Do you find yourself replacing your shoes often?

If you want to make a statement while impressing people around you, wearing a nice pair of shoes is an easy way to do it. Shoes can complete a person's look and put it on another level if the person knows how to incorporate the right shoes into the look.

The only problem with them is that shoes often get worn down and need to get replaced on the regular. With shoe costs rising, learning how to take care of shoes becomes important if you want to cut back on costs and save money.

Proper shoe care keeps a pair of shoes fresh and away from the point of breaking. If you want this for your pair of shoes, read on and learn the right way to take care of your shoes.

1. Keep Your Shoes Away From the Washing Machine

A rookie mistake people make is washing their shoes in the washing machine. Doing this submerges the entire pair in soapy water for the duration of the wash cycle. This may sound like a good thing for some, but this causes serious damage to your shoes.

Exposure to soapy water can dissolve the glue that's holding the shoe together. Over time, this can make the shoe loose and, soon enough, fall apart. This can happen even if you set the washer on its gentlest setting.

The better way to clean your shoes is to get an old toothbrush and scrub away. Remember to keep the bristles away from the areas glued together. Also, do gentle strokes so your shoes won't look worn down.

2. Air Dry Your Shoes on the Regular

After having your shoes washed, you must get them dry as soon as possible. Keeping them wet for an extended period may make it a prime target for mold growth. How do you begin going about drying your shoes though?

The best way to do this is air drying your shoes. Air drying is a quick way to get rid of the excess moisture remaining inside your shoes. Also, unlike sun drying, this method doesn't cause your shoes to shrink.

Doing this also exposes shoes to much-needed air. Depending on the material, some shoes need to breathe to keep their shape and integrity. Air drying is the best way to dry your shoes for those reasons.

3. Invest in Shoe Trees and Shoe Horns

Over time, shoes tend to change their shape. Sometimes, they collapse in on themselves because they're underused. For the most part, though, they change in shape because of overuse.

For this reason, it's a good idea to invest in shoe trees. These nifty items can help your shoes keep their shape and prevent them from collapsing on themselves. Unvarnished shoe trees can also help absorb any moisture left in your shoe after you use it.

You should also consider getting a shoe horn while you're at it. These allow you to avoid creasing the material above the heel of your shoe. Doing this allows your shoes to prevent sinking in sooner than expected.

4. Cycle Between Different Pairs of Shoes

The main reason your shoes keep getting worn down is that you're using them too much. Using only 1 pair of shoes causes it them crease up and thin out. This will cause it to tear up after a while.

Alternating between 3 other pairs is the most ideal way to go about this. This ensures each pair gets at least 3 days of rest before you use them again. This allows them to breathe, reset their shapes, and remove any smell they've gotten from using them.

5. Keep Your Shoes Polished

Polishing your shoes does more than keeping it looking pretty. It also gives your shoes a protective layer of wax to prevent light scratches.

Polishing your shoes also helps revive its material. If you start noticing creases appearing, applying the right kind of polish will help fill them in.

Shoe polish also allows your shoe to resist the elements. Dirt will wipe right off and won't get between the small cracks in your shoes. Shoe polish will also help the shoe absorb less moisture coming from the outside.

6. Caring for Leather and Suede Shoes

Knowing how to take care of shoes is good but we've only looked into shoes made from common materials so far. You should also look into shoes made from different materials to know how to better maintain them. Because they're made of more delicate material, you can expect leather and suede to get treated in different ways.

Leather shoes need a lot of special attention when it comes to maintenance. You have to keep them dry but also need to keep them from getting too dry, too. This is because when leather dries up, it starts to crack from inside and break apart.

This is why heat drying them is the worst mistake you could do to leather shoes. This is similar to how you should take care of sandals. Read more about sandal maintenance here.

When it comes to suede shoes, what's important is to keep them dry at all times. Getting a pair of suede shoes wet destroys the fabric and will result in bald spots or tearing. Air drying them as soon as possible can prevent this from happening.

You can also invest in some silicone-based suede spray to keep the water off of them when the weather is bad. This can be quite expensive but the protection they provide makes them worth it.

7. Make Sure Your Feet Are Dry Before Wearing Your Shoes

A common mistake people make which leads to the deterioration of their shoes is putting them on when they have wet or moist feet. The soles of your shoes aren't as water-resistant compared to the material outside. They absorb any moisture present in your feet and spread it all around.

This degrades the shoes from the inside and sometimes will cause expansion. For the most part, expansion isn't that big of a deal unless the material your shoes got made from isn't stretchable.

If you continue wearing the shoes, there's also a chance you'll get athlete's foot because of the moisture. The heat from your body is enough to grow fungus when combined with the moisture absorbed from your feet.

Take time to dry out your feet before wearing your shoes. It will not only keep your shoes in their best condition but it will also help you avoid having a foot problem.

Learn How to Take Care of Shoes Today

Knowing how to take care of shoes ensures they last longer than you'd expect them to. Now that you know these shoe tips you can start taking care of your shoes today!

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