Shoe Care

LEATHER CARE

Caring for leather footwear is a relatively simple process. First clean the shoes with a leather cleaner to remove any surface dirt, for shoes that are badly scuffed, use a renovating polish such as waproo to help restore the colour. Then, apply a good quality cream polish which contains lanolin to keep the leather soft and supple.

SUEDE AND NUBUCK CARE

Special care needs to be taken for both suede and nubuck shoes. Although there is no visible difference between the two, suede is sanded on the inner layer of the skin and nubuck is sanded on the outer or exterior skin of the animal. Since the outside layer of a skin is tougher, nubuck tends to be longer lasting.

The key to keeping suede and nubuck in top shape is preventative maintenance. Before you wear the shoes, protect them with a water and stain repellent designed specifically for suede and nubuck. As soon as you notice that water is no longer beading up, spray them again.

Use a plastic or rubber-tipped brush regularly to restore the nap and remove surface dirt before it sets in. Be gentle brushing nubuck. It is softer than suede and is easily damaged.

With oiled nubuck, you need to use a nubuck conditioner to put back some of the oils on a regular basis. If you get a stain on suede or nubuck, try to remove it immediately with a solvent-based cleaner made specifically for the material. Oil absorbing blocks are also available. These blocks abrade the leather to bring back the nap and remove stains. Use a less aggressive brush with nubuck because of its more delicate nature. If you have a serious stain, you might be better off taking the shoe to your shoe repair professional.

See the range of recommended shoe care products under the Trends/Accessories tab!