10 Shoe Care Products To Make Your Shoes Last Longer
Very little is known about the exact period when shoes were first created. The earliest that was discovered was of a very primitive design. The materials used were a mix of deerskin, bearskin and grass fibers. While shoes have gone a long way since, and its function evolved to a blend of function and design, one vital purpose that it serves best will always be to protect our dear pair of feet.
Shoes have done our feet a great deal of protection. Don’t you think they deserve the same from us? And, if we have found our “sole-mate”, don’t you want your relationship to last longer?
If you are one shoe enthusiast, you might have tons of products in your shoe care kits. But, if you only have an old piece of rag to care for your shoes, you might want to add these to help you give that tender, loving care that your shoes need:
Shoe Protector Spray
What this does is protect your shoes from water damage and other liquid stains primarily. Some brands offer all-weather protection. It coats your shoes with a certain compound that makes them waterproof and stain proof. There are cream compounds serving the same purpose but the spray form is more popular as it’s easier to use.
Shoe Cover
These are widely-used in industries that have bio-hazards. Hospitals, specifically their Intensive Care Units or Isolation Units, have their medical staff wear shoe covers as a staple laboratory gear, to reduce the risk of bacteria contamination or virus transfer. They are often disposable, in these kind of industries.
Taking on that concept, shoe covers are now in-demand even for personal use. You can wear them especially during rainy seasons or if you’re taking a muddy hike so your shoes wouldn’t have to endure the wet and the mud. Also, you can just take them off before you go inside your house. You wouldn’t have to worry about making a mess of your floor, then. Shoe covers also come in different designs and materials. You can check out some at Tiger Effects (https://tigereffects.com/) for indoor and outdoor shoe cover designs.
Shoe Tree
Can you remember those funny looking shoe-shaped wooden things we find placed inside the shoes in stores sometimes? Those are called shoe trees. They are meant to preserve the original shape of the shoes by preventing creases and cracking much like what a body mannequin does for your dresses or shirts.
There are plastic versions of shoe trees that are more affordable. But, the higher quality are made of cedar wood which also absorbs moisture that can also help lengthen the life of your shoes.
Shoe Horn
You might think that a shoe horn is more to help people in wearing shoes with ease, not having to bend as much just to get their feet in. While it really does that for us, what it does for the shoes cannot be discounted. It protects it in such a way that damage to the counter part of the shoe when you shove your feet in, can be lessened.
Shoe horns also come in different styles and materials. They can be short or long handled and can be made of plastic, wood or metal.
Sole Protector
There are different kinds of sole protectors. One is a rubber half-sole that is glued to the sole of your shoes, usually leather. There is also a rubber adhesive film type that you can stick to the soles of your shoes. As its name states, it protects the soles of your shoes from being worn-out fast. Another advantage that you have to consider is the added traction that it gives making your shoes, non-slip.
Shoe cleaning products
Most shoe brands offer their own cleaning product in the market as an accessory to their shoes. Usually shoe cleaning products are developed to cater to the kind of material used. There are shoe cleaning products developed especially for leather, or suede, canvass, and other materials.
High heel guards
Most high heel mishaps often lead to damage that can downgrade its style factor. This works like the sole protector, only that this is designed for you to wrap this around your heels. This prevents scratches or scrapings to the heels of your favorite stilettos, so you can wear them often and for a longer time.
Shoe or toe cap
While its primary function is to provide temporary protection for your toes, the shoes can actually be protected in the process as well. Usually worn for safety purposes in construction heavy industries, it can help cushion the impact of accidentally dropping heavy tools or materials that can crush your foot. It can also create resistance to tools that can cut through soft materials and hurt your foot.
This usually comes in steel but now, other materials have surfaced such as aluminum, plastic and fiberglass.
Polish daubers
This is a regular in a shoe enthusiast shoe care kit. It might seem like a simple shoe brush with no complex function but it’s actually a shoe care item used to evenly apply shoe cream or polish and hard-to-reach areas of your shoes. This is a basic if your shoes are the stylish brogue ones with decorative perforations and serrations that a regular cloth cannot access when cleaning.
The more luxurious polish daubers boast of bristles made from horse hair and handle made of high quality wood.
Shoe dust bags
This is a travel basic to segregate your shoes from your clothes. But did you know that it can also protect your shoes in storage? It protects your shoes from dust (of course!), sunlight exposure, excess moisture, and color stains/transfer (if stored with other pairs).
There are shoe dust bags available in the market but if you have the time, you can always DIY using old pillowcases or clothes of breathable fibers.