Dress Shoe Care

[flipstah]

Hey all,

I recently pulled the trigger and made an investment in two dress shoes (brown and black) from O'Connors.

They are probably the best shoes I've ever worn and my feet have never been happier! For the peeps who wear and maintain dress shoes on a regular basis, what are some tips that you can share in order to make these shoes last longer and in tip-top shape?

IMO, dress shoes are a man's biggest investments in fashion next to the suit, so gotta make it last!

[CLiVE]

Well, first off buy a good pair of shoe trees and always store with shoe trees to maintain shape, rid of moisture, etc. I add cedar oil to the trees, or sand them lightly now and then, gets rid of odor..

Could store them in separate bags to avoid dust and damage (I don't bother).

Never wear the same pair 2 days in a row...

Polish when needed, also I avoid wearing mine outside in winter. Might want to rinse the salt, etc. off if you happen to and polish/protect

Replace the soles and heels when needed. A good pair will last a long time. Many of mine are on their third sole/heel and nearing 10 years old.

[flipstah]

Question:


Originally posted by CLiVE
Well, first off buy a good pair of shoe trees and always store with shoe trees to maintain shape, rid of moisture, etc. I add cedar oil to the trees, or sand them lightly now and then, gets rid of odor..

Would you recommend buying shoe trees on eBay or at the store? O'Connors sell them for $35, while eBay seems cheaper. Does sizing matter for these trees?

And for polishing, do you have recommendations? I have leftover Kiwi polish, but I don't know if they're any good...

I want to do this right because I'm sick of buying cheap-ass dress shoes that rips my Achille's Tendon apart! I want these babies to last! :D

[msommers]

I find many expensive dress shoes tend to come with separate bags so you keep them at the office in the bags and it's a good way to reduce the dust. Actually keeping them at the office is great because they don't see the winter (much). A brush is good, actually an old brush that's been used to polish shoes before. The salesman at O'Connors was telling me this and it makes sense.

Shoe trees are a must. Sanding is a neat idea, makes sense. It's too bad about the trees, I suckered the guy to toss them in for free.

Out of curiousity, what brand did you pick up?

[flipstah]

Originally posted by msommers
I find many expensive dress shoes tend to come with separate bags so you keep them at the office in the bags and it's a good way to reduce the dust. Actually keeping them at the office is great because they don't see the winter (much). A brush is good, actually an old brush that's been used to polish shoes before. The salesman at O'Connors was telling me this and it makes sense.

Shoe trees are a must. Sanding is a neat idea, makes sense. It's too bad about the trees, I suckered the guy to toss them in for free.

Out of curiousity, what brand did you pick up?

The pair that I bought did come with separate bags and now that you mention it, I'll keep it in the bags until I need them.

I still have another pair to pick up that I pre-paid for, so maybe I can ask about the trees then? :) My salesman was going to tell me more about shoe trees but he didn't have any in stock at the moment.

The black pair are deer/calfskin Mezlan, while the brown pair are Allen-Edmonds. I'm working to save up for a third pair (dark brown), which is a wingtip with a medallion design. I initially hated dress shoes with designs but man, when I put a pair on... I was amazed.

I love dress shoes now. :) I've never had a pair of dress shoes that fitted me so well! I'm 8 in Converse, 8.5 in Puma, but 7.5 in dress shoes, which is a rarity for men's dress shoes.

[bignerd]

So you have really small feet in other words?

[flipstah]

Originally posted by bignerd
So you have really small feet in other words?

Below average, thank you very much. :)

[GQBalla]

I must check out this place o connors.

All my dress shoes have been bought from the bay or Aldo. I know not the fanciest. But it does the job. I keep my dress shoes in the office. Makes them last so much longer.


I use mink oil to clean

[atgilchrist]

I polish my Ferragamo's every 6-8 wears, and like mentioned above, don't wear two days in a row, and they'll last years!

[Impreza]

I routinely clean my dress shoes, it only makes sense to take care of them when you spend $500+ on a pair. They will outlast all the Aldo crap if you just take some time every now and then. I usually start with a microfiber to wipe off any dirt. Then I use a gentle leather cleaner to clean the shoe. Once dry, I apply a shoe cream with a dabber brush and then I buff off. I usually then decide if I want to polish my shoes as well for extra shine.

[flipstah]

Originally posted by GQBalla
I must check out this place o connors.

All my dress shoes have been bought from the bay or Aldo. I know not the fanciest. But it does the job. I keep my dress shoes in the office. Makes them last so much longer.


I use mink oil to clean

You should. Their team is knowledgable and very helpful. I've had my share of outlet mall/The Bay/Aldo dress shoes and I go through them yearly because of inferior material and fit. That's with a rotation of <2 pairs.

Now things have changed and I'm going to save up for that third pair.

EDIT: Found an awesome link regarding dress shoes:

http://putthison.com/post/535994284/episode-2-shoes

And more links if you want to dress like a grown-up:

http://putthison.com/post/10287901291/put-this-on-season-one :clap:

[Pacman]

Don't wear them outside in the winter....not even once.

I've got a couple pairs of Church's, and I only wear them in the summer. I learned the hard way that salt stains never come out.

[flipstah]

Originally posted by Pacman
Don't wear them outside in the winter....not even once.

I've got a couple pairs of Church's, and I only wear them in the summer. I learned the hard way that salt stains never come out.

Oh snap, thanks for the heads-up!

[atgilchrist]

Or get those slip on rubber covers... you'll look like an old man, but your shoes stay shiny clean and dry. You can get them at O'Connors.

[jaylo]

Rule #1 - Never wear them outside the office. Been running several pairs since 2007 and they look and feel as good as new

Buy yourself a cheap winter/outside shoe. I feel sorry for the bozo's that wear expensive dress shoes outside during the winter

[adamc]

Originally posted by Pacman
Don't wear them outside in the winter....not even once.

I've got a couple pairs of Church's, and I only wear them in the summer. I learned the hard way that salt stains never come out.


Ruined my first "nice" pair of $400 shoes this way. They look like a dog's chew toy now.

[flipstah]

Anybody know an alternative place to get shoe trees?

$35x3 adds up when you also plan to buy a third pair of "good" dress shoes. :(

[toyboy88]

IIRC Town Shoes has pretty nice ones (made in Canada if I recall)...either $24.95 or $29.95 last I checked.

[cam_wmh]

Originally posted by flipstah

The black pair are deer/calfskin Mezlan, while the brown pair are Allen-Edmonds.

Allen Edmonds are great shoes - uncles/dad swear by them. Tried them on in NY, but just couldn't pull the trigger. ($400USD) Myself, I'm resigned to some cheaper Calvin Kleins.
I just go by two rules. Never in snow. Never two days in a row.