My Shoe Maintenance List
Whether you’re investing $100 or $1,000 into your shoes, chances are good that you want them to last. Finding a cobbler and getting into a maintenance routine will extend the life of your favorite kicks – for ladies and gentlemen. My favorite? Sam Torrey in Falls Church, Virginia. We’ve been going there for years.
Below is a list of some of the things a cobbler can fix for you, things you should be doing routinely (like weatherizing your shoes), and what I always have done to a new pair of shoes.
Toe pads. Downtown DC is absolutely killer on heels. One of the first things I always do is get toe pads installed onto my shoes. They protect the front of the shoes – the part that I always seem to scuff otherwise. This is especially helpful on pointed toe pumps, though I have them installed on my flats as well. You can see them on my pumps and heel pads on my hubby’s loafers.
Heel caps. Did you know that the spare heel caps designers include in the shoebox quite frequently wear down faster than ones a cobbler can put onto your shoes? I found this out the hard way when I sported a new pair of shoes for a 16-hour day and wore right through the caps. From then on, I always ask my cobbler to check the quality of the heel caps. You’d be surprised, too. Some of my more expensive heels came with shoddy heel caps.
Rubber soles. Some people are funny about installing a rubber sole over the leather or wood of a shoe. As someone who appreciates a gorgeous sole, I completely get it. But, for me, I don’t mind having the pretty sole covered up if it means extending the life of my Stubbs. Not to mention that it helps with traction, which is especially important if you’re walking on marble. Again, this is a tip for ladies and gents.
Weatherizing your boots. This is so important and I am the worst at remembering to do it. Depending on how often you wear a pair of shoes, they say to do this 2-3 times per year. This is the one I picked up per my cobbler’s recommendation. It’s important to follow the directions on the package as it says to spray outdoors and let your boots stand for half an hour.
Routine cleaning. Think of this as your shoe’s annual physical. Inevitably, your shoes will get scuffed, your suede pumps will receive some marks, and everyone needs to be shined once in a while. Take an assessment as you’re changing out your shoes for the season and see which ones might need to be taken in for some cleaning and refreshing.
Smoothing down scuffing. If you’ve walked through Georgetown or Old Town, you know cobblestone streets well. I’ll rarely wear my good heels unless I know I’m going from Uber to doorstep. We’ve all been there. I severely scuffed a pair of my boots and thought they were done for, but my cobbler was able to repair them and they’re almost as good as new. The same goes for heels that get stuck between two slats of pavement. Again, I’ve been there, too (I see you, DC streets). Always take them to your cobbler before you consider something drastic like selling them or giving them away.
Tightening and stretching. Did you know that your cobbler can stretch or tighten your shoes if they’re a bit off? If walking around your home in a pair of thick socks to stretch out a new pair of shoes doesn’t work, try taking them in to your cobbler and see what your options might be.
Any other shoe quandaries? Comment below and I’ll ask my cobbler the next time I’m in!
This post contains some affiliate links, but all are tried and true Magnolia Stripes favorites.
