Shoe & Boot Care
Leather Shoes & Boots - Suede & Nubuck - Athletic
Shoes
Leather Shoes & Boots
Investing a few minutes each month in shoe care is the
best thing you can do to protect your footwear investment. Combined with
regular visits to your local shoe repair shop, shoe care will significantly
extend the life of your favorite shoes.
Many people think shoe care means polish shoes
occasionally. Actually, it is slightly more involved than that. Caring for your
shoes is a four-step process -- cleaning, conditioning, polishing and
weatherproofing.
The first step in shoe care is to clean the surface with
a leather cleaner to remove surface dirt, just as you would wash a car before
you wax it. After cleaning, you should condition the leather. Conditioners
soften and lubricate leather, keeping it feeling and looking new.
Once the shoes have been cleaned and conditioned, then it
is time for polish. Polishes contain dyes and pigments to renew color and cover
scuffs; waxes to provide shine and protection; and conditioning agents to
moisten and renew the leather.
There are basically three types of polish -- liquid,
cream and past. Liquids are easiest to apply, followed by cream and paste. Ease
of application, however, is inversely proportional to wax content and the
staying power of the polish. Pastes hold up the longest. Creams are easier to
apply than paste, hold up longer than liquids and come in a variety of
fashionable colors.
The final shoe care step is weatherproofing. Though
polishes provide some sealing qualities, if you live or work in a wet, muddy or
oily environment, the added protection of a weatherproofer is a must.
Suede and Nubuck
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 those 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 block 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.
Athletic Shoes
If you have shoes with fabric or suede on the uppers,
follow the steps just outlined for suede care. Leather uppers are much easier
to clean. Sneaker shampoos with scrubbing applicators remove stains and dirt
from the leather surface. If the shoes become scuffed, shoe whitening products
restore the original color. Shoe repair professionals can also use a white
spray dye to give a very good finish.
The big problem with athletic shoes is controlling odor.
Because these shoes are constructed with foam and other man-made materials,
they are ideal places for bacteria to live and grow.
Several deodorizing products are available including
insoles, powders and sprays. find a product that absorbs the odor-causing
bacteria and counteracts it. A product that simply masks the odor will not
solve the problem.
Finally, you can keep your athletic shoes looking and
feeling new with replacement parts. New laces do wonders for the appearance and
new insoles are often better than the originals.
"Protect your investments"
For all your shoe & boot services trust the Experts at:
Star Shoe Service
3972 W. 6th. Street
Los Angeles, CA. 90020
213 385-8547
