Shoe careDirt, snow, seasoned with chemicals,has a detrimental effect on leather shoes. They start to get wet, become stiff, and crack at the bends. To make your shoes last longer, you need to take proper care of them. Rule 1. Return from the street - prepare your shoes for tomorrow's outing. First, wipe off any dirt with a damp cloth. After drying, apply a protective cream - make the layer thicker in places that wear out the fastest. It is best to do this with a cotton swab. Let the cream soak in and polish the surface with a brush (a woolen cloth will do instead of a brush). It is best to apply the cream in the evening, and polish the shoes in the morning before leaving the house. It is recommended to use the cream at least twice a week. Two classes of shoe creams are produced for the care of leather shoes: on organic solvents and emulsion, in which some of the organic solvents are replaced with water. Emulsion creams act more gently on the surface, forming a more porous film on it, through which sweat and moisture evaporate better. Therefore, they are more suitable for the warm season. Creams on organic solvents perfectly protect shoes in bad weather. Both are used equally. There are also self-shining compositions - they give a glossy film on the surface of the shoes immediately after drying and do not require polishing. If white spots have formed on the leather - salt stains, wipe them with table vinegar.
Rule 2. New shoes need to be prepared.Before wearing new leather shoes, it is recommended to grease them generously with cream, let them dry and polish them well with a brush. To obtain a richer shine, the surface of the shoes can be wiped with a slice of lemon and then polished. Rule 3. Do not dry wet shoes near hot radiators. If the boots are very wet, they need to be washed with cold water, wiped well and stuffed with dry newspapers. After a few hours, the paper will absorb the moisture and can be removed (or replaced with dry paper and left for a while. A more advanced option is electric shoe dryers. White shoes will retain their color if you wipe them with a white cloth soaked in milk once a week. A mixture of 0.5 cups of warm milk with whipped egg white will restore their shine. Rule 4. Patent leather shoes are not for winter. Patent leather is a very fragile creation; at low temperatures, it begins to crack and becomes covered with a network of fine wrinkles. Patent leather shoes can be lubricated with glycerin, lanolin cream, or wiped with a cloth soaked in milk. Cracked and dull shoes can be lightly lubricated with Vaseline, then with egg white, and then rubbed with to shine. Rule 5. To care for suede and nubuck, use special products. There are special sponges for suede and nubuck, which simultaneously lift the pile. Before putting on suede and nubuck shoes for the first time, be sure to treat them with a water-repellent spray (there are aerosols with dyes and universal colorless ones).
