You know how it is, shoes in your closet that actually need maintenance, because how do I maintain my leather shoes and what is important when maintaining leather shoes. It is important that your shoes are well protected against moisture and dirt to keep them beautiful for as long as possible. Every shoe is made of different material and must be treated in a certain way. Today is the time for shoe fanatic Claudia to give her leather shoes a thorough maintenance. Claudia is a 26-year-old mother, who works at a law firm in Amsterdam and loves shoes. Claudia has four pairs of leather shoes, each of which she uses for a different type of occasion. She has known for some time that the maintenance of leather shoes is a must, but she is not so strict about it.
What do you need to maintain leather shoes?
There are different types of leather. Each leather shoe can therefore be made from a different type of leather. Claudia herself has four types of leather shoes, namely patent leather, suede, smooth leather and greased leather. Her two-year-old daughter also has a pair of artificial leather boots. Claudia has various remedies at home to treat her different leather shoes. Each type of leather requires different care. For example, when maintaining all her shoes, Claudia always uses a damp cloth, a brush, the right color shoe polish, a polishing cloth, a polishing brush and a good spray. And her favorite Blundstone boots? How does she maintain it? Maintenance of leather shoes, such as model 500, is easy. Make sure the boots are clean, dry and grease them again with the shoe polish. There is a special renovating cream to treat the color.
Patent leather
The first pair of shoes Claudia encounters in her closet are her patent leather shoes. The maintenance of leather shoes and therefore also patent leather is important. She uses this for festive and chic occasions and often combines it with a dress or smart trousers. The effect of patent leather is visible through a special layer that is placed over the normal leather. This lacquer layer also ensures that no water gets through the shoe. Maintenance of leather shoes (patent leather only), Claudia occasionally lubricates them with a lacquer cleaner. This ensures that the lacquer layer will not dry out. If her shoes get stains, she cleans them with a dry or damp cloth.
Maintenance of leather shoes "Suede"
In addition to the patent leather shoes, Claudia also has a pair of suede shoes. She wears this to work every day. The tricky thing about suede shoes is keeping them clean. Claudia makes sure that she does not wear these shoes on rainy days, because with a previous pair of suede shoes she noticed that they are very resistant to water and dirt. Suede is a sensitive material that needs extra attention. Claudia gives her shoes this extra attention. Every month she uses a special suede spray to spray her shoes. Whenever she sees a stain on her shoes, she uses a special suede or nubuck brush to easily remove it.
Maintenance of leather shoes "Smooth leather"
Claudia mainly uses smooth leather boots in her spare time. These shoes are very easy to clean, which is perfect for the often rainy climate we have in the Netherlands. On rainy working days she always wears her smooth leather boots. When these get dirty, Claudia brushes them off and rubs the boots with a cloth. To properly maintain these smooth leather boots, Claudia applies a cream to them this time. This cream ensures that the leather does not dry out and will therefore remain beautiful for a long time.
Maintenance of leather shoes "Greased leather"
The fourth and last pair of leather shoes that Claudia has in her shoe closet is made of greased leather. When Claudia goes for a walk in the woods with the dog, she always wears her greasy leather shoes. She also wears it when she takes the weekly long walk through the neighborhood with her best friend or when she undertakes other outdoor activities. The name of this leather actually indicates it, there is a layer of fat over greased leather. Claudia therefore applies a layer of wax to these shoes during her maintenance, so that the shoes can be used for a long time. This layer of wax ensures that the shoes remain flexible and will not dry out.
Faux leather
Claudia's daughter has artificial leather boots, where the maintenance of leather shoes is also important. Claudia chose to buy boots made of this type of leather for her daughter, because artificial leather is made of synthetic material and therefore difficult to absorb things. Because they are easy to clean, it is not a problem at all if her daughter plays outside with her boots and gets them dirty. When the boots become dirty, Claudia always cleans them immediately with a damp cloth. This way they stay beautiful for the longest time. Claudia decides to spray her daughter's boots with a regular spray during the maintenance of all the shoes. She always checks carefully whether she has the right spray, because if a spray cannot be used for artificial leather, it will cause stains. The effect that this spray has on the boots is that they are better protected against water and dirt, which means they will last longer.
After all the shoes have been treated, Claudia neatly puts away all the things she used for this. Another tip that Claudia would like to give is to ask carefully when purchasing new shoes which items you need to use to properly maintain them. It is a shame if you use the wrong things for this and you ruin your shoes.
For tips on treating/caring for Blundstones, visit shoe care . Curious about our socials? Feel free to take a look !
