Looking After Your Leather Shoes

Looking after your new shoes... 

Congratulations, if you have just purchased a pair of footwear that uses all natural leather. Tracey Neuls personally hand selects her leathers, sourced from small independent European tanneries where the animals are sensitively cared for. As well as being the best, cow leather is chosen because the entire animal can be used with little to no wastage. The irregularity of leather is beautiful and unparalleled to any synthetic material 

Leather does patina with time, we all do! Being natural and organic means that it can be sensitive to light and humidity. If you are regularly wearing your shoes in very hot temperatures, please treat them like your own skin and make sure the exposure isn't too long, as some lighter colours can literally tan. Please also be careful of dark dyes from clothing as they could transfer onto your shoes and this is very difficult to rectify. 

“Pony' leather is actually cow hide. Keeping its colour well, light dirt can be dusted away and light water just beads off. Enjoy the soft, brushed texture of Suede, this leather can not be polished however, it can be spray protected. Our velvet / fabric styles are leather lined and cannot be polished however they can be protected with a silicone or teflon spray. To achieve the high gloss finish, patent leather has a plastic coating. In time, this may lead to slight surface cracks or creases. This is irreversible and all part of the material qualities of patent leather. Our reflective shoes are like light bulbs. They glow with amazing brightness thanks to the creation of scientists. The molecules react to light and burn on and off with intensity. However, like all light sources, they have a life. Please be aware that these shoes will have a shorter life span than a hardy leather equivalent. 

Top tip: make friends with your local cobbler! Just like your shoe's upper, a leather sole is also absorbent. Any leather sole can disintegrate if it has been wet too much. You can help superficially by adding a thin rubber ‘sticker sole’ to the bottom if you wish. 

The solid coloured leathers we use are dyed all the way through. Scuffs and scrapes to your shoes can often be disguised with a touch of similar shade polish. With unpredictable weather climates, you might want to consider a bee's wax resin to keep them more water resistant. Please note that leather by nature is an absorbent material. If caught in heavy rain, allow your footwear to dry at room temperature without the aid of heaters. Once dry, there are plenty of leather products on the market which could help revive them. Always test a small area first. Absorbency means that red wines, oils and other liquids can stain as well as your potential repellant. 

We print, texture and emboss many of our leathers. All surface embellishments are just that - on the surface. Please note that these luxurious textures are less resistant to abrasion and a little extra care is needed when wearing them. 

One of Tracey's favourite 'found' collections is of old leather shoes washed up from the early part of the century, a testament to this natural material's longevity. Quality, handcrafted designs are worth repairing and if well cared for, leather shoes do last. 

Please email for more information about shoe care: 
shoes@traceyneuls.com