Leather shoes just like every other shoe type need special care. Based on the material it is made of, you have to be careful with maintenance habits. The first step in caring for leather shoes is regularly removing dust and light surface debris from the uppers with a shoe brush.
If a light dusting isn’t enough to remove whatever has worked its way onto your shoes then you will need to wash and condition your shoes to remove any sediment lying underneath the surface of the leather. To ensure your leather shoes are long-lasting, follow these cleaning steps:
1. Clean
Start by putting on a pair of gloves and prepping your cleaning space by laying down some newspaper. Then, dip a soft sponge into the water to wet slightly and gently work up a lather of the saddle soap on the surface of the shoe. Once clean, leave your shoes to dry at room temperature.
2. Condition
You need to condition your shoes so as to soften and moisturise the leather and help prevent it from cracking. You should apply a conditioner to your shoes whenever you feel the leather is getting dry. Invest in a soft cloth and buff a little of the conditioner into the shoes in small layers using tight, circular motions. Once the entire surface of the shoe is treated, take care to wipe away the excesses.
3. Polish
This might seem an obvious step. Ensure that you match the colour of your polish to the colour of your shoe – for example, oxblood Derbies should be shined with burgundy wax. Your shoe polish should be applied in small, gradually layered amounts using a horsehair brush or cloth moved in soft concentric circles.