Why rest matters
Feet give off a surprising amount of moisture over a day, and the leather lining absorbs most of it. Leather worn again while still damp stretches, creases deeply and rots from the inside, which is why a pair worn daily wears out years before one worn every other day. Give each pair at least twenty-four hours off. Slide in unvarnished cedar shoe trees as soon as the shoes come off, while the leather is warm, because the cedar draws out moisture and the shape of the tree presses the creases flat. Use a shoehorn going in, and untie the laces coming out, so that the heel counter does not collapse.
The schedule
- Brush each pair with a horsehair brush for thirty seconds after every wear.
- Polish every few weeks.
- Condition every two to three months.
- Replace the rubber heel caps when they are worn to an angle, which costs about twenty dollars.
- Resole before the sole wears through, when the center feels thin and soft under a pressing thumb.
How to polish
- Remove the laces and wipe the shoe with a barely damp cloth, then let it dry.
- Rub in a small amount of leather conditioner with a soft cloth and leave it for ten minutes.
- Apply cream polish in a matching or slightly lighter shade using small circles, and let it dry for five minutes.
- Brush briskly with the horsehair brush until the leather shines.
- Add a thin layer of wax polish to the toe and heel only, if you want a higher gloss, and buff it with a clean cloth.
Cream polish feeds the leather and restores color, while wax sits on top and adds shine and water resistance. Suede takes neither. Clean it with a suede brush and protect it with a spray made for the purpose.
Wet shoes and resoling
Never dry soaked shoes on a radiator or with a hair dryer, because fast heat cracks leather. Stuff them with newspaper, change it after an hour, and let them dry at room temperature for a day or two before conditioning. A stitched, welted sole can be replaced several times for roughly eighty to one hundred fifty dollars. Waiting until a hole appears damages the cork and insole beneath, and turns a routine job into a rebuild.
Note Shoes with glued soles, which includes most pairs under about a hundred and fifty dollars, usually cannot be resoled economically. Ask how the sole is attached before you buy.
