat glands that producing 250ml of sweat every day in active condition,
wooden shoe tree can absorb moisture from our shoe and restoring its shape. Wooden shoe tree can
extend up to three times of your shoe age expectancy.
When you clean the shoes, believe me, you will be in love with your shoes. The chemistry between you
and the shoes will be even greater than ever. Please don’t let your wife or partner know about this, she
will lock the bedroom door and keep you sleep in the sofa tonight.
Treat your leather shoes as you treat your body, clean it from the mud and dust every day. Dried mud can
reduce the natural oil content in the shoe leather, makes the leather material dry .
If the weather is not friendly and force you to break through the rain, do not dry your shoes in the sun
directly, or bring them to a heat source such as an oven. Wipe the water at the outside and inside surface
of the shoe using a soft cotton cloth and then let your shoes dry naturally at room temperature. Never
force your shoes to clean when its wet. Small pebbles stuck to your shoe will scratch the leather because
the water hug them like a magnet. Allow the mud dried by itself, and use a soft brush to shed the dirt.
Before cleaning up your shoes, you have to prepare a soft household sponge, toothbrush, soft shoe
brush, horse hair brush, horse hair dauber / brush applicator, and some soft cotton cloth.
There’s some important thing you should have for your shoes treatment : saddle soap, boot oil, shoe
cream, and wax shoe polish as well. Always use silicone free boot oil to make sure we buy a product that
would not hurt the shoes, and make sure they contain natural beeswax and lanolin.
First, insert the shoe tree to your shoes. Shoe tree will help to hold the shape of your shoes while you
giving a ‘pressure’ during the cleaning process. Release the shoelaces, then use a soft brush to remove
dust and dirt. Pay attention to perforated hole and welt area and use a soft toothbrush there, it’ll habituate
your eyes to be more rigorous.
If you feel your shoes is so dirty and the dirt is already difficult to be cleaned with brush and a soft cotton
cloth, we need saddle soap to solve this problem. But don’t , it will make the leather lose their natural
humidity. If your shoes are worn daily in normal activities, applying saddle soap three to four times per
year should be enough.
Use a sponge to take the saddle soap and give it a little water (water in small amounts will not make the
leather barking), then gently massage the skin with a circular motion several times until foam appears.
Then, passionately scrub your shoes, and leave the shoes for about 15 minutes. Wipe the rest of the
foam, and don’t let any residues left behind. Just like our skin, the remaining soap will make your skin dry
and our girlfriend surely will take us to a dermatologist. If you use a leather sole shoes, make sure that
you clean it too.
Sometimes saddle soap is unable to clean thick stain and wax. Use naphtha (lighter fuel) or turpentine,
drop a few times in cotton / wool, and massage it gently with circular movements. When the fabric started
to dry, drop a few drops back. Never use acetone or paint remover in this stage if you don’t want to look
like just came back from conquering Kilimanjaro.
Boot oil is made to restore the moisture of your leather shoe when they started to dry. However,
excessive usage of boot oil can damage your leather. Use it just when you feel the shoe begins to dry
and require additional nutrients. If you are not a firefighters, don’t listen to your drunken lads who
suggested using boot oil once a month, or using boot oil as an experiment to the evolution of the leather.
Use your ‘feeling’ when you intend to treat or clean the shoes. If you lived on tropical area, normally, the
best time of your first coat of boot oil is 12 month after you receive your new boots, and maximum 2 times
a year after that.
Leather is a unique material, their color will changed with age and it’s called patina. Sunlight and
perspiration can change their color. Shoe cream has the ability to provide moisture to the leather and
keep the leather stay supple. They ran into the leather porous and give a space to the leather to keep
breathing while restoring their color.
Their ability to provide leather moisture is not as strong as the boot oil. So, the shoe cream is relatively
safer to use more often rather than boot oil. Make sure the shoe cream that we use not containing much
pigment that doesn’t have the ability to soak into the leather.
Use horse hair dauber / brush applicator to apply shoe cream to shoes (don’t forget to use different
dauber for each colour). If you don’t have dauber / brush, use a soft cotton cloth wrapped around the
index finger and ring finger (if you’re using a gothic ring, don’t forget to take it off). Take a small amount of
cream, and gently massage in a circular motion. Make sure it goes flat and not too thick. Then brush your
shoes vigorously using horse hair brush 15 minutes later.
coming soon
