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On some shoes, especially with longer tongues like boots or sneakers, it’s common that one have a loop which one can pull the laces through to keep the tongue from sliding to the sides. Too often I see this used the wrong way though, if done right it’s barely visible yet functions exactly as it should.
The nappy surface of suede is very different from regular smooth leather, and people often seem to have less knowledge about some of its special characteristics. Two such things are the light streaks that commonly appear where the shoes bend, and how the nap can become completely flat after, for example, lying on its side in a shoe box. Here we explain why this happens and what you can do about it.
I sometimes hear from people that they wait with inserting shoe trees after they’ve taken their shoes off, to let the worst moist evaporate first. While I can understand the logic behind this, it’s definitely not what’s best for your shoes. Here’s why you should basically always insert your shoe trees straight away after use.
One of the most underrated products in Saphir Medaille d’Or’s extensive range is, in my opinion, their Nappa cream. It’s a product without solvents that only contains nourishing ingredients like jojoba oil and wheat protein, but no waxes, so it leaves the pores of the leather fully open. Ideal for many situations, for example when you want a fully natural patina to develop, for sensitive leathers, and for the often neglected but very important care of the leather lining.
If you have Goodyear welted shoes or other similar construction methods with stitched outsoles, you may still get gaps in between the welt and midsole or outsole, especially if it’s of rubber. Here I explain the reason for this, why you don’t have to worry too much about it, and how to fix it if needed.
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Many are worried about getting shoes with metal shanks – the reinforcement in the arch – due to them not want to have issues at the metal detectors at airport security. In almost all cases there’s no problems to have shoes with metal shanks though, and you won’t have to take your shoes off in the security control. Here’s why.
A common suggestion to asses the fit of a shoe, and something that many people use regularly, is about placing a finger between the heel of the foot and the inside back of the shoe. But the info you get from this is more or less useless and doesn’t give any relevant information. Here’s why.
A common misconception is that the only way to reinforce eyelets on shoes are metal or plastic inserts in the holes. This is not the case though, all shoe manufacturers have the holes reinforced with a reinforcement tape backing which isn’t visible. Learn more in this article.
I can understand that it’s tempting to just throw dirty shoes in a washing machine on a gentle cycle, get them out looking much cleaner and think all is good. At least more and more people are doing it nowadays, especially with sneakers and similar. Problem is that shoes are not built to go through the stress that a machine wash incur and you’ll risk damaging them in several ways, and significantly shorten their lifespan. Learn why in this article.
A common shoe care advice is to brush off your shoes when one come home, to remove any surface dirt. Most think this is solely due to appearance, but that’s only one part of it. The more important thing is that doing this can significantly prolong the lifespan of your leather shoes. Here I explain why.
