Few materials carry a sense of elegance and comfort when it comes to your shoes, bags, and other accessories. Leather is one of those materials found naturally, hence behaves differently than other synthetic materials. So taking care of them becomes more important. After all, if you take care of your leather, it will take care of you. If you love and own leather shoes and accessories, this guide can help you maintain them. Like many things, leather needs to be loved how it likes. Wondering how? Let us help you!
1. Clean Your Shoes Regularly
Before each wear, give your shoes a quick brush. Use a microfiber cloth or a soft brush, as leather is delicate, and a rough brush might damage the surface. Cleaning your shoes this way is important to prevent dirt from getting stuck in small crevices. With this, you know your shoes will be strain free for a long time.
2. Avoid Using Leather Products during Monsoon
Leather does get affected by water. The resilience of a shoe or bag against water also depends on the type of leather. However, as a thumb rule, avoid wearing leather shoes and carrying leather purses during the Monsoon season. If you’re traveling, ensure your leather duffle bags or backpacks are well-protected from the rain.
3. Moisturize Your Leather
Besides cleaning, you must also learn to moisturize your leather shoes at regular intervals. As mentioned earlier, leather is a natural material hence more prone to get dry and cracked. So, use your wax or cream polishes to give your shoes the much-needed moisture. However, if you’re using suede shoes, you cannot use the same polishes you use for other leather materials. Furthermore, never get your shoes polished outside; only you will know how your leather needs to be treated.
4. Store Leather Products in Dust Bags
If you’re not using your leather bags or shoes for an extended period, store them in dust bags. This prevents dust from settling on them and ruining the products’ look. It is also important not to use plastic bags as leather needs to breathe. So always try to use good quality dust bags.
5. Do Not Wear Leather Shoes Everyday
Wearing leather shoes daily means exposing those delicate products to direct sun, dust, dirt, rough terrain, and more. Your shoes can crease, scuff, and stretch more easily if you wear them daily. So, let your leather shoes breathe and wear them regularly but not daily.
6. Waterproof Your Shoes
Sometimes you step out in your leather shoes without knowing about the weather. It may or may not rain, but you still want to look your best. In such cases, waterproof your shoes with water-repellant cream. These do not make your shoes completely water resistant but offer a layer of protection in case it drizzles or you step into a tiny puddle.
7. Do Not Overstuff Your Leather Bags
You’ve just got your new leather bag/purse and can’t wait to use it. So you try to pack everything you have in them, which you mustn’t. Overstuffing your wallet or bags can change their outer shape or silhouette. Thus over time, your accessory might not look as good as it did when you bought them. So store only necessities in your leather accessories, and don’t try to pack them up to the brim.
8. Keep Leather Bags Away from Direct Sunlight
When leather is kept under direct sunlight for extended periods, it gets dried and develops cracks in its surface. As a result, you must not expose it to direct sunlight or even artificial sources of light/heat for extended periods. Even though you use a moisturizing polish, your shoe might dry up sooner than you’d like.
9. Never Machine Wash Leather Products
People often use an extra wet cloth or machine wash their leather products such as shoes and bags occasionally. Although the intention is to keep things clean, it completely ruins the leather. The leather will likely lose its shine, texture, shape, and overall look and feel.
If you’re someone who has newly brought a leather product or wants to ensure their leather shoes and bags remain comfortable and regal for a long time, you can follow the above care guide.