﻿Stop Destroying Your Dress Shoes!
[0:00:00] Your dress shoes,
a foundational piece of your wardrobe. A good pair of dress shoes aren’t cheap, so you want them to
last. But, did you know that you may actually be destroying your shoes unintentionally?
Thomas with Real Men Real Style here. And in today’s video,
I’m going to cover all the mistakes you’re making that wreck your expensive dress shoes.
Mistake number one, not using a shoe horn. Do you make the rookie mistake of jamming your
foot into your dress shoes which crushes the back of the heel? Repeatedly bending
and crushing the leather like this is going to make a crease and break down over time.
What’s the solution? Get a shoe horn. This simple device tucks into the back of your shoe,
so you can easily slide your foot in without damaging the leather.
Mistake number two, not using shoe trees. Your shoes continuously bend and flex when you walk,
which causes the leather to crease over time, so after a few months of use,
your beautiful expensive dress shoes are going to be looking worn out.
The solution to this is so easy. Putting in a pair of cedar shoe trees after every wear
will minimize creases by gently stretching the leather back to its original shape.
Not only that, but the cedar is also great for absorbing sweat, moisture, and odor.
Mistake number three, wearing your shoes every day. Wearing the same pair of shoes each and every
day is going to greatly reduce their lifespan. You sweat in your shoes throughout the day and
when you keep wearing them on consecutive days, the leather doesn’t have time to dry.
Damp leather is more susceptible to becoming creased and misshapen.
You want to give it at least a day to dry out between wears. So, make sure you have at least
a couple of pairs of dress shoes in the rotation, so you can alternate which days you wear them.
Hey, guys. What’s your favorite solid dress shoes? Let me know in the comments below.
Mistake number four, not brushing. You should take a soft horse hairbrush and sweep away any dirt,
dust, or salt that you picked up while out and about. This only takes a moment to do,
but keeps your shoes looking great and lets you go far longer
before needing to deep clean them. That brings us to mistake number five,
not cleaning. Most of the time, a good polish is all that’s needed to make your shoes look their
best. But, if you ever step into a mud puddle or get a lot of salt or grime on your shoes,
then it’s time for a deeper cleaning. Use an applicator brush and some saddle soap
to clean off the dirt and grime from your shoes. You don’t need to do this often,
just whenever they get really dirty.
Mistake number six, not conditioning. If
you don’t take care of them properly, your leather dress shoes will dry out and develop cracks over
time. This is especially something you need to watch out for if you live in a dry environment.
The easy remedy for this is to add moisture back in by using a leather conditioner
made for dress shoes. Condition the leather every time you deep clean the shoes to replace the
moisture washed away by the saddle soap. If you don’t clean the shoes very often,
you should still condition the leather two to three times a year
depending on how dry your environment is. Mistake number seven, not polishing. There’s
no point in spending good money on dress shoes if you’re just going to let them get dull and
scuffed up. So, make sure you have a good shoe wax and are regularly polishing your shoes.
It will depend on how much you wear them. But, plan to polish once or twice a month
with frequent wear. Once or twice a year if you only wear them occasionally.
Mistake number eight, skipping the socks. I get it, wearing your dress shoes in hot
weather without socks makes you look laid back and super cool. But, you know what’s not cool?
How badly you’re messing up your shoes. Your sock absorbs a lot of the sweat your
feet let out during the day, so skipping the socks means your shoes are getting
a lot of excess moisture. So, don’t be surprised when they start to really stink.
If you want the sockless look, give no-show socks a try. They offer the protection of regular socks,
but will remain hidden underneath the tops of your shoes.
Mistake number nine, getting your shoes wet. Is it raining cats and dogs outside? Do you have lots of
snow in the ground? Don’t wear a good leather shoes in wet weather. It’s a great way to get
some nasty water stains in the leather. If you want to wear your dress shoes when
the weather turns bad, make sure you protect them. The best way to do this is buy a set
of rubber galoshes to cover your shoes. Mistake number ten, not storing your shoes
properly. If your shoes won’t be getting used for a while, store them away where
they will be protected. Don’t just toss them in a closet where they’re going to get all dusty.
To ensure they remain clean and ready to go at a moment’s notice, store them in a fabric shoe
bag. The shoe bag will keep off any dust and dirt. Just make sure it’s made from fabric,
so the leather will be able to breathe. Now, guys, what do you do if it’s too late
and your dress shoes are scuffed, scratched, or creased? Don’t worry, guys, in this video here,
I’m going to show you how to bring your dress shoes back to life.
[Music] [0:04:35] End of audio