Some easy ways to maintain your leather shoes

When you spend oodles of money on a nice pair of leather shoes, it is important to maintain them well too. Add a layer of rubber at the bottom of the sole and keep your leather shoes away from direct sunlight, suggests an expert.

Ishaan Sachdeva, Director at shoe brand Alberto Torresi, has listed how you can maintain leather shoes:

* Applying polish is a must to-do thing. But while doing so, one thing that needs to be kept in mind is to apply cream polish in the same colour as the shoe to protect it.

In case of unfinished leather, oil like mink oil helps to preserve the quality of the leather.

* Add a layer of rubber at the bottom of the sole. The rubber protects the leather soles from damage and allows them to stay for long.

* Always give your favourite pair of shoes a day's rest in between wearing them. This allows the moisture to dry out so that the leather can last long and proffer a splendid fashion statement.

* Let the leather dry at room temperature, away from heaters and sunlight. Both the heater and sunlight can cause cracking and discoloration of the shoes.

* A common perception that everybody holds is that keeping the shoes packed in boxes makes them last longer. But this is not the case certainly. Prolonged storage of shoes in boxes can cause footwear materials to deteriorate, especially in humid climate, thus causing the leather to lose its shine and lustre.

* Different types of leathers require different types of care. For instance, to remove dirt from unfinished leather, it is wise to wipe the shoe gently with a dry cloth. Then dampen the cloth with warm water and wipe it again.

* Use sprays that resist water, salt and mud to maintain the classic suede shoes. Test the spray before using it over your ideal pair because at times it can lead to a change in the colour tone of the shoes.

* Another easy way to retain the quality and gleam of leather is to remove dirt or stains with a soft brush.