How gentlemen take care of their shoes
We can all agree that great shoes are one of the very essential gentleman’s style rules. Because one of the most common ways men ruin a beautiful outfit or tailored suit is matching it with dress shoes that look worn and old. Psychologists say that it will also tell a lot about a person – being lazy, irresponsible, careless etc.
So good shoes it is! We’ve said it before but there is something more to it – good shoe care! Proper care will lengthen the life of your shoes for (possibly) decades. And you can explain why those expensive shoes needed to be bought by you because the pricier opinions become much more appealing when approached as an investment rather than a simple purchase.
First thing we should keep in mind is that a few scuffs and bruises are not what ruin a shoe. Those are inevitable. It’s the cleanliness that matters most. Instead of taking care of our shoes everyday while they wait to be put on, men usually leave the shoe care for the last minute – as something to do before leaving the house. And moreover, many times looks are sacrificed for the sake of comfort! Let’s step away from this habit…
Although nowadays it is possible to let your shoes be cleaned by a professional it is still good to know how to correctly do it yourself. We will give you some tips how to make your shoes clean without making a mess:
* First of all – take some time to do it, it’s not a 60 second job
* Lay out some newspaper so you won’t destroy your floor
* Remove the shoe trees and laces. That way you can also shine the tongue. Otherwise if the shoe tongue is left uncleaned it will create an ugly contrast to your shoes over the time
* Don’t wear something too expensive while doing this. Polish is impossible to get out of clothes
* Before using the polish wipe your shoes all over with a cloth that is slightly damp. All the dirt and grit need to be removed from the shoe’s surface and the tongue cause these will scratch your shoes when you start to shine them
* Make sure that your shoes are dry after the last step and then apply some polish with a brush. Use it in small amounts
* You don’t need to have a special shoe polish brush, a basic toothbrush will do the job perfectly
* Don’t forget to go over the heel and toe part, even twice; these are the areas that get most exposure
* After that leave the shoe on the newspaper so the wax or cream can set in
* Then you should use a horsehair brush (buy one!) to remove the polish. Brush with medium pressure and with rapid movements. This will help the polish sink in even further.
* In the end go over both shoes with a special cloth or rag. This makes sure any additional excess polish that might still be there will be removed. This is important cause you don’t want to stain your trousers
Well now you are probably able to see your reflection in the toe of your shoes. Good job!
