Our shoes take some serious battering being on our feet all day. There is nothing worse than scruffy footwear to ruin your whole outfit. You want your favourite footwear to stay looking as good as new for as long as possible, but how? We have some top tips to help you keep your shoes in tip top condition.

Storage

Kicking your shoes off and leaving them in a pile as soon as you walk through the door may seem tempting but they have worked hard for you all day so should be shown some love. In an ideal world we would all have a walk in wardrobe, the kind you seem in Pinterest but there isn’t always the space for fancy shelves or custom made cubbie holes. I prefer to keep my footwear neatly stacked in boxes. Designer pairs are kept in their original boxes and all my other pairs go in clear shoe boxes so I can easily locate what I’m after.

Care

Before you put them away they should be wiped clean of any dirt. I think we have all walked across grass in stilettos and covered the heel in mud. When you get a new pair of shoes you can spray them with protector, just make sure that you test a small spot first. You can also place wooden shoe stretchers inside supple shoes to help them keep their shape.

Caring for leather shoes

First clean off all the dirt and then apply a cream polish that matches the colour of the shoe. You can then buff this off to shine.

Caring for suede shoes

Suede can obviously not be polished like leather. Suede can actually be brought back to life by buffing with a toothbrush or similar brush. Whatever your don, don’t use water on suede as it will leave an unsightly mark when it dries. Small stains can actually be treated with a little white vinegar and then blot with a clean towel. If you struggle to get a finish you are happy with you can always get them professionally cleaned.

Caring for canvas shoes

So many people throw their canvas shoes and trainers in the washing machine but it is actually a better idea to hand wash them otherwise you risk weakening the support in the soles. Only wash the shoes on the outside rather than soak them in water. You can remove stains gently with a nail brush. Leave them to air dry out of direct sunlight.