Basic Shoe Care

Before wearing your dress shoes, quickly spray upper and lower leather with water-repellent spray. Not only will this keep your feet dry, but it will also protect the leather from cracks and breaking.

Regularly polishing your dress shoes is also a must. Make sure to use an oil based shoe polish. It nurtures the leather and keeps the leather flexible. In case you can't find the right shoe polish color, then use a neural or clear polish. Apply a thick layer and let the polish soak into the leather before shining the shoes.

To ensure your footwear will last and keep its shape, make sure to alternate your shoes each day. If you wear dress shoes on a daily basis then have at least 2 pairs. Recommended are two black pairs and one brown pair.

It is worth spending the extra dollar for a pair of quality leather shoes. Fake leather shoes will not only cause sweaty feet, but they also won't last as long. Keep in mind that no matter of what highest quality the shoes are, regularly re-soling the heels and the front area is common. Replacing the heel will not only fix the aesthetics of a worn-out shoe, but it will also protect your back and knees.

Using Shoe Trees

Using shoe trees will ensure the leather stays in shape. Best are cedar wood shoe trees. They add a nice scent, absorb moisture, and stretch your shoes back into the original wrinkle-free shape. Shoe trees are also excellent for travel. They will prevent your shoes to have the "flat" look after stuffing them into a suitcase.

Types of Leather

The types of leather used on shoes can differ in many ways. Most dress shoes are made from cow skin, calf, or pig. Still used, but more rare is sheep, alligator, antelope, and other exotics.Besides the different types of animal skins used, the way the leather is treated, buffed, tanned, and dyed makes a big difference on the look. Below is a list of common types of leathers used in shoes.

Patent Leather
The most common type of leather used on dress shoes. Usually it is a thicker and more robust leather. It has a high gloss shine that is achieved by adding many coats of varnish. To care for this type of leather all is needed is polishing with shoe wax. It keeps the leather protected and sealed, and will avoid drying and cracks.

Embossing
Embossed leather is leather that artificially has a structure and pattern added to it. Making cow skin appear like alligator is a common example. It is found on Western belts, and exotic dress shoes and boots. To care for embossed leather is a little more time consuming. The leather should be waxed with shoe polish or oils. It is important that the the wax gets rubbed into any crevice of the embossing. A little tip: Slightly warming up the shoe was will make it much easier.

Grain Leather
There are two types: "Top-Grain Leather" and "Full Grain Leather". The first uses leather with imperfections. The leather is sanded off to get rid of imperfections and then dyed to cover up the sanding. It is usually found on lower quality shoes. For quality footwear you want to look for Full Grain Leather.

Napa Leather
Napa Leather is also known as "Glove Skin". It is a thinner and more delicate leather. Usually calf or pig skin is used. It is less common on dress shoes. Special oils instead of wax are best suited for treatment.

Patina Leather
Patina refers to the appearance of a surface that grows more beautiful with age. It describes aged woods and leathers. Patina leather is usually not dyed and has a natural look. For treatment clear (uncolored) wax or oil is recommended. Water repellent sprays should also be used a few times throughout the year.