How to Care For Expensive Shoes
Knowing how to care for expensive shoes is important if you want to get as much use as possible out of your investment. Different shoes require different types of care, and caring for your shoes wrong—particularly those made out of luxurious materials like suede, leather, and satin—can cause serious damage.
So what’s the best way to clean designer shoes? It certainly doesn’t hurt to have a professional cleaning service on hand for the big stuff, but following proper preventative care at home is key as well. Read on for helpful tips on how to clean, store, and preserve various types of expensive footwear.
4 Tips for Luxury Shoe Care
Good luxury shoe care starts at home. Follow these tips to get started.
1. Brush, Polish, and Store Men’s Dress Shoes Correctly
With the right amount of TLC, men’s dress shoes can look their best for years. Follow a multi-step process to prevent damage from use, starting with regularly brushing the shoes to prevent build up of dirt and debris. (A horsehair brush is ideal for this, since it’s durable and gentle enough for all types of expensive shoe materials.) From there, shine shoes at least once a month to maintain their finish, and store correctly, using a shoe tree to keep the shape intact.
2. Wipe Down Heels After Use
Don’t let dirt ruin the look of your red bottom heels. Women’s dress shoes, especially women’s heels, benefit greatly from spot cleaning after every use. This goes double when you live in a city like New York. Wipe your heels according to their material, using a pencil eraser for suede (be sure the material is dry before wiping) and a dry microfiber rag for leather and satin. Preventing build up will go a long way toward extending the look of your heels.
3. Keep Shoes Off The Floor
Preserving expensive shoes is as much about how you store them as how you clean them. And while tossing your shoes on the floor of your closet may save you some time at the end of the day, it makes it a lot more likely that your footwear will get scuffed and beat up. As an alternative, invest in some shoe storage—cubbies, shelves, and clear boxes are all good ways to go. Avoid wire shelves and metal shoe racks, which don’t provide proper sole support.
4. Tackle Moisture the Right Way
It’s almost inevitable that your luxury shoes will get wet at some point. Whether this does lasting damage depends on your care techniques. Use a spray protector to form a barrier on luxury leather and suede shoes, which will go a long way toward mitigating moisture damage. And when your expensive shoes do get wet, wipe them down with a dry rag and let air dry. Don’t apply heat to the shoe to help it dry, since this can cause the material to warp.
Let Cameo Cleaners Care For Your Luxury Shoes
Whether you’re searching for expensive shoe care techniques or “shoe cobbler near me,” we’ve got experts on staff who can handle all of the steps of keeping your luxury shoes at their best. This includes cleaning and repair of your most valuable footwear, particularly leather and suede. It’s why Cameo Cleaners has been the place for expensive shoe care NYC has trusted for more than 60 years.
We’re always accepting new clients. Drop off your shoes at our shop or schedule a pick-up and we’ll handle all of the details—including delivery once your shoes are ready to go. With proper care, you can get a lifetime of use out of your luxury shoes!