Shiny Shoes Make All the Difference

Picture by Jay Springett

I have a friend who once told me that whenever she meets someone for the first time, she always looks at their shoes first. This is not some weird kind of shoe obsession. She says that she can tell whether the person is neat, organized and productive, from looking at how well they attend to their shoes.

Since then, I try to throw a quick glance at my feet before I leave the house, and keep some wipes nearby in case I need to clean them real quick. But really looking after your shoes doesn't have to take that long either. Especially with leather, frequency is more important than how careful you are about polishing your shoes.

Cleaning your shoes is a matter of minutes. First of all, brush them off with a dry brush. Then, if need be, wash with a damp cloth (only lightly, don't get them wet!). After that you can use some polish and rub it into the leather of the shoe. Let it sit for about three minutes to dry, then use a clean brush to get a nice shine.

About once a month should do the trick. Be sure to protect your clothes, furniture, pets, children, etc. Shoe polish is sticky stuff!

In the long run, taking care of leather shoes will make them last MUCH longer! I've had pairs of shoes last me over 5 years, and others waste away in less than 2 (depending on how hard my mom wagged her finger at us). So it's not only a good use of time, but a money saver too!

Do you polish your shoes? Do you notice when others do(n't)?