Tips from our Shoe Guru

Shoe Care Tips
With proper shoe care you can legthen the life of your shoes.

Shoe Trees
Did you know during a normal day your feet produce over a 1/4 cup of moisture and up to a 1/2 cup when active? CEDAR Shoe trees can extend the life of your leather shoes up to three times their expected life span. They draw moisture out of your shoes; re-awaken the shoe's natural structural memory; and prevent the leather from wrinkling and cracking.

Rotate Wear
Shoes need a day off. If you want your fine leather shoes to last longer, never wear them for two consecutive days. Rotate your shoes with another pair of shoes and let them rest with CEDAR shoe trees.

Cleaning and Polishing
Washing your shoes periodically with leather cleaner. Put in your CEDAR shoe trees and let them air dry. (Shoes should never be put close to heat sources which can dry out the leather.) When shoes are dry, polish them with a quality wax based polish.

Protective Soles
Adding a sole protector prolongs the life of your shoes. Stylishly thin, this rubber top sole protects the outer sole from wear and tear. Water resistant and skid proof, protective soles will make any pair of leather soled shoes last a lifetime.

POLISH, POLISH, POLISH.
Always keep a fresh coat of polish, cream, or moisturizer 0n your leather footwear. Even our hands tend to dry and crack when exposed to excess moisture. Think of leather in the same way, except leather no longer has the ability to produce natural oils, which would otherwise keep it moist and supple. Cream polish will penetrate deeper into the grain of the leather, while wax tends to coat the surface, lasting longer with a brighter shine. I recommend cream for softer leathers and wax for more ridged leathers.

Polish should be applied when the leather begins to look dull or feels dry to the touch. Eventually, you may begin to see a streaking, flaking, or blotchiness on the upper. This means the polish has clogged the pores of the leather and caked. Remedy: An application of polish remover let dry then simply reapply a fresh coat of polish.

The proper way to apply wax polish:

• Apply a thin coat of leather cleaner. Let dry.
• Apply a thin coat of polish working into the leather in a circular motion.
• Using a horsehair brush; brush the upper in a back and forth motion until the upper begins to show a dull shine. Repeat steps 2 and 3.
• Using the rough side of a professional shine cloth buff the uppers until the finish is a uniform luster. You may need someone to help hold the shoe steady with this step.
• Using the soft side of the shine cloth repeat step 5 until the desired brightness is achieved.
• For a finishing touch coat the soles and heels with sole and edge dressing.

The proper way to apply cream polish:

• Apply a thin coat of leather cleaner. Let dry.
• Apply a thin coat of polish working into the leather in a circular motion. The drier the leather the quicker the polish will be absorbed.
• With a clean cloth, buff out the leather until the desired luster.
• Repeat steps 2 and 3.
• For a finishing touch coat the soles and heels with sole and heel dressing.