Shoe care tips for monsoon

All the sudden downpours can wreak havoc on your footwear. It is important to keep a few things in mind for keeping your shoes away from woes as prevention is better than cure, says an expert.

Chander Daultani, Director at Valentino Shoes - a leather manufacturing industry in India, shares some tips to keep in mind for shoe care.

* Let's work something about smelly shoes: Good foot care will go a long way in keeping bad odour away. Wash your feet often and socks even more often to keep your shoes odour free. Also, try inserting cedar shoe trees into just-removed shoes. They'll absorb perspiration, deodorise the shoes, and straighten them out after daily wear.

Apart from this you can also use tea bags for removal of odour from your shoes.

* What to do when your shoes get dingy: If your fabric shoes has little dirt on it then you can try dampening a sponge and applying a small amount of detergent like baby shampoo which will remove the stains. If the dirt is stubborn then you can use laundry pre-treatment spray and scrub the affected area. For leather shoes, use a tiny amount of saddle soap to remove dirt and grime.

* What to do when your heels get stuck in sticky lawn: In such situation let the mud dry rather than treating it in wet, dirt will easily goes off when its dry. When your shoes or sandals are wet from sweat do''t allow them to get dry direct under the sun because it will make your leather crack and can even uneven the shape of the shoes.

* Conditioning of leathers: Sweat, wear and tear makes your leather dry and become more prone to cracks and wrinkles. You can condition it yourself as well as you can take it to the shoemaker for better results.

* Keep on switching: It is advisable that people should not wear same shoes on the daily basis or for more than couple of days in a row. Wearing same shoes daily does not only give the change to shoe but also allow your feet to breathe and to take rest.

--IANS

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