Aftercare
With a little care and love your shoes will last a long time. Amy recommends inspecting them regularly for wear and tear, and letting them air out after wearing. They are best stored in a ventilated box or on a shelf, away from extremes of heat and light. For guidance on cleaning your shoes, visit this blog post for detailed advice. There is also this article of ideas for shoe storage and bags.
Here's Amy's top tips:
Leather
Leather uppers can be cleaned with a damp cloth and a tiny bit of gentle soap if needed. Take care not to saturate seams and stitching. Let them dry naturally as heat can distort the shape. Buff to a shine with a shoe brush and use a leather cream if they look dry.
Suede
For suede uppers, marks can be gently removed using a suede eraser and brush. You can get these from cobblers, some supermarkets and shoe shops like Clarks. There's lots of advice online about using a pencil eraser or a nail file but we wouldn't recommend it. Normal erasers can leave greasy spots and nail files damage the suede itself. Don't be tempted to use soap and water to clean suede as this may ruin them. It's a good idea to treat suede with a protective spray after cleaning to reduce the impact of stains and scuffs. Make sure you follow the instructions on the product and use outside or in a well ventilated room.
Patent leather
Patent leather can be cleaned with a small amount of gentle soap and a damp cloth. Once dry, buff with a soft cloth. Patent uppers can feel a bit 'sticky' when dancing. The inside of heels and toes rub over each other as you move and on patent leather the friction makes them stick. If this becomes a problem, apply a little bit of vaseline or a solid moisturiser stick to the outside surface of the shoes at these friction points, avoiding the stitching, sole and fabric trims. This enables the shoes to glide over one another.
Satin, silk, velvet and lace
Fabric uppers can be cleaned very carefully by dabbing (not rubbing) stains with a cloth and a tiny bit of gentle soap. Dry immediately with a hair dryer on a cool setting to avoid leaving a water mark. If in any doubt, take to a professional shoe cleaner.
Soles
Suede soles can be restored using a special suede brush. These stiff wire brushes remove sticky spots and bring up the fluffy nap of the suede. For leather soles, dark spots can be scraped off using an old credit card or blunt knife. Any remaining stains can be cleaned using cotton wool and a non-water based fluid such as nail polish remover. The PU or rubber soles of sneakers can be cleaned with a damp cloth and mild soap. Be careful not to saturate the edge of the sneaker where it meets the sole.
Heels
Heel tips on all shoes will eventually wear down and are easily replaced by a cobbler. You can even replace them yourself with a few tools (check YouTube for how-to videos). Never let the tips wear down to the metal spike inside the heel before replacing them as it will damage the shoe, the floor and your balance! Keep an eye on the angle at which your heel tips wear - if you notice they are at a sharp angle your ankles and axis will be affected so get the tips replaced pronto.
Here's Amy's top tips:
Leather
Leather uppers can be cleaned with a damp cloth and a tiny bit of gentle soap if needed. Take care not to saturate seams and stitching. Let them dry naturally as heat can distort the shape. Buff to a shine with a shoe brush and use a leather cream if they look dry.
Suede
For suede uppers, marks can be gently removed using a suede eraser and brush. You can get these from cobblers, some supermarkets and shoe shops like Clarks. There's lots of advice online about using a pencil eraser or a nail file but we wouldn't recommend it. Normal erasers can leave greasy spots and nail files damage the suede itself. Don't be tempted to use soap and water to clean suede as this may ruin them. It's a good idea to treat suede with a protective spray after cleaning to reduce the impact of stains and scuffs. Make sure you follow the instructions on the product and use outside or in a well ventilated room.
Patent leather
Patent leather can be cleaned with a small amount of gentle soap and a damp cloth. Once dry, buff with a soft cloth. Patent uppers can feel a bit 'sticky' when dancing. The inside of heels and toes rub over each other as you move and on patent leather the friction makes them stick. If this becomes a problem, apply a little bit of vaseline or a solid moisturiser stick to the outside surface of the shoes at these friction points, avoiding the stitching, sole and fabric trims. This enables the shoes to glide over one another.
Satin, silk, velvet and lace
Fabric uppers can be cleaned very carefully by dabbing (not rubbing) stains with a cloth and a tiny bit of gentle soap. Dry immediately with a hair dryer on a cool setting to avoid leaving a water mark. If in any doubt, take to a professional shoe cleaner.
Soles
Suede soles can be restored using a special suede brush. These stiff wire brushes remove sticky spots and bring up the fluffy nap of the suede. For leather soles, dark spots can be scraped off using an old credit card or blunt knife. Any remaining stains can be cleaned using cotton wool and a non-water based fluid such as nail polish remover. The PU or rubber soles of sneakers can be cleaned with a damp cloth and mild soap. Be careful not to saturate the edge of the sneaker where it meets the sole.
Heels
Heel tips on all shoes will eventually wear down and are easily replaced by a cobbler. You can even replace them yourself with a few tools (check YouTube for how-to videos). Never let the tips wear down to the metal spike inside the heel before replacing them as it will damage the shoe, the floor and your balance! Keep an eye on the angle at which your heel tips wear - if you notice they are at a sharp angle your ankles and axis will be affected so get the tips replaced pronto.
