Shoe Care 101

As requested from a few readers, here's a post on shoe care~ with tips to care for anything from leather to python.  

Marilyn Monroe once said, “Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world.”  Inheriting my mother’s small feet, as a size 4.5-5, I’m constantly on a quest to find the right shoes.  Shopping for shoes is something I share with my mom—our very own, mother/daughter-bonding event, making each purchase even more meaningful and special.  When we do stumble upon “the one”, I’ll treasure these wearable works of art, add them to my collection, and start caring for them the moment they leave the box. 


Here are some general tips I’ve picked up from my mom throughout the years: 

1.     The first thing we do is add an anti-slip, sole protector adhesive sole to the bottoms of our heels.  This not only protects and prolongs your shoe’s longevity, but adds grip to your soles, preventing you from slipping and sliding on carpeted flooring.

2.     Never slip into a pair of heels with dirty feet.  It always bothers me to see the inner lining of my heel with an imprint of your arch and toes…

3.     It sounds somewhat gross, but my feet sometimes sweat.  It’s always important to let leather heels breathe and bounce back to its original shape after wearing it for long periods of time.

4.     Let shoes dry naturally, elevated on a shoe rack if they happen to get wet before storing. 

5.     Avoid storing shoes in hot places.  Heat dries out the leather, suede, and exotic skins, making it more prone to cracks.

6.     Store your shoes in your closet stuffed with tissue paper, newspaper, or shoe trees, if available to help your shoe maintain its shape!