Delicate care, which I have come up with after observing the use of leather shoes for a long time. I’ve seen a lot of shoe care content online, but to this extent, I promise not.
Upper
It can be said that this is the most repeated content of shoe care that you see on the Internet, and it is also the content of a shoe-shining step that I have published very early on.
The upper is the first to be seen, and it is understandable that it gets the most attention and energy.
I started to study leather care is to look after about leather health, that is, durability, and not very much about aesthetics. But today, I would like to add that mirror wax is really very useful.
It goes without saying that the beauty is self-evident, but the toe and heel are really easy to scratches, and sometimes the bruises are not light. Protected by a hard shell, many times it helps the leather to block bullets.
Outsole
If it’s rubber-soled, then you can skip it. I don’t think leather soles are more upscale than rubber soles, but I can understand that many people who are new to welted shoes feel this, because I have also been through that stage, after all, it is still very rare to use leather soles on cemented shoes. Many women say, leather soles are worn on the red carpet.
The care of the leather sole is simple, use oil specially for vegetable tanned leather.
Regarding the frequency of use, it can be relatively infrequent, such as once every 3 months to half a year. But if you tread water, or wear it in heavy rain, then after the sole is dry, applying some is good after all. Water will take away the grease from the leather relatively quickly.
Midsole
I basically haven’t seen any information online about midsole care. What happens if you don’t take care of it?
Crack.
It is the same vegetable tanned leather, compared with the outsole, it is thinner and softer, but the essence is no different, the conditions faced by the outsole are worse, and there is also the problem of wear resistance. Midsole should be bent and help absorb a certain amount of moisture.
Of course, depending on the working conditions, the cracking of the midsole will definitely take longer than the outsole, and early care can prevent the problem from occurring.
Care products, still oil for vegetable tanned leather.
The frequency is once every six months. However, if you already have a cracking feeling, you can make up the oil relatively intensively until it feels not as hard as a stone when you touch it with your hands.
Lining
On vintage shoes, you can see some cotton canvas inside, which is rare now, and most of the high-end Goodyear shoes use water-dyed cowhide, and there are also relatively low-grade pigskins.
It is rare to see the lining cracked, but the leather shoes have been worn for a long time, the wear and tear of the lining leather, and the cracking in some places, can still be seen.
Unlike upper care, try to choose an oil with as little wax as possible. Because the wax that cannot be absorbed is piled up on the surface, it is rubbed on the socks or feet.
Welt
The word care here is a bit broader. There are stitches along the welt, and then there’s your own vegetable-tanned leather welt.
If the stitches are discolored, you may need to use a toothbrush and dip cleaning liquid, or diluted laundry detergent. If it is the same color, then the first thing is dusting, many people have a bright mirror surface of their shoes, but there is dust on the welt.
Then apply a little vegetable tanned leather oil because the edges also fade and become frizzy.
The most targeted product on the market is Sole Dressing, but there are not many brands, and my first reaction may be Bootblack. I didn’t buy this product, I always use black shoe polish to apply it, and the effect is not that impressive.
After such a whole set, basically the inside and outside of the shoes all have been taken care of.
Shoes are meant to be worn, and spending so much effort is worthy? It’s a good question.
When I talk about leather care, I hope it will last longer in better condition, and this concept is definitely fine. As for whether your time and energy is more valuable to spend on other things, just spend some money and ask some professional guys to do it for you.