The lifecycle of your kid’s shoes depends on how active your child is, how often their footwear is maintained, and the type of shoes they’re wearing. However, continuous care of your kid’s school shoes will improve their longevity.

CARING FOR FORMAL SCHOOL SHOES:

1. CLEAN: Before applying polish to the shoes, you need to prepare them. Using a clean soft brush remove any accumulated dirt. This ensures a dirt-free surface and avoids any unwanted scratching of the leather prior to conditioning.
2. CONDITION AND DRY:  Using a cloth apply the conditioning lotion to the leather, buffing the conditioner into your shoes. Allow the shoes to dry naturally. 
3. POLISH: Polish can be applied either as wax or cream, make sure you choose a polish that matches the colour of the shoes.  Be mindful to polish in and around the folds of the leather. Set the shoes aside to allow the polish to dry.
4. BUFF & SHINE: Using a soft brush make sure you remove any excess polish. Using a clean soft cloth, in circular motions go over the whole shoe to give it a final shine and even out the finish.

CARING FOR YOUR SPORT SHOES:

1. CLEAN: With a soft brush or a soft cloth use warm water and soap to gently wipe down the shoe, taking care not to over saturate the shoe more than needed.  To clean the innersole remove it from shoe and repeat the same method (make sure the innersole is completely air dry before putting back inside shoe). 
2. DRY: Wipe off any excess water with a soft cloth and leave to dry naturally. 
3. WATERPROOF: After your shoes have dried, treat them with a waterproofing spray to help protect the upper from small amounts of water and dirt.

GENERAL TIPS FOR SHOE CARE:

• Make sure your kids are always wearing socks with their school shoes. Without socks, the feet rub the inside of the shoe far more and will sweat more.
• Store shoes in a dry, ventilated place.
• Keep your kid’s toenails trimmed as this helps their shoes to fit comfortably and helps prevents their nails bruising.
• Make sure your kids remove their shoes properly. Undoing and loosening the laces will help their feet slide out freely and will ensure that the heel counter at the back of the shoe, that helps to provide support, stays intact, and is not bent out of shape.
• Watch for signs of over-wear which will signal when their shoes are ready to be replaced.

For further advice on Emergency shoe care tips, visit our Save our soles Emergency Blog