Almost every man owns a pair of dress shoes in their shoe collection. After all, these are the best picks for topping off what you wear for various occasions, mainly formal and business events. Unfortunately, if they’re not carefully maintained and stored, their quality can drop fast, forcing you to replace them.
While all shoes come with a particular life span, you can do things to extend your dress shoes’ longevity. This means your methods for storing dress shoes need an update. Fortunately, correctly maintaining your dress shoes is easy to do. Here’s a quick guide to making them last longer:
1. Use a Water-Repellent Solution
A water protectant can do wonders for your dress shoes. Investing in products like the Collonil Waterstop spray, among others, is highly recommended. These products let you apply a water-repellent solution to your shoes. Before you wear your shoes in different conditions, you can use them on the leather for a layer of protection.
You can find these shoe maintenance products wherever shoes are sold, though online platforms can make your search easier. With them, you can achieve optimal UV protection and prevent dirt and moisture from penetrating deeper into your shoes.
In addition, it prevents color fading caused by overexposure to sunlight. This is perfect for making the look and integrity of your dress shoes last longer. With the weather getting colder, your shoes need more upkeep to survive. Start searching today.
2. Insert Shoe Trees Into Your Shoes
One of the tricks to preserve the original form or shape of your dress shoes is to insert shoe trees into them. There are several materials and kinds of shoe trees to choose from, but it’s ideal to go for the wooden types. Unlike plastic ones, they can absorb moisture from the shoe lining, which helps keep it dry and free from cracking.
You should consider investing in high-quality cedar shoe trees, especially if you’re a fan of finely crafted footwear like the zero drop dress shoes for men from oakastudio.com. These shoe trees can significantly protect your shoes from damage and moisture. The cedar material also boasts anti-bacterial properties, ensuring your shoes remain fresh.
Plus, cedar can effectively neutralize any unpleasant or strange odors, thereby keeping your dress shoes in perfect condition for a longer period.
3. Condition & Polish Regularly
Conditioning and polishing are essential steps to keep your dress shoes looking pristine. The purpose of polishing and conditioning your shoes is to ensure they look brand new even after multiple wears. You can keep them shiny and fresh by doing this regularly.
How often you should do this depends on how frequently you use your shoes. But generally, it’s best to condition your shoes once a month. It would be best if you also considered the environment and humidity of the place you’re living in, as this might affect the condition of your dress shoes. There are many high-quality shoe polishes to choose from in the market. Just make sure to pick one that matches your shoe’s color.
4. Find a Safe Place for Storage
If you’re wearing your dress shoes infrequently, you should have a suitable storage place. This is also another way of extending their lifespan. It’s essential to keep the storage space away from direct sunlight since this can cause them to fade. It should also have proper air ventilation so the materials are not damaged by heat and moisture buildup.
You should also ensure it doesn’t have sharp objects or rough surfaces that can scratch or damage your dress shoes. Research the best shoe storage solutions and pick the one that suits your needs and space. Your best option is to store them in a dark, dry shoe cabinet. Make it a habit to check your shoes now and then.
5. Invest in Shoe Bags or Pouches
Try covering your dress shoes in cloth shoe bags to protect them from dust. Stacked shoes lose their shape and become dirty. And if you have limited shoe space in your closet, you don’t have a choice but to fit everything all together.
With shoe bags or pouches, dirty soles won’t get into contact with other shoes. This also keeps you from having to give your pairs a deep clean every time you take them out.
Final Words
Dress shoes are one of the types of footwear every man should have in their wardrobe. This guide provided tips to make such vital pieces of your outfit stand the test of time. Remember to keep the type of material you are using in mind when caring for your shoes. That way, you get the shoe care results you need every time.
