Your shoes protect your feet, make a statement and complete your outfit. They do a lot for you. Caring for your footwear and creating the best shoe storage will help you continue to put your best foot forward.
Follow our guide to cleaning, organizing and displaying your shoes.
Shoe Care
When you think about how much your shoes do daily, you quickly realize that they require maintenance to stay attractive and usable.
To protect new shoes, spray them with a waterproof solution or apply a cream conditioner. There are many options on the market. Read reviews and product instructions to ensure what you’re using is safe for your shoes’ material. Using a protectant will help your shoes stay like-new longer and make them easier to clean.
If your shoes do get wet, muddy or dirty, take immediate action. Believe it or not, liquid dish soap works wonders for most shoe materials, except for suede and patent leather.
As tempting as it might be, you should generally avoid tossing shoes in the washing machine. However, your insoles can often be placed in a mesh bag and machine-washed in cold water. Lay them flat to dry.
You can find step-by-step instructions to cleaning faux leather, patent leather, shoelaces and more in this Good Housekeeping article.
Should your shoes sustain damage, like a broken heel or worn soles, a professional could possibly repair them. Consider how much the repair would cost compared to buying a new pair before deciding the path to take. Unfortunately, worn leather or fabric can’t be salvaged, so prepare to throw out any footwear with those issues.
Shoe Storage
The way you store your shoes also affects their condition. Take care of them, and they will take care of you.
To help your footwear retain its shape, some experts suggest stuffing the toes with acid-free paper or using shoe trees.
Keeping your frequently worn shoes in their original boxes or plastic ones is often discouraged. It prevents airflow and can lead to mold and moisture build-up and can dry out the materials, as well as the glue holding everything together. Instead, let them breathe. You can also see your entire shoe wardrobe this way.
If you put any of your footwear away for the season, avoid using the attic or garage as their temporary home. A climate-controlled space is their best friend. Clean and thoroughly dry your shoes and remove any laces. Condition the leather to prevent cracking. Wrap delicate shoes in soft cloth or in specially made bags. Plastic boxes could be a good option for short-term storage as long as everything is completely dry.
How you organize and arrange your shoes is a personal choice. Some people like to display them by color so that they can easily select an appropriate pair. Others alternate the heel and toe to enable quick viewing of the entire shoe. You might want to go by heel height or seasonality. There isn’t one proper way. It’s up to you and how you get dressed.
By caring for and storing your footwear properly, you’ll be able to enjoy your shoe collection for years to come.
Showcase your shoes