A Beginner's Guide to Leather Shoe Care

Why Leather Deserves Ten Minutes a Week

Leather is skin, and like the skin you stand in, it dries out when neglected. A good pair of shoes is built from layers of hide that flex thousands of times a day, soaking up sweat from your feet and whatever the pavement throws at them. Look after them and a well-made pair of Oxfords or boots will last a decade or more, softening and moulding to your feet along the way. Neglect them and you can crack the uppers beyond repair in a single winter.

The routine below isn't complicated — just a small kit and a bit of patience.

The Kit Worth Owning

Keep everything in a tin by the front door so you actually use it.

• Two horsehair brushes. One for brushing off dirt, one for working polish in. Keeping them separate stops grit scratching the surface.
• Cream polish in your shoe's colour — your everyday product. It feeds the leather and restores a soft sheen.
• Wax polish in the same colour, for a harder, glossier finish on toe and heel, plus a little water resistance.
• A neutral cream for pale or unusual colours where you don't want to risk tinting.
• Three cotton cloths. Old t-shirts cut into squares are ideal. Paper towels shed fibres into the polish.
• Cedar shoe trees. One pair per pair of shoes, if you can stretch to it.
• A shoehorn and a spare set of laces.

The Routine That Actually Works

Every week or two, and always after a soaking. About ten minutes.

• Knock the shoes together over a bin, then brush the whole upper with your dirt brush, including the welt where sole meets upper.
• Unlace for a proper job — it lets you clean around the tongue and eyelets.
• Wipe over with a barely damp cloth and leave to dry naturally for twenty minutes.
• Work in cream polish with a cloth in small circles. A pea-sized blob per shoe is plenty; more product isn't better.
• Leave for ten to fifteen minutes, then buff with your clean brush until it shines.

If the leather feels stiff or looks dull, add a dedicated conditioner before polishing. Cracking usually starts at the creases across the vamp, so run a thumb along them and feel for dryness.

Polishing for a Proper Shine

Cream gives a healthy, subtle finish that suits most shoes. Wax is for a sharper look or extra protection.

• Apply wax sparingly to the toe cap and heel, building thin layers rather than one thick one.
• Wrap a cloth tight around two fingers and work in small circles with light pressure. A drop of water helps the wax flow.
• Buff briskly with a brush, then finish with a clean cloth.
• Skip wax on grained or matt leathers. Cream only.

Suede and nubuck are a different job: brush with a suede brush, never polish, and spray with a protector before the first wear.

Cedar Trees, Rotation and Storage

The single best habit is giving your shoes a day off. Leather needs time to dry from the inside, and wearing the same pair two days running brings on smells, cracked linings and misshapen heels.

• Insert cedar trees as soon as you take the shoes off, while the leather is still warm and pliable.
• Dry at room temperature, away from radiators and never in front of a fire.
• Stuff soaked shoes with newspaper if you've no trees, and change the paper when it's damp.
• Store in cotton bags or a breathable box. Sealed plastic traps moisture and encourages mould.
• Rotate two or three pairs across the week rather than living in one.

Rain, Road Salt and Other Traps

Wet weather is manageable. Blot shoes with a cloth when you get in, let them dry naturally, then condition and polish — sealing in damp is worse than leaving them bare.

• Road salt leaves a white tide mark and dries the leather. Wipe it off with a cloth dampened in weak vinegar and water, then condition.
• Mud should be left to dry, then brushed off. Scrubbing it wet pushes it into the grain.
• Over-polishing is the classic beginner error. Too much wax builds in the creases and flakes. If you see a crusty ridge, strip it back with conditioner.
• Skipping the shoehorn crushes the heel counter, and that damage never really comes out.

None of this is difficult. A brush, a tin of cream, a pair of trees and a little consistency will keep your shoes looking sharp and lasting years longer than they otherwise would.