By Emma 
Table of Contents
Hitting Refresh As The Days Get Longer
Refreshing our homes with the return of warmer weather is so deeply embedded in our vernacular that you never really stop to think about why we do this.
Historically, cleaning at the turn of seasons helps bring in a much-need air of renewal and resetting after long winter months where people had been cooped up or even sick.
Starting with a clean slate as the days get longer makes perfect sense because you naturally have more energy to take on challenging tasks and get your home as fresh and bright as the world feels outside.
Putting Your Best Footwear Care Foot Forward
One area of your home that can get overlooked because you clean or wash the items regularly (we hope!) is your wardrobe.
Even more specifically, one area that can benefit from extra attention are your shoes as one of your most hardworking belongings.
These days, we’re much more conscious of the benefits of caring for our clothing whether it’s about sustainability and owning fewer yet better things or more recently, how this affects health.
Shoes, in particular, can play a fundamental role in our health with USA Today reporting some astonishing statistics on this front.
They say, “The outside of the shoes averaged 421,000 units of bacteria, compared with 2,887 on the inside. And fecal bacteria appeared on 96% of the shoes.” That definitely puts the clean in spring clean!
So where should you start with spring cleaning your shoe closet? The infographic published with this post from Gabor Shoes is a comprehensive 101 for everything from cleaning specific materials through to storage.
Before we get to the graphic though, we’ve got some extra ‘Shoe Hacks’ that you can use as a habit shift for long-term shoe care and keep ahead of cleaning your footwear no matter the time of year.
Shoe Care Specifics
Shoe Care Hack 1 – Store Seasonally
Keeping things clean largely lies in practical rotations so what you need is at hand rather than sitting unused and attracting dust.
If you live somewhere with distinct seasons, get ready as the temperatures drop to clean and pack your sandals away then bring out the boots.
Not only will this extend the life of your shoes because you won’t be tempted to wear fabrics like suede in unsuitable conditions, you’ll also get emotional longevity from bringing stored pairs out when it’s their time to shine again.
This is also a major win if you’re lacking storage in your everyday wardrobe because you won’t have out-of-season styles constantly in the way.
While you’ll need to keep your shoeboxes or even invest in specialty boxes as with sophisticated thigh-high boots, it will be worth it with the ease this brings to getting dressed and finding what you’re looking for.
Shoe Care Hack 2 – Have A Cobbler On Speed Dial
This point combines well with the point above because it’s a key part of managing seasonal shoes.
If you’re considering splurging on must-have designer shoe styles, you’ll absolutely need a good cobbler to service your investment pair.
Season to season, check each pair of shoes to see if it needs re-heeling, re-gluing or re-soling and with this kind of specialty care, a well-made pair of shoes will stand up to wear and tear.
We recommend having shoes cleaned and repaired before you store them so that they’re ready to go when you bring them back out for another lap around town.
In fact, some boutiques even offer shoe (or handbag) servicing as part of a luxury purchase.
Shoe Care Hack 3 – The Styling Rule Of 3
Lastly, before you buy, be certain that the beautiful shoes you’re smitten with are actually wearable!
While you may have fallen in love with a dreamy stiletto or fun sneaker, they’re really not worth it if they’re taking up space in your wardrobe and even worse, collecting dust.
One way to make sure a new pair has truly earned their place in your wardrobe is to visualise three outfits they’ll be worn with – this is especially important if you’re not particularly experimental in your personal style. Additionally, be realistic of whether you’ll actually wear the shoes.
Even if you adore a pair of high heels (and why not, they’re basically an art form…), you might not ever wear them because a fabulous pair of ankle boots is what actually speaks your sartorial language.
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