So you just bought a brand new pair of shoes, congratulations!
Here are some tips of the trade to help make sure you keep your feet happy and your shoes looking top notch!
1) Wear them around the house in small increments. This will help your feet to get used to the shoes, and for the shoes to begin to adapt to your feet
2) If you need to adjust their sizing (max 1/2 a size), you can take them to a cobbler to be professionally stretched. You can also try some various home tricks such as wearing them with thick socks, aiming a blow drying at them, filling them with ziploc bags full of water then placing them in the freezer
3) Use a small wire brush, or tweezers or flat razor to remove any build up, rocks or gunk from the soles
4) Always let your shoes air dry – drying too fast can cause the leather to crack
5) Dryer sheets, newspaper, shoe balls, these all help to not only lower the moisture build up, but also with reducing smell
6) Try to prevent the heels (of any shoe) from scratching the uppers. Shoe bags, wrapping them up and being aware while wearing them help with this
7) You can write your name on the inside or the sole so as not to mix up your shoes with someone else’s
8) If you feel any rubbing – you should put on a bandaid, mole skin or blister aid right away to prevent blisters
9) If you find any scratches on your shoes, you can treat them with leather dye or, find a matching nail polish for small touch ups
10) If you prefer wearing socks but don’t want them to stand out, you can check out Gekks, they even work in heels
11) If you want to soften up your shoes, invest in a quality leather oil/moisturizer. Always try it on a small area first to avoid discoloration.