Shoe Care Supplies 5
A pair of leather shoes might last some people only a year—but with proper care, a high-quality pair of leather shoes can last many years. We spent 30 hours researching shoe-care products and methods, and then had a shoeshine professional use the most promising finalists in the shop on his customers’ shoes for two and a half more weeks. Turns out, you can get all the gear to keep your finest shoes clean and shiny for less than $100.Shoe care supply Why you should trust us As a research assistant at a major policy think tank in our nation’s capital, and as a menswear enthusiast, I know a thing or two about business casual, but it’s not me you should trust. Stanley Mayes is the founder, co-owner, and master shoe-care expert at A Divine Shine, a well-respected and award-winning shoe-care shop in Washington, DC. A successful real-estate investor and DC-area native since 1950, Mayes decided to open A Divine Shine in 2011 to pursue his true passion in the art of shining shoes. Mayes and his team know a thing or two about shoes—A Divine Shine cares for just over a thousand pairs of shoes and boots every year, and he has seen shoes in every state imaginable. Who this is for If you own leather shoes, you should care for them. And caring for your shoes requires supplies and tools. If you currently depend on your local shoe-shine stand for even the most routine shoe-care needs but want to start taking things into your own hands, whether for pleasure or for economic reasons, this guide will give you the product guidance necessary to build your own shoe-care kit. Similarly, if you already have a shoe-shine routine but are finding yourself disappointed with the results, this guide might help you discover products that will produce better results. How to care for your shoes on a daily basis Anthony D. Covington, professor emeritus of leather science at the University of Northampton, notes in Tanning Chemistry: The Science of Leather that "the suitability of leather for shoe manufacture is based upon the twin abilities of being able to exclude water, but allow air and water vapor to pass through. " However, it can retain those properties only if you maintain it well—with a process not too different from caring for your own skin, as it turns out. Leather needs to be cleaned regularly, moisturized as necessary, and touched up with makeup from time to time to maintain performance and appearance. Even if you lack the budget or time to dedicate to shining your shoes, you should get in the habit of passively caring for them. This approach requires almost no equipment, and anyone with leather shoes should make an effort to follow it.