Shoe care. Shoe care products - review of the best creams, sprays, impregnations by manufacturers and prices Shoe polish
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Modern shoes are very capricious. If it is constantly exposed to water, dust, dirt and temperature changes (and there is no other way), then it can quickly become unusable. Or rather, you can still wear the shoes themselves, but they will look pretty bad. To prevent this, experts recommend proper care at least twice a week. Otherwise, in a month or two you will have to buy a new pair at a shoe store. And shoes, as you know, today have a fairly high cost. What exactly is proper care for modern shoes, we will tell you in this article.
Among the elementary rules, we would like to note the prohibition of removing a shoe from one foot using the other. Regarding the donning process, the use of a horn is highly recommended. However, these are small things compared to what truly proper care involves, which includes cleaning, drying and scrubbing. Additional measures include polishing and impregnation, which we will also discuss below. website
1. Shoe cleaning
If your shoes are very dirty after going outside, it is recommended to rinse them with cold water within a minute after you enter the room. That is, dirt should not be allowed to dry on the surface. By the way, washing should be quick so that the shoes do not get wet. If the contamination is not too severe, you can clean it with a brush, or wipe the surface first with a damp and then with a soft, dry cloth. Under no circumstances should leather shoes be washed in a washing machine, especially using any detergents containing chlorine bleach.
Suede and nubuck are very difficult to clean. It is recommended to do this in an extremely dry condition. Dirt is removed using special iron or rubber brushes. They will help you ensure that nubuck or suede shoes look neat and fuzzy. If the dirt is on the heel and sole, it can be removed with a damp flannel.
2. Drying shoes
If the shoes are wet, it is recommended to dry them at room temperature. It is strictly forbidden to dry shoes on a radiator, as well as using other heating and heating devices. In order for shoes to retain their shape, they must be stuffed with paper when wet, or special spacers must be used. If you do not want the dried shoes to harden, lubricate the surface with Vaseline immediately after drying. After a couple of hours, apply additional shoe polish and rub with a brush.
Heavily wet leather shoes should initially be wiped dry with a soft cloth. Felt boots are dried at high temperatures, but not more than 90 degrees. For felt shoes, the maximum is 50 degrees. We recommend buying two pairs for one season. This will help you dry the raw material naturally, in room conditions. As for rubber shoes, they are an isolated space inside, as a result of which the insoles must be thoroughly and regularly washed, and the shoes themselves must be disinfected from the inside. By the way, to the question of insoles. If you wash your insoles regularly, you can really extend the life of your shoes, boots, boots, and more.
3. Shoe cleaning
Shoes should be cleaned immediately after going outside, and not before leaving the house, since dried dirt can become embedded in the fabric. If you use a special product for care, carefully read the instructions for its use. Gels, creams and other cleaning products are applied with a sponge or brush. In this case, the surface must be dry. The product is evenly distributed over the entire surface, after which you need to wait from 5 to 30 minutes (depending on the product) until the composition is absorbed and completely dry.
Since the cream does not disappear during use, after using the product several times, you need to wash your leather shoes with warm soapy water in order to get rid of old layers of cream. In addition, this will allow you to clean your shoes from dirt that was hidden under the cream. It is not recommended to wet leather shoes frequently. In winter and autumn, leather shoes should be lubricated with cream every day. Frequent lubrication will extend the life of your winter boots and also help them maintain their elasticity and softness. Remember that a high-quality cream must have water-repellent properties, which is additional protection against premature aging.
If you have different colored shoes and want to apply different products to different areas, you can use an old toothbrush to do this. Light-colored shoes are cleaned with special colorless creams. It is not recommended to use products such as Vaseline, sunflower oil and baby cream for lubrication. Especially if the skin is soft. Using these products will cause your skin to become dull.
It is recommended to clean shoes made of suede or nubuck using aerosols, impregnations, rubber bands and creams designed specifically for shoes made of nubuck and suede. The manufacturers themselves insist on this. Once the dirt is removed from the surface, wipe it with a suede cleaning stone, or treat it with a special product. After this, let it dry and “comb” in one direction. Remember that it is not recommended to clean suede shoes with water, as the material may deteriorate. Make it a habit to treat your suede shoes with a water-repellent treatment once a month for added protection.
If shiny areas are found on suede shoes, they can be restored with fresh white bread crumbs or table salt. It is also recommended to use the “sulfur” surface of a new matchbox. You can straighten the lint on suede using steam from boiling water. Just hold the shoes over the pan for a while. If the suede is brown, you can use coffee grounds to clean it. Once the grounds are dry, all that remains is to simply wipe with a dry brush. If your black suede shoes are very worn, you can improve their appearance by smoking over a candle.
Shoes made of textiles and synthetics are cleaned with a soft sponge. Sports synthetic shoes are suitable for hand washing with warm water (about 35 degrees), using laundry soap and a soft brush. After the shoes are washed, they must be thoroughly removed from the cleaning composition by rinsing. If you find the appropriate label, you can wash it in a washing machine, but only on the delicate cycle. Synthetic and textile shoes should not be washed using detergents containing chlorine bleach.
Plastic colored boots can be cleaned with Vaseline, which will help protect them from cracks and acquire a beautiful shine. Black satin shoes are cleaned with a cotton swab, which must be soaked in natural coffee. If we talk about felt boots, they are cleaned with sandpaper and a stiff brush. Shoes made of felt are cleaned with bran, talcum powder or dry sawdust. Patent leather shoes are treated with Vaseline, and if they are not used for a long time, they should be stored in old stockings. If you want to freshen up old leather shoes, rub them with orange zest or milk and turpentine. If leather shoes are too dry, warm water will help restore their elasticity. Keep the shoes in water for a while, then wipe them dry, lubricate them with glycerin and stuff the inside with paper to maintain their shape. Rubber shoes are rubbed with glycerin or refined sunflower oil.
If the shoes are new, and you want to give it shine, wipe its surface with a piece of lemon, then treat it with a piece of velvet cloth. If you don't want your feet to sweat or, God forbid, to become covered with fungus, periodically treat the inner surface with a disinfectant.
As for caring for the sole, you will have to use special products for soles or regular oil to lubricate its surface. This will help the sole remain elastic at all times, which, as you can imagine, will dramatically increase its durability. Sole treatment is especially recommended after walking in heavy rain.
4. Shoe polishing
Shoes are polished to give them a bright color and shine. For polishing, you can use special soaked sponges, aerosols, wax, creams, etc. Apply the product to the shoes and then polish with a brush. As for the brush, ideally it should be made of natural bristles. After brushing, use a polishing cloth, which can be purchased at a shoe or fabric store. To ensure perfect polishing, you can use water during the process. A small amount of water is applied to the polished shoes, spread with cream, after which a cotton cloth is taken and the shoes are rubbed in a circular motion. For greater comfort, wrap a piece of cloth around your finger. At the end of the procedure, remove small particles from the surface of the shoe with a soft brush. This will help achieve maximum shine.
5. Impregnation of shoes
Shoes are impregnated so that they become water-repellent. As a consequence, the impregnation agent must also be water-repellent. Make sure your wax, gel or shoe polish is labeled as such.
6. Shoe storage
Storing shoes can be either short-term (everyday) or long-term (seasonal). In the first case we are talking about storage between daily wear, and in the second case we are talking about storage between separate seasons.
In addition to temporary classification, shoe storage is divided according to the conditions and method of storage into open and closed. Open storage involves the process of keeping them either in special boxes or simply on the floor. Closed storage involves the use of cabinets, mezzanines or closed boxes.
Before sending shoes for long-term storage, it is necessary to prepare them accordingly. This is the only way to achieve storage efficiency and safety. It is best to store in places away from sunlight and moisture. Remember that ultraviolet radiation can trigger the oxidation process in cells, especially if they are made of polymer materials. Thus, artificial rubber becomes covered with a hard crust when exposed to sunlight, rubber can crack, and plastic can age.
Moisture has the most negative effect on shoes. Thus, boots made of synthetic and natural rubber may lose their elasticity if stored for a long time in a humid environment. Genuine leather shoes also change their properties. When storing, it is worth considering not only sun and moisture, but also the biological environment, which includes living organisms such as mold and insects. Particularly harmful is mold or mildew, which causes significant destruction. Natural shoes can be completely damaged by moths or carpet beetles. Fortunately, getting rid of all these living creatures can be quite simple. It is enough to periodically ventilate the places where your shoes are stored. By the way, everyday storage requires separate drying of insoles, which must be removed.
To ensure that your shoes, shoes and boots are stored in proper conditions, we recommend purchasing a special cabinet. Shoes can be stored here both daily and seasonally. To separate shoes according to storage conditions, there are separate sections. Such cabinets are made of wood or metal. The size of the closet is selected both according to the number of shoes stored and the available space in your apartment.
A shoe cabinet must have holes for good ventilation. If you don’t want to spend money on a closet, you can simply store your shoes in the hallway, on a rug, although this option is not suitable for a large number of shoes. If you have a desire, make a small cabinet with shelves from wooden blocks, chipboard, plywood and wire, the diagram of which can be easily found on the Internet.
If you are going to send shoes for long-term storage, use shoe boxes, cabinets or closed mezzanines for this. But do not forget that shoes need to be prepared before storage. How to do it? First of all, clean it of dirt, wash it, dry it, rub it with a special product, and then ventilate it. To prevent an unpleasant odor from appearing inside, disinfect the inside of your shoes using disinfectants or a cotton swab soaked in vinegar essence. In the latter case, you need to place the tampon inside your shoes, and wrap the shoes themselves in a plastic bag and tie it tightly. After 12 hours, remove the shoes from the bag and remove the cotton wool. You can combat unpleasant odors using potassium permanganate or hydrogen peroxide. Cotton wool soaked in these products should be used to wipe the inside of the shoe. There is no need to leave the cotton inside, as in the previous case.
Shoe zipper repair
- A leather pair can be nourished several times . For polishing, you can use a horsehair brush, suede cloth, or nylon stocking.
- Suede or nubuck should be treated once a month water repellent spray. Remember that fabrics are picky about water and do not like moisture, so nutritional cream is not suitable. Such materials cannot be polished either.
- Patent leather shoes should be nourished with castor oil, petroleum jelly, glycerin. Polishing should be done with a terry or velvet cloth.
- To soak rubber boots , glycerin or refined sunflower oil should be applied to them.
Features of caring for white and colored shoes
Care involves the following features:
- Use only colorless creams for impregnation of the material.
- For food A mixture of milk and the white of 1 chicken egg is also suitable.
- Polished only with soft pieces of fabric.
- Stains You can remove it with lemon juice, applying it with a soft cloth.
How to properly care for textile shoes
Caring for textile and fabric shoes involves cleaning and drying. Such boots, flip-flops, sneakers, sneakers, ballet flats, and moccasins do not have to be dry-cleaned.
They can be put in order manually, following the rules:
- Clear remove dirt from the area with a dry, rough brush or an old toothbrush.
- Take out insoles, laces. They should be washed separately.
- Wash ballet flats, slippers with water and detergent. For washing, you can use any means - soap, powder, gel, etc.
- Approximate washing time – no more than 7 minutes.
- Not worth it soak such shoes.
- Wash in warm water.
- Squeeze You can remove excess water by lightly squeezing the fabric.
- Dry so that water flows out and does not accumulate in the toe or heel.
- Dry better near the battery. The room should be ventilated, dry, warm.
- Can Treat the boots with a water-repellent agent only after drying.
- When drying use special inserts that prevent fabric deformation.
- Keep It is better in a clean, dry form together with insecticides, especially moths.
10 effective and popular shoe care products - I recommend!
I offer a selection of the best and most effective shoe products, personally tested:
- Salamander cream . It has water-repellent properties, provides excellent nutrition, and gives boots, especially leather ones, a beautiful, attractive look and shine. Economical, covers scuffs well. The main advantage is that it contains natural wax and the product smells good.
- . Also gained my trust. Absorbs well, covers all scuffs, gives shoes shine and a new look. In addition, it has a water-repellent feature and does not attract dust.
- Cream shine for shoes Kari . I would like to note the excellent quality of the cream. It is very easy to apply - using a sponge onto which the cream is applied. It is also convenient, effective, and after use a couple will shine. By the way, packaging saves product consumption.
- Spray Niki Line . The German product is capable of restoring materials such as suede, nubuck, and textiles. Gives your shoes 2 life, refreshes them, colors them.
- Spray paint for suede “Premium” also perfectly restores suede, hides scuffs, like the previous product. Another advantage is that it protects against moisture, salt, and sun rays.
- Water-repellent impregnations Salamander, DIVIDIC, Olvist, ZENDEN . These products help cope with moisture and salt. They perform their task perfectly, are inexpensive, high quality, effective, and have a pleasant smell. I didn't notice any shortcomings.
- Polish Kangaroo, Collonil, Saphir – an excellent product for polishing lacquered pairs. Convenient packaging, lasts a long time, smells good, protects 100% from cracks, maintains skin elasticity, and adds shine.
- Stain cleaning brushes Salamander, Twist Casual Style Mini, Salton – necessary items without which you cannot clean suede and nubuck. They have perfect pile, easily and quickly remove dirt. They can be double, triple, with varying degrees of hardness.
- Erasers from Salton, Solitaire, Saphir, Collonil They perfectly help to cope with stains on velor, suede, and nubuck. The eraser removes dirt without disturbing the structure of the material.
- For textiles you can purchase products from the brands Salamander Universal-SMS, Granger’s Leather Conditioner, Collonil Water spray . These are water-repellent impregnations, sprays that are convenient to apply and protect your fabric shoes from moisture. This way you can wear sneakers or moccasins even in the rain.
So, I reviewed the most important ones in the article. rules for caring for a pair of shoes
. You can listen to my advice, then your shoes will look attractive for a very long time. Don't forget, shoes follow monitor constantly
, otherwise they will become unusable and it will be difficult to restore them.
Buy proven products that will help you cope with pollution and protect you from the negative effects of the environment.
Reading time: 6 minutes. Published 12/17/2018
It is believed that a pair of shoes should last at least 3 years. Not everyone can achieve this result, because boots and shoes deteriorate due to rain, slush and dirt. To extend the life of your favorite shoes, you need to properly care for them and choose high-quality care products.
Choice of cream
When purchasing a shoe care product, you need to decide which type is best.
There are clear and colored creams on sale. The second option is indispensable in cases where there are scratches or abrasions on the shoes that need to be masked.
- Water-emulsion cream. Used mainly in spring and summer. This product is quite soft, which simplifies the treatment of shoes. The main advantage of the cream is that the shoes will not be deformed. The composition does not protect enough from moisture, but gives a beautiful shine. The product is available in tubes.
- Cream based on organic solvents. Ideal for rainy weather. The product must be applied in a thin layer. Once the treated shoes are dry, you can begin polishing them. Such care guarantees the absence of cracks. Moreover, the cream corrodes dirt, repels dust and provides excellent moisture resistance. This product has a subtle waxy smell.
To check the quality of the cream, just study its texture. If lumps are present, this indicates the presence of poorly purified chemicals in the composition. As a result, the protective film will turn out to be uneven, which means you can forget about moisture resistance.
The entire mass should be homogeneous and have the same shade. If peeling is noticeable near the walls of the container, this indicates a leak in the packaging.
You should not constantly use sponges for express cleaning. They add shine to shoes, but do not mask scuffs. It is worth noting that the shine will disappear after a few minutes, and the resulting film will attract dust.
Thick, greasy cream is not suitable for expensive leather shoes. The product will saturate the surface. Light-colored shoes may stain. In this case, you should prefer a water-based, non-greasy cream.
Other means
The following shoe care products are often found on sale:
- Colored aerosols. Designed for patent leather and suede shoes. The products straighten suede hairs and restore the original shade.
- Balms and milk. Helps remove small scratches from the surface of patent leather shoes. These products also make shoes soft and shiny.
- Oils and shampoos. With their help, any shoes will look like new. You need to be careful when using such products. Careless application will most likely result in a damaged shade.
To care for shoes you will need special tools. These are sponges, brushes, velvet cloths and shreds.
The owner of leather shoes should have a soft sponge, a natural bristle brush and a soft shred to add shine. Bring back freshness
Sponges, abrasive and rubber brushes will help.
Material-specific care
To make shoes last longer, when choosing care products you need to consider what material they are made of.
Leather
Immediately after purchasing leather shoes, it is necessary to impregnate them with a protective agent that ensures wear and moisture resistance. Subsequently, the procedure is repeated monthly.
Leather shoes are cleaned 2-3 times a week in several stages:
- removing dirt;
- drying;
- cleaning;
- polishing
Large lumps of dirt are cleaned off with a brush, and then the surface is wiped alternately with a damp and dry soft cloth. If the shoes are heavily soiled, you can gently rinse your shoes with warm water. After this, the shoes or boots need to be wiped down.
Heating devices are not suitable for drying shoes. Shoes should simply be placed in the room. To prevent the procedure from harming the material, you should put newspaper inside to absorb excess moisture.
For cleaning autumn and winter shoes, products based on organic solvents are suitable. They form a thin film, so you don't have to polish your shoes. For summer shoes, you should choose a water-based cream.
Aerosol will be the best choice for shoes made from several pieces of leather. It is important to remember that you need to apply the cream 10 hours before going out.
Nubuck
Without proper care
quickly lose their attractive appearance. To avoid this, regular treatment is required.
Nubuck shoe care products can be used when the shoes or boots are completely dry. You will also need special brushes.
When choosing creams, you need to pay attention that the packaging is marked “for nubuck.” Products designed for smooth skin are definitely not suitable.
Varnish
Holders
you'll have to forget about the brushes. To care for shoes, only soft cloths and velvet are suitable.
This coating is considered very capricious, so shoes should not be worn often. Also, it should not be worn in cold or rainy weather.
Universal products are not the best choice for patent leather shoes. Such creams can corrode the varnish layer. Only water-based products are suitable for this material.
Suede
If your shoes are made of suede, you should buy special shoe care products.
To remove heavy dirt, you will need a regular brush, and to treat shiny areas, you will need a brush with a rubber tip. Colored aerosols are suitable for everyday care and adding rich shine.
After purchasing, suede boots should be immediately treated with a waterproofing agent.
Suede is great for frosty, dry weather. Shoes made from this material are very soft and warm. It should not be worn in rain and slush, otherwise stains and stains will appear on the suede.
Standard care for suede shoes is carried out as follows:
- You need to brush off dust and dirt from your boots.
- Glossy areas should be carefully rubbed with an eraser.
- If the shoes are heavily soiled, the brush should be moistened in a soap solution with the addition of ammonia in a ratio of 5:1. The suede is then washed with cold water to which a small amount of vinegar has been added. 1 tsp. enough for 1 liter of water.
- To polish shoes, use a lint-free soft cloth. It is also worth holding the boots over steam so that all the fibers straighten out.
Rules of care
There are several general rules that will help maintain the original appearance of shoes:
- Before applying any cream, the surface of boots or shoes must be cleaned of dust and dirt with a dry microfiber cloth. The cream is applied to the dry surface with a special brush. When it is absorbed, you need to polish the material with a soft natural bristle brush.
- For shoes of different shades you need to have separate sponges and brushes.
- To remove dirt from heels or soles, take a wet flannel cloth.
- Membrane shoes can only be treated with special products that do not clog pores.
- Rubber boots and sneaker soles should be washed with soapy water. You will also need a microfiber cloth and a brush.
- Water-repellent agents are used to impregnate shoes. It should be remembered that different compositions are suitable for nubuck and leather. It should also be taken into account that some waxes and creams have a water-repellent effect. In this case, additional impregnation is not required.
- Shoes need to be cleaned regularly. To achieve maximum effect, allow the cream to absorb into the surface.
The color of the cream should match the shade of the shoes. As an exception, a lighter shade may be used. It is strictly forbidden to apply a product of a darker color.
- It is necessary to choose only high-quality products, for example, salamander shoe care products. Such creams and aerosols slow down the aging process of the skin. For complex materials it is worth selecting appropriate compositions.
- To prevent cracks from appearing on your shoes, you should use shoe trees when cleaning.
Abraham Lincoln was once asked: - Mr. Lincoln, do you clean your own shoes? - Yes. Whose shoes do you clean? It’s not a shame to clean your own shoes, it’s a shame to walk around in a neglected and unkempt state. And this is exactly the impression a person in dirty shoes makes.
Leather shoes are one of the status elements of a wardrobe. High-quality shoes speak about the owner’s financial situation, his taste, desire or unwillingness to follow fashion. Remember the sensational video of the Leningrad group “Exhibit”? It was not for nothing that the heroine attached such importance to the opportunity to “be seen” in Louboutins (reminder: we are talking about expensive shoes by designer Christian Louboutin, the distinctive feature of which is the red sole). The very fact of owning such shoes characterizes it better than any words. But on one condition: they must look brilliant. Good shoes in poor condition ruin all attempts to achieve a stylish and expensive look. And there’s nothing to say about not very expensive shoes. It should look like new, and then no one will wonder about its price and appropriateness in your wardrobe. How to achieve a truly brilliant result? Experts strongly advise starting to care for your shoes immediately after purchase, before a fly has yet sat on them, as they say. Because treatment is always more difficult than prevention, and much less effective.
General rules for extending the active life of shoes
- Shoes, like your face, require daily care.
- First treat new shoes made of natural and artificial leather with nourishing cream.
- Start cleaning only after the shoes are dry. Use brushes and products specifically designed for the material from which it is made.
- When putting on boots or shoes, do not twist the backs. Give yourself the trouble to bend over for a shoehorn. By the way, bending down perfectly tightens the stomach.
- Do not rush to place wet shoes on the radiator or dry them with a hairdryer. Stuff them with old newspaper or paper and leave them to dry slowly at room temperature. Yes, this will take longer than with a battery, but your shoes will last longer.
- Shoes need 24 hours to dry completely, so it is advisable to have at least two pairs of seasonal shoes and wear them in turns.
- Use shoes for their intended purpose: sandals - in dry sunny weather, insulated boots - in frost, rubber boots - in rain, and do not mix them up, because inappropriate use of shoes will wear them out quickly and fatally.
How to properly care for smooth skin
Leather can be smooth, sanded or varnished. Smooth is leather without lint or varnish. Sanded is fleecy leather, such as suede and nubuck. Patent - shiny leather with a polyurethane top layer.
We will talk here about caring for smooth skin.
Proper shoe care rests on three pillars: cleaning, nutrition, protection. The question is how, with what and with what frequency to do this.
Cleansing
Needs to be cleaned after every wear. We came home, put shoes on lasts (if any) or stuffed them with newspapers. Then wipe it with a damp cloth, wait until it dries completely, treat it with cleansing foam or soap solution (if it’s very dirty), wash it off, wipe it dry and put it in a closed cabinet or nightstand so that your beauty is less covered in dust. You should not overuse soap; use it occasionally, in case of severe contamination.
Foam for cleaning shoes:
Reno Mat Cleansing Foam KIWI Cleansing Foam
Cleaning foam for shoes Twist
Folk remedies for cleaning leather shoes:
- salt stains with smudges will disappear under the influence of table vinegar (a cloth is soaked in 9% vinegar diluted with water at the rate of 1 part water to 3 parts vinegar, after which the solution is rubbed into the stain);
- grease stains are dissolved with a soda solution (1 tsp per ½ cup of water) - rub until foam forms, then remove with a dry, clean cloth;
- It is best to remove traces of fat from soft skin with a solution of oxalic acid;
- to remove the remnants of old cream, you need to wipe your shoes once a week with a cloth soaked in turpentine or gasoline
Feeding leather shoes
It is enough to lubricate shoes with nourishing creams, such as Vilo, Tarrago, Salton, Twist, two or three times a season. This should be done after the cleaned shoes have completely dried. The cream is applied to a textile napkin or small brush and rubbed into the leather in a circular motion until completely absorbed, after which the boots are left to dry. This procedure will protect the skin from drying out and roughening; the fats included in the cream will make it soft and elastic.
Creams for nourishing leather on boots:
Cream for nourishing leather shoes
Nano Leather Wax shoe cream
Salton shoe cream nourishing
Shoe polish Twist
Folk remedies for nourishing natural leather:
![](https://i0.wp.com/legkovmeste.ru/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/kastorovoe-maslo-135x150.jpeg)
Protecting shoes from water and dirt
Treat with protective dirt- and water-repellent agents every three to five wears. For these purposes, you can use water-repellent sprays, waxes, and wax containing beeswax. It is applied in a circular motion using a small piece of fabric or a brush, and then the boot is polished with a large brush or a nylon sock. Polishing shoes to a mirror shine, or glassage, is considered especially chic.
You can watch the video to see how to make glassage yourself:
Protective means
Water repellent spray for shoes
Wax water-repellent impregnation for shoes
Wax - protects shoes from getting wet
Waxing is used to protect shoes from water and dirt and give them shine.
Folk remedies (including for the sole)
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You shouldn’t be too zealous with the range and layer of products applied. The skin must breathe, no matter how strange it may sound. Yes, natural materials have their quirks. If we start covering it with thick layers of “cosmetics,” the structure may be damaged, and, as a result, the skin will become dull and take on a “tired” appearance.
Cleaning white leather shoes:
One of the basic rules for caring for white shoes is: “Flies separately, cutlets separately.” Which means: white shoes are cleaned and stored separately from colored ones.
- Select brushes, rags, and creams exclusively for white leather shoes.
- Dirt and dust are first wiped off with a dry cloth, and only then washed off with a cloth soaked in water with washing powder diluted in it. This will allow you to avoid dark streaks.
- The remaining powder is removed with a sponge dipped in warm water.
- The boot is wiped dry and, if necessary, stuffed with white paper to dry the inside.
- Transparent or white creams are applied first to a brush or cloth and only then to the surface of the shoe.
- You can finish by polishing with a piece of velvet cloth.
Traditional care recipes
- such shoes need to be periodically coated with a mixture of one egg white, beaten with half a glass of milk, then it will retain its original color;
- can be wiped with a sponge and washing powder, then rinsed with warm water;
- White leather shoes can be cleaned well with toothpaste; how to do this, watch the following video:
Cleaning colored shoes (brown, red, beige, yellow)
You can clean colored shoes in the same way as black ones - with a soap solution or special foam. Then you need to apply a colorless or matching colored cream to care for natural leather. Experts advise giving preference to colored products, because colorless ones make the skin dull over time.
There are also methods from the home pantry:
- stains from colored leather shoes can be removed with lemon or onion juice;
- It is good to clean brown leather with coffee grounds (wrap the squeezed out grounds in a piece of flannel and rub the dull leather, after which it should begin to shine).
Rules for caring for shoes made of different types of leather
Pork
Pigskin can be described as follows: rough, porous, cheap.
Does not require any special care. All of the methods described above can be actively used to maintain the “marketable” appearance of products made from this material.
Python and crocodile
Reptile leather shoes require special care
Caring for snakeskin shoes
Features of caring for reptile leather products
Crocodile leather products
It's no secret that snakes and crocodiles are not only excellent horror stories for quiet ordinary people, but also food, clothing, shoes and accessories. Products made from the skin of these cute creatures are expensive, soft and durable. And also capricious in terms of care.
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Rawhide
Sounds familiar, but is rarely used. Shoes made from untanned leather are now almost never seen, except among indigenous peoples (Eskimos, Indians, Chukchi) or activists of the historical restoration club. Rawhide leather is softer than tanned leather, more elastic, but upon contact with water it changes its properties to diametrically opposite ones, becomes rough, hard and can remain so even after drying.
To soften rawhide, indigenous peoples advise mixing pork fat (4 parts), wax (1 part) and glycerin (2 parts) in a water bath, cool, and apply to dry, cleansed skin. To achieve gloss, you can use a 72% water solution of laundry soap. The recipe is this: boil soap shavings in water until completely dissolved, then cool until a soft ointment is obtained. Apply after softening the skin.
With laser processing
Care for laser-treated leather products
Laser skin care
Laser can be used to draw and make furrows on the skin
Skin after laser treatment needs gentle care
Beauty, as you know, requires sacrifice. And in this case, the sacrificial lamb turns out to be the skin. A through or printed pattern is applied to it using a laser. The resulting look is far from natural, but it looks original and elegant. In addition, sometimes a pattern is applied that reproduces the structure and appearance of crocodile or python skin. For the same money, mind you.
You should take care of shoes made of such leather according to the already described scheme: clean, soften, protect. The skin that has passed through the laser needs mainly to be cleansed and softened. It is difficult to find a specific product for laser-treated leather, so patent leather products are usually used for these purposes, which are widely available in range and price.
Products that can be used for laser skin care
The product is suitable for the care of shoes with laser treatment
Suitable for laser treated skin
Can be applied to laser-treated leather shoes
Rules for caring for sports shoes and sneakers made of genuine leather
The first thing you need to do when starting to care for leather sneakers is to remove the laces, if any. Wet sports shoes must first be dried by first stuffing them with newspapers or inserting wooden pads. Then spray with antibacterial deodorant spray. After passing these stages, you can begin the usual processing of leather shoes - cleaning, softening, protecting. You can see the cleaning and treatment of white sneakers in the section “Cleaning white leather shoes.”
The following video shows how to conveniently clean white sneakers:
A common problem with leather sneakers is the appearance of creases and deep wrinkles on the toe box (the front of the sneakers). These annoying defects, which visually age the shoes, can be smoothed out in the literal sense of the word.
- Stuff the sneakers with paper or plastic bags so tightly that the wrinkles are smoothed out.
Moisten the skin and a cotton cloth generously with water.
- Place a cloth on the sneaker and iron it with a very hot iron with steam turned on. Iron gently, without using too much force. You need to press, but not too much.
- That's all, the sneakers have become “younger” before our eyes. It’s a pity that you can’t remove wrinkles from your face and hands in the same way.
Features of caring for winter and demi-season shoes
And it is clear to the child that winter shoes need more careful care than summer ones. Salt, reagents, sudden changes in temperature, moisture and dirt - all this creates extreme operating conditions for shoes. This means you need to take care of your boots carefully and constantly. The same applies to boots worn in rainy weather.
- Every evening after returning home from an environment hostile to leather boots, you should begin by washing off the salt and reagents. Leave it until the morning - the boots are finished. You need to rinse with warm water (not hot), wipe dry. Salt stains are best removed with a 9% vinegar water solution (3 parts vinegar to 1 part water).
- If your shoes get wet, for various reasons, you need to dry them. Remove the insole, stuff it with newspaper and leave to dry at room temperature. If necessary, change the newspaper every 2-3 hours. If you don’t get very wet, you can simply unbutton your boots and air them out with the fur turned outward. Leave for a short time, for a couple of hours, so that the boots do not lose their shape.
- After drying, the shoes must be treated first with nutritional and then protective agents according to the general scheme.
- For winter, it is better to choose shoes with rubberized or synthetic soles. If it is made of leather, it is best to install a preventative (rubber pad), only in this case can you count on its long service life. If the sole remains in its original form, care for it in the same way as the rest of the boot, just don’t get carried away with softening it. The same applies to demi-season shoes that are regularly wet.
- In advance, before going outside in winter and during rainy times, you need to thoroughly rub castor oil into the leather covering of your boots (its miraculous properties have already been described in this article). This will be an excellent prevention of getting wet and, as a result, your shoes falling apart.
Caring for faux leather shoes
What can I say? There are not a lot of faux leather shoes, but a lot. It costs much less than “natural” one, and often looks no worse, and the fact that no animals were harmed in its production also speaks in its favor.
Eco leather
New cotton based material. Eco-leather is hypoallergenic, breathable, soft and elastic. Today they make everything from it that is made from leather, and even more. It looks much better than the good old leatherette.
Caring for eco-leather is almost the same as caring for natural leather.
Remove dirt, dry, and soak with protective water-repellent agents. If boots made of this material get wet, they must be completely dried at room temperature.
Stains are removed with special cleaners for leather products. If nothing suitable is at hand, you can use a 50% alcohol solution or ammonia. By the way, you can’t use anything like this to clean PVC-based leatherette products, but we’ll talk about that later.
Leatherette
Faux leather or leatherette, as we call it, looks like natural leather, but that’s where the similarities end. Faux leather does not stretch well, does not allow air to pass through, and does not react well to temperature changes. Its lifespan is several times less than that of skin. But there is one definite plus - the price. Shoes made of leatherette are much cheaper, and sometimes look just like leather, and if there is no difference, why pay more, as one famous advertisement says?
Everyone gives themselves the answer to this question. We are now interested in how to care for faux leather shoes.
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When treating shoes made of this material, do not use products containing alcohol, acetone or fats.
Synthetics
First of all, let's understand what synthetic or pressed leather is. You can often hear people say that they bought shoes in full confidence that they were made of genuine leather, but it turned out to be synthetic. Why is this happening? Because in appearance, pressed leather is practically indistinguishable from natural leather. And its properties are extremely close to it. The reason is that synthetic leather contains up to 60% of natural leather waste, so it is soft, elastic, vapor-permeable and breathable.
Despite the blood relationship with natural leather, synthetic leather is cleaned and processed in the same way as artificial leather.
Coco Chanel once said: “You can get used to ugly appearance, but never to negligence.” Even if the clothes, hairstyle and nails look neat and well-groomed, and the shoes are shabby and uncleaned, the general opinion of the person will be that of a slob. Shoes are just a touch to the overall picture, but the final touch, and how you will be remembered depends on it. Therefore, take care of your shoes as carefully as you take care of your clothes and hair, and then you will always be at your best.
For this we need
(cleaning from dust and dirt) or (cleaning from shoe cosmetics deposits)
(milk for cleansing, nourishing and restoring the skin)
(cream wax for basic polishing and color restoration. Colors: neutral, black, dark brown, dark blue)
(wax from 7 natural ingredients, polish and shine)
Natural horsehair.
Natural horsehair.
(water-repellent impregnation)
Due to the busy schedule of life in a metropolis, we often miss important details, such as the condition and shine of our own shoes. However, it is in business leather shoes that you will attend one business meeting after another throughout the week.
Especially for the modern gentleman, we have created simple instructions, following which you can become a shoe care professional right now. Having tried most of the shoe care and shoe cosmetics available in the world, for this instruction we have selected the best of them: French Saphir products, a company with more than a century of history. Its products are made only from natural ingredients such as beeswax, mink oil, lanolin oil and jojoba oil. Follow our instructions and try caring for genuine leather shoes at home:
Step 1. Cleaning from dirt
Caring for leather shoes should certainly begin with cleaning. To prepare a pair for deeper cleaning and restoration, you must first remove visible dirt by simply running our natural horsehair brush over the entire shoe
- If there is dirt, dust or other natural pollutants on your shoes If there are traces of street dirt, stains, salt deposits and other natural pollutants on your shoes, clean them with Saphir Etalon Saddle Soap. To apply the soap you will need a smudge brush. Dip the bristles of the brush into a container of water and grab a small amount of soap. Use the brush in a circular motion over the shoes until the entire surface is covered with soapy foam solution. Wipe the surface with a cotton napkin (or an old cotton T-shirt) and let the shoes dry. Ideally, let the shoes sit overnight.
- If there are chemical deposits on your shoes If you want to remove care products accumulated on shoes or, as often happens, deposits of low-quality shoe cosmetics, we recommend using Saphir Reno’Mat. Apply a small amount of product to a napkin wrapped around your finger and wipe the dirty areas in a circular motion. Saphir Reno'Mat will effectively dissolve chemical deposits such as silicone residue or old polishing wax.
Which Sapphire product should you choose? For professional care of leather shoes, it is worth having both products, but if you have to choose, take Saphir Etalon saddle soap.
Step 2. Restoring shoes
In case of relatively minor contamination, as well as if comprehensive care has been carried out recently, we recommend immediately starting cleaning with Saphir Leather Lotion. Apply a small amount to your shoes or a cotton cloth tied around your toe. Rub the sapphire product into your shoes using circular motions. Do not forget to periodically change the working area of the napkin, as during cleaning there will be traces of dirt, previously used creams or waxes on it. This is fine.
Leave the shoes on for 10 minutes and then use our brush to move them from side to side. A slight shine will appear on the shoes, as the lotion contains natural wax.
Step 3. Polishing shoes with cream
The next step in the instructions is initial polishing. For this purpose, you should choose high-quality shoe polish made from natural ingredients. Cheap creams containing silicone and rubber contribute to the formation of deposits and can seriously damage leather shoes. One of the best primary polishes in the world is Saphir Pommadier. This cream wax contains only natural ingredients for a natural shine, as well as high-quality coloring pigment to restore the color of leather shoes. To apply the cream evenly, use our applicator brush. Dip the brush into the jar of cream and grab a small amount of cream. Using rotational movements, evenly distribute the cream over the surface of the shoe. You can also use a cotton napkin for application. Ideally, let the shoes sit for one hour, but if this is not the case, 5 minutes will be enough for most of the cream to be absorbed into the shoes. Once the cream has dried, brush the surface of the shoe with a natural horsehair brush. Use a firm, side-to-side brushing motion and light pressure. Repeat the process 2-3 times until a matte shine appears.
Step 4. Final polishing of shoes
If you are satisfied with the matte shine after the previous step, then you can skip this step. However, if you want to get a Mirror Shine effect (shining effect), then Saphir wax is ideal for this. Using a cotton cloth, grab a small layer of wax (the less the better!) and apply it to the front of the shoe in a circular motion with light pressure. One polishing cycle lasts 60-90 seconds. Please note: if wax gets into areas where shoes bend when you walk, unwanted white cracks will appear (if this happens, clean the area with Saphir Reno’Mat). Allow the wax to dry completely and soak in, then use a buffing brush to go over the shoe in a side-to-side motion using light pressure. Repeat the cycle until desired gloss level is achieved. When applying wax, we recommend avoiding shoe bends where the leather is prone to cracking.
Additionally: impregnation of shoes from water and dirt
The final touch remains to complete the professional shoe care. To subsequently protect your updated pair from the unfavorable urban environment, Saphir Super Invulner shoe impregnation is ideal. Saphir water-repellent spray will reliably protect shoes made of suede, nubuck or leather from rain, snow, as well as from the penetration of dirt into the material. Use 1-2 times a month and this silicone-free shoe polish will help maintain the appearance of your shoes for years to come. At this point, care for leather shoes can be considered complete.