Your shoes, along with your suit, are your business card, which is why they must always look impeccable. If you’ve finally invested in a quality pair of Goodyear-welted shoes, or if you want to “revive” your old favorites, we’ve prepared the best tips to extend their lifespan!
1. Care
The Romanian man generally believes that caring for shoes means applying cream. In reality, this is only one step of the entire process. Proper shoe care involves four stages: cleaning, moisturizing, pigmentation, and waxing.
Cleaning means removing the dirt accumulated throughout the day, such as dust or other residues. If you’ve been caught in the rain and find mud stains on your shoes, a gentle soap that cleans smooth leather or suede is exactly what you need. This is the first step.
The second step is moisturizing. Hydrating balms are “liquid gold” for your shoes. The best are those derived from mink oil, without solvents, as they deeply moisturize and keep the leather soft and supple.
The third step is pigmentation. Use a cream based on pine turpentine and shea butter, which nourishes and visibly recolors the leather. This is especially useful if you’ve accidentally scratched your shoe. The ideal cream should contain 100% solvents, with no added water, thickeners, resins, or silicone. Over time, repeated pigmentations with this type of cream will give the leather a distinct antique appearance (patina).
The final step is waxing. This aims to waterproof the leather in case of rain and adds what the English call a “mirror shine.” Apply successive layers of colorless wax on the hard areas of the shoe, such as the toe cap and heel counter, to seal the leather’s pores. To spread the wax, you can occasionally add a drop of cold water. Avoid the flex zones, however, since the wax there will crack when you walk.
The essential tools that accompany these four care steps are a cotton cloth and a horsehair brush. Optionally, you can use a spray bottle for dosing water, as well as a wooden case for storing all your care instruments.
2. Rotation
Try not to wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row. Shoes need “rest” to allow the accumulated moisture to evaporate and regain their original shape. Cedar shoe trees (with a ring, knob, or hook) are the best option during the resting period. Slip-on shoes should be left to rest longer than lace-ups, as they crease more while walking.
If you get caught in the rain and your shoes get wet, don’t put them on the radiator! Once dry, the leather will become brittle. Instead, grab a newspaper, crumple it up, and stuff it tightly into the shoes. The cellulose in the paper will absorb all the moisture within a few hours.
3. Resoling
The advantage of Goodyear-welted shoes is that they allow you to remove the worn sole and replace it with a new one. In today’s consumerist society, it may seem easier to throw away your shoes once they’re worn out, right? But a refined man knows that it’s more advantageous to invest in a quality pair of shoes that reflects his personality.
The good news is that most Goodyear-welted shoemakers, both in Europe and the United States, offer after-sales resoling services. When the time comes, all you need to do is send the shoes back to the factory, and the manufacturer will repair them with original materials, usually for about one-third of the shoe’s price.
If you’ve gone further and invested in a pair of bespoke shoes, simply contact the shoemaker and you’re guaranteed the best treatment. In principle, these after-sales services are honored as long as the shoes haven’t previously been altered by another (amateur) cobbler.
With an average rotation of two wears per week, a pair of soles should last about three to four years. And a pair of shoes can generally be resoled three to four times before the welt finally gives out.
Thus, with proper care, rotation, and resoling, you can extend the life of your shoes in a way that might seem shocking to the modern individual, a victim of fashion and blinded by the pressures of consumerism. But you know you have alternatives. Good luck!
