How to take care of shoes

Polish your shoes well, go for shoe rotation and more to keep your footwear in good condition, says an expert.

Shoe care industry expert Sahil Gupta of shoe care company Helios India, shares some tips for better maintenance of shoes:
* Shining and conditioning: Polishing the shoes every week keeps them looking their best and also helps them to last longer. The ideal way of polishing the shoes is to use cream polish before applying a coat of wax polish.
* Shoe rotation: To cut down on the wear and tear of shoes, shoe rotation is important and for this purpose one needs more than one pair of good shoes to avoid wearing the same shoes every day.
* Use a shoe horn: Using a shoe horn is the best procedure while getting into a quality shoe as it saves the heel collar, the top part of the heel from breaking down.
* Keep shoes dry: The best way to dry a pair of wet shoes after wearing is to let them air dry at room temperature. A dryer should never be used for this purpose as it will cause them to dry out and become stiff.
* Regular maintenance is important: Every now and then some preventive maintenance is required for shoes. Due to regular use, the soles of the shoes get holes in them or their heels wear down. So, it is important to visit a good cobbler for repair work.