Rotate your trainers, oil your leather footwear and use toe protectors – and whatever you do, don’t chuck your shoes in the washing machine
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ow that trainers have supplanted smart shoes for so many occasions, and people replace them as often as fashion and budget allow, shoe maintenance is becoming a lost art. But if you love your shoes, it’s well worth pursuing. How can you keep your favourite pairs going for as long as possible? We asked cobblers for their dos and don’ts.
It is time to wise up about shoe care, says Joey Cope, owner of Cobbler Cope in Newquay. “We just kick them off our feet at the end of the day, then the next day. They are getting wet, dry, wet, dry. It takes its toll on shoes.”
The UK dumps 149m pairs of shoes in landfill annually, says Chris Hulse, co-owner of Sole and Trail in Kendal. “This is unacceptable when the vast majority can be fixed. Sometimes all it takes is a small gluing or stitching job, and you’re only paying £4 – then those shoes might last for another 12 months or even longer.”
