Comfortable boots are starting to fall apart, but I don’t want to buy new ones. We tell you how to put your shoes in order so that they can withstand more than one autumn and winter.
- Store your shoes correctly
- Wash dirty shoes immediately
- Do not dry your shoes near the radiator
- Seal the cracks
- Get brushes for different materials
- Brushes made of natural bristles
- Suede brushes
- Eraser for suede and nubuck
- Shoe sponge
- Felt fabric for patent leather shoes
- Treat the scuffs with paint
- Use shoe wax or spray
Store your shoes correctly
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Preparing shoes for autumn begins in the spring – when you put your warm boots and shoes in the closet. If they are left dirty or not dried out from last season, beautiful boxes will not save. Wash and clean your shoes well, then dry and apply cream. The inner surface can be treated with antibacterial spray. Fill your shoes with newspaper or insert special mold holders to prevent creases and wrinkles from forming on the material. And remember: there must be a hole in the box for ventilation.
Wash dirty shoes immediately
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It is better to clean your shoes as soon as you return home. Do not leave soiled boots until the morning – in the heat, the dirt will dry out, be absorbed into the material, and it will not be so easy to remove it. A regular sponge dipped in warm soapy water will help you get rid of stains. Leather shoes can be washed under running water and the dirt can be scrubbed off with a brush. Suede requires more delicate handling: treat only the stained area with a damp cloth and use a special brush.
Do not dry your shoes near the radiator
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Putting on warm boots straight from the battery is very pleasant. But it is better to sacrifice this pleasure if you want them to serve for a long time. Due to sudden temperature changes, leather shoes begin to crack. The heat from the battery deforms the rubber sole and causes the boots to dry out. Shoes that are often dried in this way no longer retain heat and allow water to pass through. It’s better to use special electric dryers that fit directly into your shoes. Or stuff them with newspaper and leave them at room temperature. Another option is to heat coarse salt in a frying pan, fill rag bags with it and put it in wet shoes.
Seal the cracks
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If your feet begin to get wet in your favorite boots, all is not lost. Inspect them carefully and use shoe glue to seal cracks and areas where the uppers come away from the soles. Do not fill the damage with glue – this will not work. Apply the product evenly in a thin layer to one of the surfaces and press it tightly against the other for a while. For best results, degrease the surface first.
The manufacturer of Contact glue has a special shoe superglue. It quickly and firmly adheres to any materials – leather, leatherette, felt, rubber, fabric – while remaining elastic. Unlike regular shoe glue, you don’t have to wait a whole day – to set, just press the surfaces against each other for 30 seconds, and after 10-15 minutes the shoes are completely ready for use. The glue is absolutely transparent and does not spread, so there is no risk of staining your favorite boots with it. Cracks on the shoes will not be visible, and most importantly, water will not seep through them.
Get brushes for different materials
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Rough Leather brushes can ruin suede or nubuck. Buy several different shoe brushes from your favorite materials.
Brushes made of natural bristles
Suitable for leather and leatherette. For shoes of different colors, you can purchase several brushes so as not to wash the same one after each cleaning. For polishing with colorless wax, it is also better to have a separate accessory.
Suede brushes
Cleans and combs delicate material. They can consist of soft metal bristles, rubber pimples or artificial bristles.
Eraser for suede and nubuck
A rough, lint-free block that helps remove dirt.
Shoe sponge
A soft sponge soaked in a colored or colorless compound polishes and adds shine. Used as a finish for shoes made of leather or faux leather.
Felt fabric for patent leather shoes
Patent leather cannot be treated with brushes or sponges – they will leave scratches. Wipe such shoes with a piece of felt, flannel or velvet.
Treat the scuffs with paint
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Special paint will help restore broken toes and heels, eliminate marks left on your shoes by bad weather or people in transport, and hide scratches and abrasions. You can choose a convenient format: the product comes in the form of an aerosol, cream or liquid that is applied with a brush. You can usually find shoe paint in any color, but it is also possible to mix several to achieve the exact shade. The main rule is to apply the pigment only to a dry and clean surface.
Use shoe wax or spray
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Colorless wax is the final stage of care. It is applied last and creates a protective film on the shoes that repels water, dirt and road chemicals. Thanks to this stage, your shoes or boots will get less dirty even in the heaviest slush. It is better to wax your shoes the day before, rather than right before going out – then it will have time to be well absorbed into the leather. There are special water-repellent sprays for suede or other delicate materials.
If your shoes are no longer new, but you intend to last through the season, put shoe superglue in your bag. Contact glue has convenient packaging for such cases – a small tube, which is sealed in an airtight bag. It eliminates the risk of leakage and allows you to always have the product at hand. You can immediately seal your shoes and avoid getting your feet wet.
Contact is currently running a campaign throughout Russia: tell us about how glue helped you save your favorite thing on social networks and put the hashtag #gluecontact. Every week, the winners receive a modern smartphone, and at the end of the year a super prize of 500,000 rubles will be drawn.
