Shoe care tips from David Spencer Casual Footwear
Over the long run your shoes will look better and wear better if they are treated with natural compounds. If you want your shoes to maintain natural leather appearance it is best to use a clear cream or neutral polish. One shoe cream we like is DYO leather balm. We have used it over the years and find that it’s natural waxes are best to preserve the original look of the leather. If you need to touch up a scratch then try to match the color of the leather with the shoe cream you select. Here’s a shoe cream rather than a shoe wax. Do not use one of those sponge daubers that apply a high shine. They contain silicones. Once applied you cannot apply other polishes or preservatives because They cannot be absorbed.
Compounds with silicones Are commonly used to make shoes waterproof. They do have a downside. They penetrate the leather, fill up the pores in the leather and make it less breathable. They are rather permanent and make future applications of waxes and creams not effective because the leather cannot absorb them. The best way to waterproof chooses to use natural waxes. A good brand of natural shoe products is Nikwax. The ingredients are natural. they have a cleaning compound, Nubuck suede waterproofing and fabric and leather waterproofing products.
A good way to clean nubuck, suede and sometimes fabric is to use the ultra fine sanding blocks that you can find in hardware stores. These are great for taking black smudges off of your white or light colored nubuck shoes.
Keep checking with us to learn about new products we have evaluated. Let us have your ideas on products and techniques that you like.
by Claude Trotter
David Spencer Casual Footwear 