Proven Tips to Make Your Shoes Last Longer
Your footwear is an important part of your outfit not only because it is a style statement and makes you look fashionable but also for the main purpose of shoes, i.e., protecting your feet and giving them utmost comfort. Most of us become choosy when it comes to the style of a shoe, its design, fit, and necessary material. Wearing them a couple of times and storing them in the cupboard is all we do when we buy a pair of shoes, completely overlooking that maintaining footwear is also very important. A well-maintained shoe lasts long than too it its original glory. Most of the time, shoes get worn off and fall apart due to poor maintenance. Therefore, you must know how to care for your shoes, even if you use them occasionally.
How to Care for Your Shoes to Extend Their Lifespan
Many of you invest a fortune in a good shoe that looks great and provides a relaxed fit and comfort. But the money would get wasted if you don’t take proper care of the shoes after wearing them. Most people neglect the preservation of footwear solely because they don’t know it is important. Even if they do, they are unaware of the ways to protect their shoes from getting damaged. Here are some useful tips to care for footwear–
1. Clean them after Wearing
Make it a habit to clean your shoes after wearing them. It is quite impossible for footwear you wear daily, but the ones you wear occasionally can get this treatment. Cleaning your shoes does not always mean rinsing them, as water can damage certain materials like leather. Take a dry tissue to clean the outer sole, discard the dust and then clean the rest of the shoe with a wet tissue. This procedure is precise and doesn’t cost much.
2. Keep them separately in their individual places
Never stack your shoes together or tuck them in a congested space. Stacking all your shoes together will make them lose shape and get damaged quickly. Rather, ensure you have a spacious show rack to store your shoes separately, so no pair touches the other. You can also invest in a good shoe organizer for your closet. You can store them in their boxes if you don’t want to spend on an organizer. This way, maintaining shoes becomes easy, convenient, and cheap.
3. Make the Shoes Water-resistant
As Indian monsoons are famous for their surprise pours, the roads get flooded and create puddles here and there. You cannot keep your footwear dry and clean during the rain. Although there is a brand like Action Eva Flotter that creates the best waterproof shoes, many materials cannot protect the shoes from splashes. A quick search on the web gives you a plethora of results containing shoe sprays for making your shoe water-resistant. Spraying the shoes with a solution like that will surely increase their longevity.
4. Stuff Newspaper inside the Shoes
This hack is great for preventing your shoes from getting damaged quickly. This single tip can be a solution for many shoe-related issues. Footwear, especially canvas shoes, belly flats, and pumps, tend to lose shape after being worn a few times. Stuffing a newspaper ball inside it makes sure it keeps up the structure. This process is also beneficial for diminishing any moisture from your shoes. The newspaper absorbs all the moisture and odor from the shoes without spending a buck on water-protectants for maintaining shoes.
5. Protect Your Footwear’s Sole
The sole of your footwear is the only area that faces all the toil, be it the insole or the outer sole. As the outer sole gets dirt and grime, the insole gets damaged with constant friction with the feet. Protecting both of them is extremely important to extend the lifespan of your shoes. Spray your insole with a deodorizer so that it smells nice despite being moist with sweat. If you have removable insoles, wash them and clean them regularly. If it is required, replace your soles before you throw away your shoes. Toe taps are also a great investment to protect your soles from getting worn out with continuous use.
6. Be Weather Ready
Lastly, be careful of unstable weather. Go by the weather prediction and wear a shoe appropriate for the weather. If you wear leather boots unless they are waterproof shoes on a day when there is a chance of heavy rain, that will ruin your shoes, and you cannot blame it on the weather.
The Bottom Line
The right maintenance is the best way to protect your shoes from being worn out or getting damaged. So, be conscious about taking care of them after wearing them. Also, choosing a material for your shoes that is easy to maintain is important if you cannot invest much time in maintenance.
