Shoe Grooming

If anyone out there is a self-professed "shoe queen" (believe it or not, Arnold Schwarzenegger has defined himself with this term), than the importance of shoe maintenance is obvious. Caring for one's shoes prolongs the service life of the footwear. Polishing alone, however, does not actually do the trick. A woman who puts makeup on her face everyday is going to suffer from horrendous skin problems if she does not wash her face and apply moisturizer prior to "putting on her face" and after er... taking it off again at day's end.

Awkward analogies aside, proper cleaning and moisturizing of our leather shoes will keep them feeling softer, looking new longer, and prevent drying and cracking, insuring years of comfortable wear (providing that they're not crappy shoes made of highly lacquered corrected-grain leather... in which case this post can be disregarded; the lacquer won't let the conditioner absorb).

What I suggest to you gentlemen, and ladies who may be reading, is that one use a leather conditioner on his or her shoes to clean and moisturize the leather. Meltonian Leather Balm and Kiwi Leather Lotion (pictured) are great choices. Use is simple: work small amounts into the leather with soft cloth. Allow to absorb for a few minutes. Buff. It's that simple. Afterward the leather will be softer and exhibit a soft lustre. One can polish afterward if one so desires, but it may not even be necessary. Best judgement is the key.

Obviously, doing this often will give the best results, but it's relatively easy and a relatively quick

process. Trust me. The shoes pictured here are the same Ferragamos from the last post, although they are now shown after using Kiwi Leather Lotion and no polish. Looks good, if you ask me. And even if you didn't ask... you are reading my blog.

Until next time,

Cheers!

-Paul