Shoe Care
Dry shoes are happy shoes.
Due to natural perspiration, footwear can often take a whole day to dry out completely. Always try to allow a full twenty-four hours between wears, alternating with other shoes as much as possible.
From time to time, it’s also a good idea to take out the insole to let your shoes breathe. Additionally, using wooden shoe trees helps absorb moisture and maintain the shape of the shoe as they dry.
In the event that your sneakers become very wet (from rain rather than sweat) ensure that they are allowed to dry out slowly and naturally, away from direct heat such as radiators or heated floors.
Finally - a shoe horn can help prevent damage to the heels, counter and top line.
Caring for your shoes.
Suede. Regularly brush your shoes to ensure as little dirt and debris as possible. If you’re using a special suede brush, make sure you’re using the softest part of the brush, working in circular movements only. This ensures you don’t scratch and ruin the suede. Make sure to treat your shoes regularly with a high quality Suede Protector spray.
Nubuck. Start by wiping your shoes with a slightly dampened cloth. Follow with a soft brush to remove dirt and debris. Make sure to treat your shoes regularly with a high quality Suede Protector spray.
Calf leather. Regularly brush your shoes to remove dirt and debris - followed by a good wipe down using a slightly dampened cloth. When the leather looks hungry, treat the leather uppers with a high quality shoe cream, always making sure you use the right colour.
Cleaning the edges of your soles. Always use clean water without any type of chemicals. It’s important that the water is not too warm, as this might dissolve certain types of glue. Follow up with a clean cloth or a slightly harder brush (an old toothbrush is fine).
In general, we highly recommend using shoe care products from Saphir. There are many good environmentally friendly options available, minimising the use of propellants. When using these, please note that the drying time is noticeably longer.