Shoe care

Leather is a natural material: it lives, it breathes and it responds to care. What follows applies to the materials we use in the workshop.

Everyday cleaning

Take mud and dirt off while the shoe is still damp, with a lightly dampened cloth. Dried mud sticks to the leather and has to be rubbed off, and rubbing polishes a suede surface flat.

For dry dust on suede a soft brush is enough. Draw it in one direction, the way the nap lies.

Wet shoes

Do not dry wet shoes next to a radiator or a heater. Heat shrinks leather and makes it hard.

Pack them with crumpled paper instead and let them dry at room temperature in an airy place. The paper draws out the moisture and holds the shape.

Leather has an organic structure, so it takes up a little water in the rain. That is not a fault; it is the nature of the material.

What to keep away

Keep petroleum products and chemicals away from the shoes: thinner, petrol, diesel, acetone. These do permanent damage to the leather and to the surface the sole is bonded to.

No washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher.

Storing

Do not store shoes in direct sunlight or in very humid places. Sun lightens the colour; damp brings mould.

At the end of the season clean them, let them dry, pack them with paper and keep them in a cloth bag. That holds their shape.

Sole and toe

The outsole is thermoplastic and wipes clean with a damp cloth. The leather surface needs protecting from knocks and from scuffing at the toe — on children's shoes the toe is what wears first.

Alternate two pairs

Rather than wearing the same pair every day, alternating two gives the lining time to dry out completely.