SHOE CARE
We believe the most important elements of a good shoe should be quality, style, and comfort. However, keeping your favorite shoes in good nick is what really matters! This way you can get the most out of them, money well spent we say!
Pro-longing the life of your shoes all comes down to how you maintain them post-purchase. We’ve compiled a Wild Rhino Workbook all about proper shoe care to keep your new shoes looking spick and span after all the work they do. After all, they’re the ones keeping you company whether it be at work, at the game, out for coffee, at that wedding and at the pub. Leather is like a fine wine, it gets better with age, it just needs to be properly looked after to get the best life.
Water & Stain Protection & Prevention
Weather can be unpredictable, so it’s best to be pro-active and protect your shoes from water and stains with our Protector Spray. The Protector Spray repels any moisture and prevents stains. It’s best used as a preventative rather than a removalist – so spray onto your brand-new shoes and top up when you’re heading out in the rain or to the pub.
The spray seals the leather creating a barrier that water / moisture / stains cannot penetrate through. All our leather is naturally dyed which means it’s very important to protect that colour. The best part of this spray it’s easy to apply and dries instantly. The more you wear your shoes, the more you should use the protector spray.
TIP #1: When you’re not wearing your shoes store them in a dry, well ventilated & cool place. Do not store them in a hot, unventilated, or dark environment as they may deteriorate.
Leather Conditioner: The Revitalizer
Leather Conditioner will help seal and preserve the leather to keep that finish fresh. It works on all different types of colours, textures and products without affecting the original leather. For the best results, always test a small portion on an unseen area before applying it to the whole shoe. It will allow you to control how much or how little product you need to treat the issue. This will help revitalize your leather from scuffs to shine in a matter of seconds!
Clean, Polish, Shine!
It’s important to clean & polish your shoes regularly to remove any dust, dirt or stains. Polishing is key to the longevity of your shoes. Not only will it repair the damage from day-to-day wear, but it will nourish and moisturise the leather keeping it soft and healthy. Our Shoe Care Instant Shine is great tool to start with, the easy use sponge brush helps work the polish into your shoes giving that new shine & clean appearance.
A common myth is ‘more polish equals more better’, which is wrong. Excess polish creates a build-up on the shoe covering the natural enhancements. It creates an uneven texture and attracts to dust when stored away. It is only recommended to polish your shoes once a week if you’re wearing them three to four times a week.
TIP #2: Only use a small amount of polish to spread evenly and thinly over the shoe to restore the natural colours.
Rest and Recovery
Even shoes need a day off! Shoes take a full 24 hours to recover entirely after they’ve been worn. To keep the highest quality of leather, you should never wear them consecutively for more than two days. It’s always a great idea alternating pairs as a different style or colour.
Caring for Suede and Nubuck
Suede and nubuck have different caring methods compared to leather. Suede is softer and more pliable whereas nubuck is strong and rough, so it is very important to care for these guys especially during the colder months. Try avoiding getting your suede shoes wet as water may damage the leather and cause discoloration. For all suede & nubuck shoes, you need the Protector Spray as this will protect the shoes against water and stains.
TIP #3: Don’t use any leather creams or polishes as they may stain your new kicks.
Shoe Maintenance
With proper care leather shoes and soles can last for many years but it’s also normal that they will wear out over time after consistent wear. To prolong its life, we recommend adding a topy sole which is durable rubber material to improve the traction and protection of your shoe. This can be put on quickly & cost effectively by your local cobbler. The longevity of your shoe depends on the conditions you wear them in day to day. The more you wear them the quicker the sole will wear out.
As you start establishing a shoe care routine, you will start to see some great results in how your shoes last and maintain that new leather look. It takes time and effort of creating this habit but once you’ve mastered it your look will be complete, it only takes a scuff to ruin a good outfit!
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