HOW TO CARE FOR AND CLEAN LEATHER SHOES
5 simple steps towards perfect looking leather shoes or boots
Our 'Just a Minute' series of short films feature advise and tips on common questions around shoe care, cleaning and lots of other useful tips and hints often reserved for those in the know. Below we cover one of our more frequently asked questions by customers: How do I care for my leather shoes?
how do i care for my leather shoes?
Grenson leather shoes will last a lifetime with some basic love & care. To help you get the longevity from your investment in quality footwear, regular shoe care and proper storage is a must!
As a rule of thumb, you should be looking to follow a shoe care process after every 5 or 6 wears of your shoes or boots. We have listed 5 simple steps below to help you adopt a perfect leather shoe care regime.
Grenson leather shoes will last a lifetime with some basic love & care. To help you get the longevity from your investment in quality footwear, regular shoe care and proper storage is a must!
As a rule of thumb, you should be looking to follow a shoe care process after every 5 or 6 wears of your shoes or boots. We have listed 5 simple steps below to help you adopt a perfect leather shoe care regime.
One of the most regular questions we are asked within the shoe care topic is how to properly care for your leather shoes?
We need to start out by stating the fundamental fact that leather is a natural product. It needs the correct care and protection from the elements to keep it supple, flexible and looking as beautiful as the day it left our factory.
Within the below, we cover 5 simple steps that if carried out regularly enough, will keep your leather shoes supple, conditioned and shining for many years to come.
Before we get into more detail and as a pre-preparatory note, we would always recommend removing the laces from your shoes or boots before cleaning as it will make access to the tongue & lacing area of the shoe far easier for cleaning.
If you have any debris such as dried dirt, mud spots or grime on the leather of your shoes you will need to wipe them gently with a soft damp cloth and lukewarm water to remove them. It is important you let the shoes dry fully before starting the leather care process detailed below.
We also need to be clear that this process is dedicated to caring for leather shoes or boots. Please don’t adopt these steps on Hi-Shine or patent leather, Suede, Nubuck or any other material that isn’t leather as you will damage the material irreparably and potentially ruin your shoes or boots.
In this guide we are cleaning a leather shoe. To be precise a tan coloured pair of our ‘Archie’ men’s brogues on a white wedge sole. The additional shoe care products we use and suggest later within this guide to establish a great regular leather care and cleaning process for you are:
Step 1: Nourishing and conditioning the leather on your shoes.
To refresh the leather uppers on our shoes, we are using our William Green’s Neutral Factory Shoe Cream. Some people refer to this product as a Leather Conditioner as well.
This shoe cream is made in England and is the actual cream that we use in the Grenson factory every day. The cream is deeply nourishing and will condition and revive the leather on your shoes. The formula is a natural blend of both Beeswax and carnauba wax.
To apply, dip a dry clean cloth into the Neutral shoe cream and work into the leather of the shoe using circular motions. It is important to get an even coverage on the leather so that you can be sure the whole shoe or area of leather you are cleaning is treated. An even coverage will prevent any fluctuations in tone or colour of the leather.
Step 2: Soak time & buffing
Once you have applied the neutral shoe cream to the areas of the shoes that you want to, set the shoes aside for around 10 minutes. This time will allow the cream to penetrate the leather and ensure it has been conditioned and nourished properly.
After roughly 10 minutes have passed, take a cloth and buff off the shoes. This process has now refreshed the leather on the shoes and ensured it remains supple & moisturised.
Step 3: Adding some shine with wax polish.
Now that we have freshened up and conditioned the leather on our shoes, it is time to apply some wax polish to them. This process will add shine to the leather. You can buff the leather for longer if you want a shinier, more glossier finish.
In this example we are using our William Green’s Tan Factory Shoe Wax which is also made in England. This is the actual wax polish that we use in the Grenson factory every day. The wax is a natural blend of waxes and oils which include Beeswax, Carnauba and Turpentine oil.
We are using the Tan coloured shoe wax in this example as these shoes are tan coloured ‘Archie’ men’s brogues. Grenson Waxes are available in a number of colours and we would suggest trying to approximately match the colour of wax to your shoes to prevent any major changes in shade or colour.
Coloured wax may slightly darken lighter, more natural leathers. It is best to always test the wax on a small area of your shoes or boots before applying to the wider item to ensure you are happy with the result.
To apply the wax to your shoes or boots, use a clean piece of your cloth and gently rub the wax in circular motions on to the leather. Once you have applied an even spread of the wax to the leather, set the shoes aside again for another 10 minutes. This will allow the wax to soak into the leather in preparation for polishing.
Step 4: Polishing & Buffing Your Leather Shoes or Boots.
Now for the fun part.. Adding some shine! Firstly take another clean section of your cotton polishing cloth or use a clean shoe brush.
Take your polishing cloth or shoe brush and gently start to buff the shoes. The more you buff or brush them, the shinier, glossier the leather will look. For some styles it can pay off to spend time polishing specific areas of the shoe more than others, depending on the look you want.
If you don’t really want to add any shine, then a light buffing will just remove any excess wax that hasn’t been absorbed into the leather. The wax will still temporarily seal and protect the leather for a short time before your next clean and care process is needed.
Step 5: Cleaning the sole & re-lacing.
Now the leather of your shoe is back to its glorious best, you need to take care of the sole. This process is especially pertinent on any wedge or commando type sole where a lot of the sole unit is visible from the side when wearing the shoes or boots.
Before applying any product to the sole unit, you will need to make sure you have removed any debris such as soil, dirt or dust that may be stuck on the sole area that you want to clean. We would advise using a soft cloth with some lukewarm water for this process. You will need to allow the soles to dry completely before moving on to the next steps.
Once you are ready to start cleaning the soles we suggest using a clean, soft cloth and using our William Green’s Shoe Cleaning Tonic. This is again the actual formula that we use in the Grenson factory. The tonic is a delicate solution that gives a gentle clean. It removes dirt and stains that occur from daily wear and tear. The Cleaning Tonic is safe to use on all colours and materials including leather and rubber. We saw fantastic results during our internal testing of this product with cleaning white rubber wedge soles & white rubber sneaker cup soles.
The final step is to re-lace your shoes or boots ready for your next wear. If your laces are starting to get a bit worn or tatty, a new pair can really make your shoes shine. Especially if you opt for another colour option or contrast in colour to your shoes or boots. See our wide range of replacement laces for some inspiration.
BEST CARE PRACTISES FOR ALL LEATHER SHOES AND BOOTS
In addition to our 5 step guide for caring for and cleaning leather shoes, there are a few best practices you can follow in general for looking after most types of leather shoe or boot which we cover below.
Whilst you are putting on your shoes, using a shoe horn can make the process more comfortable on your heel but also protect the stiffness of the heel cup of the shoe. With a shoe made of leather, this can also prevent creasing and eventually prevent cracking of the leather as well.
Storing your shoes correctly in between wearing them can make a huge difference in sustaining the fresh and new look of your shoes. Using a Cedar Wood Shoe Tree within your shoes whilst not wearing them is one of the best tips we can offer. Not only does this help retain the shape of your shoes and prevent creases in the leather but it also helps absorb moisture and some odor from your shoes.
On the point of getting your shoes wet, it is best to let them dry out naturally. Never place them on a radiator or somewhere hot trying to quickly dry them. This will in turn dry out the leather as well. The end result is the leather will become cracked, brittle and the lifetime of the shoe or boot will be greatly reduced.
Using cloth shoe bags to store your leather shoes is a fantastic way to prevent dust & sunlight damage. It is a low effort but fantastic step in extending the look & ultimately lifetime of your leather footwear.
We also offer a repair service at our factory to help with replacing the sole of your Grenson shoes or boots once they become worn over time. We also have our wider range of Grenson shoe care products that you can use at home to care for your shoes.
Grenson Factory Rebuild & Repair Options
IN CLOSING.
Properly caring for and cleaning your leather shoes can seem daunting but hopefully the steps outlined above show how simple it can be. With minimal effort required, the look & lifetime of leather shoes or boots can be greatly extended.
We know shoes are an investment and as a society we believe we should be moving towards being sustainable in fashion by getting the most we can out of our purchases and extending their lifetime as much as possible. Hopefully this guide helps in achieving this for your Grenson footwear.
If you have any questions or queries regarding how to clean your shoes or regarding any of our shoe care products, please contact our Customer Services team. They will be more than happy to help.