Are You Ruining Your Pricey Shoes? 3 Tricks to Keep Them Looking Sharp
By Perrie Samotin, StyleCaster
So you finally bit the bullet and bought that amazing pair of "investment" shoes. If you're anything like us, you're probably pretty eager to maniacally tear them out of the box and take 'em for a spin (or, at the very least, an Instagram pic.) But before you do, it's key to take a couple of precautions to ensure that your new kicks hold up for as long as possible.
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It's a wonder that so few women take measures to protect our precious footwear-especially when doing so requires little money and even less energy. All it takes is a few simple measures to ensure you'll get loads of mileage out of your shoes, making them even more worth the investment. Read on for 3 tricks to protect your pricey shoes to keep them looking sharp for years to come.
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1. Always add rubber soles and heel caps.
The soles of most pricey shoes are made of leather-very thin leather, at that. You've probably noticed that even after one wear, the bottoms start scraping and thinning, so a thin layer of rubber is a key addition. Any shoemaker can do this for you in minutes, and can match most sole colors (even red, ladies.) If your shoes have thin heels, ask the cobbler to also add durable heel caps, which will prevent stilettos from wearing down.
2. Condition!
Have you ever conditioned your leather shoes? If not, it's time to start, as the added moisture will keep the leather super-supple and prevent pesky cracks. Before you condition, use a soft shoe brush to remove any dirt from shoe, then rub small amounts of conditioner onto the surface. Wait a few minutes then wipe it off gently-the leather will only absorb what it can. Most types of leather conditioners cost around $10, and will last pretty much forever.
3. Storage matters.
Where you keep your shoes matters immensely-keeping them in the wrong place could cause fading, scratching, and other serious damage. If you live in a small space, we don't recommend keeping all your shoe boxes, but it's key to hang on to the ones that came with your pricey pairs. Linen dustbags are also a fantastic way to store shoes, both at home and while traveling.
One thing to always keep in mind: Haphazardly throwing your shoes into the closet (we're guilty!) is one of the worst things you can do, so if you're going to keep them outside of a box or bag, nearly line them up in pairs on your closet's floor or on a shelf with ample breathing room between pairs. Also, don't store good shoes near direct sunlight, which can cause fading and major discoloration.
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