If your shoes get wet because of the rain, don’t worry! As soon as you get home, crumple-up newspaper and stuff your shoes with it. Once you do that, dry your shoes away from direct heat (note: direct heat can damage the leather). You can now either leave them to dry totally or can preferably insert a shoe tree. Shoe trees help your shoes dry and retain their shape.

Extra tip: A great preventive measure is to spray your shoes with water protector once every season.

If your shoes are smelly, change your insoles preferably at a cobbler. To prevent your shoes from becoming smelly again, feet and socks should be washed often and you should avoid wearing the same shoes two days in a row.

Shoe trees are a great way of storing the shoes you wore today for a couple of hours. This practice helps your worn shoes dry from any sweat or damp and ensures they retain their shape. The best way to store all your shoes is obviously in your closet but make sure the temperature is comfortable room temperature. Heat and damp can damage shoes. You can protect shoes from any dust and dirt in your closet by placing them in felt or cotton shoe bags (not plastic).

We all have a favorite pair of shoes we feel tempted to wear every day. Don’t do this though! If you want to enjoy your shoes for longer and want to keep them odor-free, then the best thing to do is to “cycle” your shoes. In other words never wear the same pair two days in a row. If something stains your shoes, try to get the stain out as quickly as possible. The best way to do this depends on the material and the type of stain. A quick internet search can help you find the best technique

Giving your shoes a polish can make them regain their brand-new gleam! For best results use a damp (not dripping wet) cloth to clean your shoes. Then use one of those quick and easy shoe polish applicators that come with a sponge head and polish, or preferably use the full kit a professional would which includes a welt brush, a polishing brush, a polishing cloth and wax-based shoe polish. Regardless of which you choose, make sure the shoe polish is the right color! If you’ve opted for the full kit, then first use the welt brush to clean the welt. Then use the polish cloth to apply the polish in circular motion. Finish with the polish brush for a nice look.