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How do I clean hand made shoes?
So, how do you go about cleaning and polishing your hand made shoes? The first thing you need to do is to clean off any dirt of marks.
Using a light shoe brush, remove any mud or dirt on the leather, taking care not to brush too hard. Don’t use a hairbrush for this as they are often too stiff and can damage the leather. It’s worth investing in a proper shoe brush, as this will prevent and harm to your handmade shoes.
If there are any stains from salt on the shoes, which is very common in the winter, take a cup of hot water and mix in a tablespoon of white vinegar or pure alcohol. Use a soft rag to clean your shoes with this mixture, and you should find that the salt stains will come out quite easily.
For other types of marks, use a specialised leather cleaner, and make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Don’t be tempted to cheat and buy a cheap cleaner, or something not designed for fine leather, as this will ruin your shoes. Remember, one of the beauties of real hand made shoes is that they will last much longer than mass-produced ones. This is only true if you look after them.
Now you’re ready for polishing your shoes. I’ll give you a basic overview of the technique that used to be used in the British Army, where the soldiers were famous for the mirror-like shine on their shoes, although the process is a lot older than that, probably dating back to Napolean’s army.
As before, make sure to use a good quality polish. Apply the polish all over the leather and allow it to dry. Take a soft duster, wet a small area of it and apply a small amount of polish to the wet area. Start working on the shoe in small circles, rubbing the dry polish in as you go. Keep going until the polish has all been absorbed. Don’t use too much polish though, just a little is enough.
If you look after your hand made shoes carefully, you’ll have many years of use out of them, and they’ll look every bit as good as the day you bought them.
Fino alla volta prossima (until next time),
Armand
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Topics: Hand made shoe care, Hand made shoes
