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How to
care for your new shoes: |
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If
you consider a pair of Australian designer shoes to be an investment
then you won't mind spending a little time and attention on
their upkeep. By considering how you will use your shoes and
what they were made for, you can vastly extend their life.
Please keep in mind that you have purchased leading design fashion
shoes. In order achieve certain aesthetics like low profiles,
sharp toes and thin soles, certain sacrifices have to be made
in durability. Your shoes are extremely well made...they just
need the consideration they deserve.
If you occasionally polish your shoes you are already doing
more than most people. Properly caring for your shoes is a little
more involved than that. It is a four step process: cleaning;
conditioning; polishing and; weatherproofing. |
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| Step
1. |
Clean
the surface of the leather to remove surface dirt, just
as you would wash a car before you wax it. Use a soft
cleaning cloth or clean old rag that will not scratch
the leather surface. You can dampen the cloth slightly
if dirt has dried and caked on. |
| Step
2. |
After
cleaning you should condition
the leather. Conditioners soften and lubricate leather,
keeping if feeling soft and looking new. |
| Step
3. |
Once
the shoes have been cleaned and conditioned, then
it is time for polish.
Polishes may contain dyes, pigments, waxes and conditioning
agents. Dyes and pigments renew colour and cover scuffs.
If your shoes are not a standard colour (like black),
you may feel more comfortable using a dye and pigment-free
polish like a clear Dubbin. Waxes provide shine and protection.
Conditioning agents moisten and renew the leather. |
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There
are three standard types of polish. These are liquid, cream
and paste. Liquids are the easiest to apply, followed by cream
and paste. Ease of application however is inversely proportional
to wax content and the staying power of the polish. Pastes are
the most durable. Creams are easier to apply than pastes, hold
up longer than liquids and come in a variety of colours. |
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| Step
4. |
4.
The final step is weatherproofing.
Though polishing provides some sealing qualities, if you
live or work in a wet, muddy or oily environment, the
added protection of weatherproofing is a must. |
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Other
must-dos are: |
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| 1.
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Use
a shoe horn when putting on your shoes, always!
It protects the heel from unnecessary wear and will prevent
the leather at the back from ripping. |
| 2.
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Always
use cedar shoe trees
after wearing. They are designed to absorb moisture and
maintain the regular shape of your shoes. |
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Allow
shoes to completely dry inside and out, by not wearing
the same pair of shoes on consecutive days. I know it's
hard because you want to wear them every day...resist! |
| 4. |
Wear
anti-microbial socks. This will prevent your shoes
from smelling bad. If you don't know where to get this
kind of sock from, please ask us. |
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When traveling,
put your shoes in shoe bags.
They protect the leather from being scratched. |
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Don't
wear your shoes in the rain! Seriously. Have and
old pair or a pair of rain boots stored in your car boot
for such occasions. If you are unfortunate and get stuck
in the rain, immediately wipe off the water, stuff them
with tissue paper to absorb moisture and fill out the
shape. Then leave them in a dry ventilated area for a
couple of days. Replace the tissue paper as necessary. |
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If your soles
are wearing through, take them down to your local shoe
repair shop and have them apply a rubber tread.
It won't affect the look of your shoes but it will give
you plenty more wear. Best of all, it will probably only
cost about $10 or $15. |
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Foot
odour and smelly shoes: |
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The usual culprits
in foot odor are sweat-eating bacteria.
Mainly corynebacteria and micrococci. It is important to realize
that bacteria cover every surface of your skin and are inside
your pores and sweat glands. Bacteria are in the air and on
everything you touch. Bacteria are
not necessarily bad.
The problem begins when bacteria become attracted to the sweat
on your feet and start feeding on it. You have purchased genuine
leather shoes with leather lining which is a great start because
leather is a natural product that absorbs and wicks moisture
away from your feet. By not wearing synthetic shoes you are
avoiding creating the hot and moist environment that bacteria
love.
The bacteria's excretion has a strong
odor that causes your feet to smell bad.
Since each foot has over 250,000 sweat glands in it, and produces
over a pint of sweat a day there's a lot for the bacteria to
eat.
What makes the situation worse are shoes and socks which trap
the sweat on your skin. Now the bacteria have their favorite
kind of environment: warm and dark and damp, causing them to
go into a feeding frenzy. More waste is excreted, and when you
take off your socks and shoes, your nose is presented with the
results!
Why do some people's feet smell more than others? The simple
answer is, some people sweat more than others. That's also the
reason why your own foot odor can vary. You might sweat more
at different parts of the day. The more you sweat, the more
your feet will smell.
Aside from bacteria, if you don't regularly wear or wash your
socks, fungi can rot the dead skin that has fallen from your
feet. This decomposition process smells bad. Your skin naturally
turns over every 28 days. A new cell starts on the bottom layer
of skin, then another skin cell forms underneath it. The process
continues until the bottom cell reaches the top and is sloughed
off as dander or dandruff. If you don't wear socks, your old
skin deposits in the shoes where it rots and emits an offensive
odor. Socks prevent the old skin from getting into your shoes
and washing socks gets rid of the old skin and prevents them
from smelling. |
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To
avoid smelly shoes and feet: |
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Always
use cedar shoe trees after wearing. They are designed
to absorb moisture and maintain the regular shape of your
shoes. |
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Allow
shoes to completely dry inside and out, by not wearing
the same pair of shoes on consecutive days. I know it's
hard because you want to wear them every day...resist! |
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Wear anti-microbial
socks. This will prevent your shoes from smelling bad.
If you don't know where to get this kind of sock from,
please ask us. |
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Put on a
fresh pair of socks after lunch. They will be dry and
ready to absorb more sweat. |
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Wear socks
made from natural fibers like cotton or silk. |
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Always wear
shoes made from genuine leather that are also leather
lined. |
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