HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR SHOES

Shoes as Investments:Cheap shoes are a false bargain. They're made of glue, rubber, and low-grade leather, which often bears scars from shrubs, trees, and barbed wire (the normal hazards of bovine life), and which is rejected out of hand by reputable shoemakers. Good shoes begin with great leather, period. Be prepared to pay for it. Of course, once you have invested your hard-earned cash in a quality pair, you're going to want to hang on to them. Put a little time and effort into looking after them and they'll last longer than any three pairs of cheap clodhoppers. Here are six ways to care for your shoes;

1. Spray new shoes with a waterproof protector. It will keep the surface from getting marred if they do get wet in the rain.
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3. Alternate pairs. You want your shoes to have time to breathe between wearings. Also, let shoes dry for several hours before putting them in the dank recesses of your closet.
4. Clean the insides. This is especially important if odor is a problem. Swab them with alcohol or a drop of tea tree oil, an antifungal agent. Take care not to splash to avoid staining the leather.
5. Use shoe trees. They help retain the shoe's shape. "Use forms made of cedar for the pair worn that day to absorb moisture," says Joe Rocco from Jim's Shoe Repair in New York City. Plastic trees are fine for your other shoes. You can get shoe trees at shoe stores, shoe-repair shops. 
6. Polish leather. The salt in sweat dries out leather over time; polishing regularly keeps it supple. Contact: rivianng@yahoo.com/ bb:236CDBBC/08173391793