Taking care of your shoes is important as it increases the longevity of your shoes and improves your foot hygiene. See our tips below for how to make sure your shoes last the distance.
Avoid Extreme Heat
Avoid putting your shoes through the washing machine or the dryer. The heat damages the glue that holds your shoe together. Last thing you want is your shoe breaking down before you’ve had good use out of it!
Remove stains
Depending on what has stained your shoe, it can cause damage to the shoe upper, thus shortening the life of your shoe. Stains on shoes can be cleaned with baking soda and white vinegar and water solution. Combine 1 tablespoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon white vinegar and 1 tablespoon hot water into a paste. Use an old toothbrush to apply the paste onto the shoe, directly on the stains. Lightly scrub and rinse your shoes off.
Air your shoes
Just like your skin, your shoes need decent airflow to reduce odour, minimise bacteria or fungi growth and allow the materials to recover from all day wear. Keeping your shoes dry and aired-out, decreases the likelihood of your feet developing fungal skin and nail conditions.
Rotate your shoes
Constantly wearing the same pair of shoes damages the structure and integrity of the shoes. Running shoes should be rested regularly to allow the cushioning-foam to re-expand. If you are running or walking daily, we recommend you have two pairs of running/walking shoes in rotation.
Put your shoes on correctly
This may seem overly simple, but you would be surprised at how quickly the heel counter of a shoe can get destroyed if you try and shove your foot into the shoe without un-doing the shoe laces! Loosen the shoelaces as much as you can before you slide your foot in and out of your shoes to minimise damage and prolong the life of your shoe.
Look after leather
Polish leather shoes at least once a month using a leather restorer or a leather conditioner. This prevents the leather from hardening and cracking and will make the shoes last longer.
Use a spray or powder
If you have a current fungal infection (athletes foot) or you are prone to fungal infections, using an anti fungal spray or powder in your shoes is highly recommended.
The use of powders and sprays can also help reduce odour and sweating. If there is a strong odour an anti-fungal & anti-bacterial spray would be recommended, if you sweat a lot a powder is recommended as it absorbs extra moisture.
