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Step up your shoe-care game
Since our footwear have been locked away for a long time due to the lockdown, follow these useful steps to maintain them.
This summer was an unfortunate season for all the stylish picks in our wardrobe. Due to the lockdown, none of us have been able to step up and flaunt our latest clothes and shoes. And even though, our fabrics have handled the situation well, our kicks may be going through a tough time.
Most often than not, people find their stylish pair of leather shoes or sneakers covered in fungus and cracks when they don’t use them for a long time, but a shoe-care routine before you pack them can save you the despair. “When shoes are kept away, fungus is very easily formed due to the humidity. Therefore, storing it in a dry area away from dust and sunlight works well,” says Jonah Joseph, founder, SteamPress Laundry, a two-year-old city-based shoe laundry service.
It is always a little different with suede shoes, says Nirali Ruparel, founder, Achilles’ Heel, a city-based DIY bespoke studio for men’s footwear, as she warns they aren’t rainwear shoes. As a general rule, she says, “You can keep silica gel pouches in the shoeboxes and store the shoes in shoe trees (insertions) to absorb moisture as they help keep them odour-free before you keep them away”. Suede shoes should definitely be put away, Jonah says, adding, “Using a suede brush can help remove dust but washing should be avoided.”
For all those who had been using leather shoes regularly before the lockdown, there is a chance they have developed wrinkles but thankfully, it isn’t as bad as fungus. Nirali reveals that using a blow dryer can make leather soft again. She says, “Place the dryer at a distance of 5-10 cms and move it along the creases for three to five minutes. Flatten the leather with your hands to get it back into shape and apply shoe cream with a cloth before leaving it to dry for an hour.”
Footwear in India is not only about sneakers and suave shoes. It also includes embroidered mojaris and jootis. Kiran Jaikar, a city-based Kolhapuri chappal and jooti maker, says taking care of them is very easy. “Wrapping them in paper and keeping them in a dry place is the easiest way to avoid moisture from spoiling the chappals,” adds the second-generation shoemaker.
