Tips for Reviving Leather Shoes

When you have a favorite pair of shoes, they can really take a beating. Luckily, when properly cared for, quality leather can last for decades. Reviving your old leather shoes doesn’t take much effort, and can help you squeeze out as much use as possible. Here’s how to revive old leather shoes in Baton Rouge, LA.

Clean your shoes

There are three common ways to repair your shoes, but they all require a good cleaning first. If you haven’t cleaned your shoes in years, it’s long past time to rectify the situation.

First, get rid of all the dirt and debris you can by scrubbing the shoes with a soft bristle brush. Next, wash your shoes with a moisturizing saddle soap. This cleaner is designed especially for leather, so it won’t harm the material. Saddle soap conditions the leather and gets rid of any wax from the last time your shoes were polished. Finally, let your shoes dry thoroughly (do not place them next to a heat source like radiators or fireplaces) and polish them.

Polish your shoes

Polishing your shoes is often all it takes to make your shoes look like new once more. You’ll need shoe polish, a soft cloth and some water.

First, wrap the cloth around your finger and dip the cloth into the polish. Use the cloth to apply the polish to your shoe, using a circular motion. Don’t rush it, and only polish one small area at a time.

When the area starts feeling rough, dab the cloth on a sponge for a little moisture. Continue the process, adding polish in multiple layers, until you achieve the shine you desire. This process may take several hours.

Replace the soles

You can always have your shoes reheeled or resoled at your local cobbler shop, but sometimes you can replace the soles yourself. Check to make sure the soles aren’t stitched on—those will have to be replaced by a professional.

To replace the soles, clean them and sand them down until you have a perfectly smooth surface. Using shoe glue and a sponge, apply glue to the old soles, then affix the new soles on top of them. Use rubber bands to secure them, and allow to dry several hours or overnight. Once the glue is dry, you can use small shoe nails to fasten the sole to the shoe.

Dye the leather

If your shoes are too scuffed to be revived by polish alone, you can dye the leather. First, use a stripping product to get rid of polish, wax, dirt and oil. Choose a quality leather dye and use a fine brush to apply it. After drying for 24 hours, go back and re-dye or touch up the areas that still need work. Once you have the desired color, polish your shoes to lock in the color.

These tips for reviving old leather shoes in Baton Rouge, LA can also be used on your Acadian Leather purchases. Visit our website or call today to buy your next favorite pair of leather shoes.

Categorised in: Leather Care