How to Care for Your Shoes

Three minutes a week is the difference between shoes that last two years and shoes that last five. Here's how to do it properly for each type.

White joggers and sneakers

  1. Knock the dirt off first. Bang the soles together outside and brush away loose dust. Never start cleaning with dirt still sitting on the shoe — you'll just grind it in.
  2. Use a waterless cleaning cream. Apply a small amount to the brush and scrub in small circles. Our KISI Jogger Cleaning Cream comes with the brush included.
  3. Wipe, don't rinse. Take the lifted dirt off with a dry cloth. Soaking white joggers is what turns them stiff and yellow.
  4. For grey uppers, whiten. If the white has gone dull rather than dirty, use a whitening cream like HENGLIANG Magic Cream to bring the colour back.
  5. Air dry away from sunlight. Direct sun yellows white material.

Leather shoes

  1. Clean and let dry fully. Never polish over dirt or damp leather.
  2. Pick your polish. Liquid polish for speed on a work morning. Cream polish or beeswax when you have five minutes and want a deeper, longer-lasting shine.
  3. Thin layers, worked in circles. One thin coat buffed properly beats one thick coat every time.
  4. Let it sit, then buff. Two minutes for cream, five for wax, then buff with a soft cloth until it comes up.
  5. Repeat for depth. Wax builds. Two thin coats look far better than one heavy one.

Things that quietly ruin shoes

  • Drying them in direct sun or near a heater. Leather cracks, glue weakens, white material yellows.
  • Wearing the same pair every day. Shoes need a day to dry out inside. Rotating two pairs makes both last longer than wearing one into the ground.
  • Ignoring the insole. The insole takes the sweat and the impact. Replacing a worn one costs a fraction of new shoes and makes an old pair feel new.
  • Using polish on suede. There is no coming back from this one.

A simple weekly routine

Sunday evening, five minutes: brush the week's dirt off every pair you wore, polish the leather ones, and put the joggers somewhere airy. That's it. That's the whole routine.

Shop Shoe Care or browse Insoles & Foot Comfort.