Cleaning and Maintaining Leather Shoes

Leather is skin. Treat it as you would your own, which is to say with regular attention and the occasional application of something nourishing.

What follows is the method: brushing, cleaning, polishing, and buffing, along with the two habits, shoe trees and rotation, that make the difference between shoes that last and shoes that don’t.

A good pair of leather shoes, properly maintained, will outlast a decade of the disposable footwear that passes for acceptable in your era. The cost per wear of a quality shoe that is cared for is less than that of a cheap shoe replaced every six months, and this is not opinion; it is arithmetic, which does not care whether you find it convenient.

One was trained to a standard in which boots were brushed and polished daily, beginning as early as six in the morning. In a well-run household, this was among the first tasks attended to, and even in modest homes where no one else would do it for you, a man’s boots were expected to be clean before he left the house. The matter was not negotiable; it was simply what one did, in the same way that one washed one’s face or combed one’s hair. Weekly attention is the modern compromise, and I will accept it. But you should know that it is a compromise.

Begin by removing the laces. Brush the shoes with a horsehair brush to remove surface dirt and dust, brushing firmly and in one direction. You are not petting them. You are cleaning them.

Apply a small amount of leather cleaner or saddle soap with a damp cloth, working it in with circular motions and covering the entire surface. Wipe away the excess with a clean, dry cloth. Allow the shoes to dry naturally: not on a radiator, not with a hairdryer, and certainly not in direct sunlight, all of which will crack the leather faster than neglect itself.

Once dry, apply a thin layer of shoe cream or polish that matches the colour of the leather. Less is more, for a thick application will not produce a better shine but rather a sticky residue that attracts dust. Work the polish in with a cloth or a soft brush, then allow it to sit for ten minutes.

Buff with a clean brush or a soft cloth until the surface begins to shine. The shine comes from friction, not from volume of product; quick, light strokes will accomplish what heavy application cannot. The leather will tell you when it is ready.

Use shoe trees when the shoes are not being worn. Cedar is ideal, as it absorbs moisture and maintains the shape, and without trees the leather will crease, the toe box will collapse, and the shoes will age in the manner of something that has been stepped on rather than stepped into.

Rotate your shoes. Wearing the same pair every day does not allow the leather to dry fully between wearings, which accelerates deterioration. Two pairs worn in alternation will each last more than twice as long as one pair worn daily. Again: arithmetic, patient and indifferent to your habits.